#climatechangepaf200

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Social policy learning and climate change

Climate change has been an issue for many years, and everyone is aware of it. People know they should recycle, conserve energy, and save water. But why haven’t we made progress if we know how bad it's becoming?

This video provides a great example of social policy learning regarding climate change. It argues that in order for society to reverse the disastrous effects of global warming, a cultural shift is needed. It explains that climate change (and policy surrounding it) must be taught as a social issue, rather than just a political one. It will take more than a few environmental policies for things to change, and these environmental policies should be amended/created to address the root of the problem--society’s actions.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkZ7BJQupVA

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Environmental policy changes

On his first day in office, President Biden made several changes regarding climate change, in an effort to reverse the Trump-era policies. Most notably, he rejoined the Paris agreement and revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. Biden also plans to reduce pollution from oil and gas by implementing new policies regarding fuel economy for cars.

 On Jan. 27, President Biden issued another executive order regarding climate change. This one addressed both domestic and international climate change affairs. Regarding international affairs, the U.S. will host a “Leader’s Climate Summit”, at which countries will provide updates surrounding the Paris Agreement. As far as domestic changes, Biden established a National Climate Force, which will document progress on goals such as the reduction of the emission of fossil fuels. 

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Biden’s Top-Down approach to Climate Change

The Biden Administration said it will take a “whole of government” approach to climate change. President Biden has already enacted several executive orders regarding climate change, which signifies a top-down approach because he has clear goals and the policies are coming from him. With his executive orders, such as bringing the U.S. back to the Paris climate accord, he is making decisions for the whole country. He isn’t leaving the details of these decisions up to individual states or counties, which would indicate a bottom-down approach or a combined approach. The Paris agreement itself, however, uses more of a bottom-down/combined approach because implementation is left up to the countries involved.

Sources: https://www.pri.org/stories/2021-02-10/biden-vows-take-whole-government-approach-climate-change

https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement

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Focusing Events of 2020

In addition to political actors, other drivers of policy change are focusing events. These are major occurrences, often rare and unexpected, that bring awareness to an issue. There have been plenty of examples of focusing events surrounding climate change, and many of them brought about significant policy changes, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

In 2020, a major focusing event was the wildfires in Australia. These fires lasted months, and were deemed some of the worst in history. Extensive media coverage of the event brought attention to the warming climate, and the Australian government was criticized for its response and lack of action.

Another focusing event was the oil spill in the Arctic region of Russia. 125,000 barrels of oil were spilled from a tank, flowing into nearby bodies of water. Thawing permafrost due to warming temperatures was cited as a cause of the spill. The accident will likely have disastrous effects on the environment, and environmentalists emphasized the need to address the root cause of it as a result.

Sources: https://www.carbonbrief.org/media-reaction-australias-bushfires-and-climate-change

https://weather.com/news/news/2020-11-30-2020-year-in-review-worst-environmental-disasters-climate-change

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Agenda Setting

Agenda setting is the process in which issues gain or lose public attention. Though climate change is not a new policy area by any means, it has gained more attention in recent years than ever before. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans in 2019 believed that climate change should be a top priority--the first time in 20 years. 

Like any policy area, political power has historically had a large impact on climate change and its agenda. President Trump brought attention to climate change when he rolled back many environmental policies, including removing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord. His climate change policies differed vastly from the Obama era, and also from Biden’s plans. Trump’s policies are reflected in partisan views about climate change. Republicans are much less likely to view climate change as a priority, according to another study by the Pew Research Center.

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/20/climate/climate-change-polls.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/27/us/politics/trump-climate-science.html

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Think tanks of environmental policy

SEI-The Stockholm Environment Institute aims to “bridge science and policy” through climate change solutions. It particularly focuses on climate, air, water, and land-use issues.

C2ES-The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and also reduce emission costs. It was founded in 1998, and continues to be praised for business leadership.

The Heartland Institute-This think tank focuses on many policy areas, such as criminal justice, economy, and education. However, it also researches climate change, specifically air and water pollution, public health, and energy policy. The center contributes a lot of research and commentary about climate change, and has produced books, policy videos, and pamphlets for the public.