Optimum Environmental Policy(s) On Climate Change, Research Paper Example

Greenhouse gas emissions have resulted to increased global warming globally, which is no longer a distant threat-the world is feeling the impacts. The policies are designed to greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change around the world. Emissions of greenhouses have a global impact, unlike other types of pollution. Climate change has been a concern to many countries around the world because it threatens the lives and economies of the world (Dryzek et al, 2011).

Optimum environmental policy(s) play an important role towards addressing climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emission in the environment.  The policies are designed to cut carbon pollution, that will allow the world to protect the children’s health, and start to slow the impacts of climate change so that the society leaves behind a cleaner, more stable environment. Thus, the policies on reducing greenhouse gas emissions will play a primary role in creating new jobs, building new industries, as well as reduce carbon pollution, hence reducing the impacts of climate change (Rabe & Brookings Institution. (2010).

The policies to be selected to reduce greenhouse emissions must have: (1) control and regulatory mechanisms in that it should be normative and informative; (2) fiscal tools and incentives, which will includes instruments, like taxes, public benefit charges, tax exemptions, and capital subsidies; (3) economic and market-based instruments, which comprise energy performance contracting cooperative procurement, and energy efficiency certificate schemes; and (4) support information and voluntary action (Dryzek et al, 2011).

The main stakeholders include the government, donors, citizens, and policy-makers. The government plays an important through providing the needed leadership, resources, and policies. The donors provide resources for tackling the problem of global warming. Citizens play a leading role in providing the needed cooperation in implementing policies while policy-makers formulate the needed laws on reducing the impact of global warming.

The alternatives towards reducing the impacts of climate change are building the 21^st-century transportation through increasing fuel economy standards and adapting and developing modern transportation technologies; and cutting energy wastes in businesses, plants, and homes (Welch, 2012).

First, the criteria for building the 21^st -century transportation is by making sure that fuel economy standards and the need to establish new goals for efficiency standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Second, in cutting energy wastes in homes, businesses and factories there is the need to establish new goals for energy efficiency standards that cut consumers’ bills and save energy use (Rabe & Brookings Institution. (2010).

Adapting the 21^st-century transportation system is the alternative that best fits the criteria of evaluation. This is because  transportation is the leading greenhouse gas emission source and adopting efficiency standards and fuel economy standards will greatly reduce the impact of global warming. This policy alternative will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus improving the health of the public, create job opportunities, and boost the economy (Dryzek et al, 2011).

References

Dryzek, J. S., Norgaard, R. B., & Schlosberg, D. (2011). Oxford handbook of climate change and society. Oxford, U.K: Oxford University Press.

Rabe, B. G., & Brookings Institution. (2010). Greenhouse governance: Addressing climate change in America. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution Press.

Ravindranath, N. H., & Sathaye, J. A. (2003). Climate change and developing countries. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Welch, S. (2012). Understanding American government. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.