Federal Bureaucracy, Essay Example

Climate Change: Whose Problem?

US Special Envoy Todd Stern said of climate change: “The science is clear, and the threat is real. The facts on the ground are outstripping the worst case scenarios” (US Department of State). The issue brings national and international governments together.

Researching Climate Change

Most notably, the Environmental Protection Agency determines the existence of agents of social change, including its Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks and US Global and Intergovernmental Panels on Research Change and its tracking of current climate developments of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting System (EPA). During the Obama administration, a new envoy for climate change, Stern, actively works with the US Secretary of State and the United Nations to minimize pollutants (State Department). Because the quality of natural resources directly relates to the production of agricultural goods, the US Department of Agriculture keeps thorough records of water, pollution, soil quality, etc (US Department of Agriculture).

Policy Formation

The EPA maintains records and plans for America and international climate change, including creating pollution standards, working with law-makers, doing energy ‘make-over’ work with voluntary companies, and EPA’s International Climate Partnerships (EPA). The USDA developed detailed response strategies for a crisis and invested in their own research programs which make recommendations to law-makers (USDA).

Conclusion

The effects of climate change are not limited to any one group of people; they present challenges to government from small towns, regions, states, countries, and the world as a whole. While the negative effects gain acceptance, it can be hard to secure funding and to coordinate changes in laws at different levels. Continued research and national and international collaboration, particularly by the EPA, State Department, and USDA, can only accomplish as much as the people who agree to work together. It is everyone’s problem but not everyone’s concern.

References

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Retrieved 10 March 2014 <http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/EPAactivities.html>. Web.

US Department of State. (n.d.). Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change. Retrieved 11 March 2014 <http://www.state.gov/s/climate/index.htm>. Web.

US Department of Agriculture. (2014). Climate Change Program Office. Retrieved 10 March 2014 <http://www.usda.gov/oce/climate_change/>. Web.