Comment l'agenda climatique peut rendre sa grandeur à l'Amérique

Dec 15, 2016 Vinod Thomas

SINGAPOUR – Le changement climatique est le plus grand défi auquel l'humanité fait face. Pourtant le prochain président des États-Unis (le deuxième plus grand pays émetteur de gaz à effet de serre et un acteur essentiel dans la politique climatique), ne croit pas que ce changement a lieu, ou du moins que les humains jouent un rôle dans ce processus. Si Donald Trump veut réellement rendre sa grandeur à l'Amérique, comme l'indique son slogan de campagne (« Make America Great Again »), il va devoir changer d'attitude et adopter l'agenda climatique.

Pour l'instant, la situation ne semble pas très prometteuse. En dépit d'une foule de données scientifiques, Trump affirme qu'il n'y a aucune preuve que les humains contribuent au réchauffement climatique. Il lui est même arrivé de qualifier le changement climatique de canular (« hoax »), inventé par les Chinois pour rendre l'industrie américaine moins compétitive (bien qu'il ait rétracté par la suite cette accusation). Toutefois il n'a pas reconsidéré son scepticisme plus large à l'égard de l'origine humaine des changements climatiques.

En persistant dans son raisonnement, Trump a annoncé son intention de faire marche arrière sur les limites d'émission de carbone pour les centrales à charbon, d'intensifier la production de combustibles fossiles et de réduire les aides aux énergies éolienne et solaire. Il a également promis de faire sortir les États-Unis de l'accord mondial sur le changement climatique conclu en décembre dernier à Paris. Un tel renversement serait catastrophique pour les efforts mondiaux de lutte contre le changement climatique.

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Florian Strahberger Dec 20, 2016

"Of course, in the longer term..."
... "In the long run we are all dead". Keynes did address the economists - but for a politician in a so called democracy of our days this is definitely even more the maxim.
Of course, in all those fields where climate action will lead to a reduction of fuels and thus a reduction of costs based on building-up the needed knowledge-base to achieve these goals, some competitive advantage will be the return.
But, today the prices for oil are low - and we have a fragile economy within a liquidity-trap...
... from his point of view, Trump is pretty right not to buy the German stuff but to rely on the technology his own people are capable to produce, like SUVs with a max reach of 20 miles per gallon ...
With having good luck, the oil-prices will stay far below 100 USD for the next 4 years ...
Nothing can make America great again. This Great America was only a short period of time, with a brain-drain and a situation in which the competitors were bombed down to ruins. And today, the nation is not of so much relevance any more - if the situation of a region is great or not so great is a per capita thing. Even Porters cluster-theory is more and more outdated because with CSCW you can build up these clusters virtually.
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Aale Hanse Dec 15, 2016

The current trend with solutions to climate change is fraught with fallacies that do not address the root problem. Climate change has been hijacked by the money men just like globalization had and we finally see the outcomes to that. By proposing a solution that enhances profits and ignoring the pollution and environmental degradation is not a long term solution that is sustainable or even effective in any way. We are polluting our environment under the disguise of economic growth and refuse to stop it let alone reverse it. Our penchant for the trajectory we want our lives to continue with is not sustainable and with eight billion plus people all wanting the same then sumpin has to give.
A better solution would be to forget about the solutions to climate change that is being pushed now and clean up the environmental degradation that is out there now, right in front of us that cannot be refuted. The flow on effect of having an expense instead of a profit will bring about the changes that are just a lip service now.
All through the centuries the human race has not been a team player with the environment and to expect it to change now is impossible: so I guess Darwin’s theory will prevail....
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