Climate Change
What’s the problem?
Climate change, which encompasses global warming, refers to the rising sea levels, shrinking of mountain glaciers, melting ice in Antartica and the Artic as well as shifts in crop yields. It’s caused mainly by people using fossil fuels (like coal and oil) and releasing greenhouse gases (heat-trapping gases) into the air. According to NASA, it’s a serious problem.
Climate change can cause drastic changes in the weather, and most likely contributed to the destructive nature of hurricanes during the recent years.
Although the U.S. is responsible for one of the highest carbon dioxide emissions per capita, it’s among the least concerned about climate change and its negative impact.
The effects of climate change, however, will be especially harsh on poorer counties in the U.S. as every 1 degree Celsius (33.8 degree Fahrenheit) increase in global temperature costs the U.S. economy roughly 1.2 percent in gross domestic product.
As a result of drier conditions, increases in temperature and water droughts as well as human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, the number of wildfires taking place in the West has doubled between 1984 and 2015.
Where Democrats stand
Generally, the majority of registered Democrats and Democratic candidates in the U.S. House and Senate agree that climate change is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
Where Republicans stand
Roughly half of registered Republicans in the U.S. believe in climate change and some Republican leaders are taking a stand toward improving policies.
However, a majority of Republican leaders do not. President Donald Trump is known for calling global warming a “hoax” during his presidential campaign as well as withdrawing the U.S. out of the international climate agreement, also known as the Paris Agreement.
