US fosters more cooperation in the fight against climate change

US fosters more cooperation in the fight against climate change

April 23, 2013 0 By Angie Bergenson

Climate Change

John Kerry makes climate change a major subject during tour of Asia

Recently appointed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has embarked on his first official tour of Asia in his new position. Kerry’s tour of Asia is not for leisure, however, as the Secretary of State has been working to draw more attention to climate change. The U.S. federal government has been growing to become a strong supporter of renewable energy and had been showing more concern for the possible threat of climate change. During his tour of Asia, Kerry managed to win strong support for the country’s continued efforts to combat climate change.

China and Japan agree to cooperate against climate change

Over the past weekend, Kerry encouraged both Japan and China to sign a cooperation agreement, which will have the two countries work with each other, as well as the U.S., to implement practical measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Japan has already targeted emissions aggressively, working to adopt renewable energy as a replacement for fossil-fuels. China, however, has often avoided the issue of emissions and climate change in the past. Recently, China has been making strides to address air pollution, signaling that the country may be ready to address its issues more seriously.

Agreement may spur China to take more aggressive action

Along with the U.S., China is one of the largest emitters in the world. The country consumes vast amounts of fossil-fuels, much of which is used to power industry. While this rampant consumption has helped the country promote renewable energy through leveraging its industrial might to produce more solar panels and other such technologies, it has also contributed to the large amounts of air pollution that can be found throughout the country. China’s emissions reduction efforts may be kicked into high gear per the new agreement.

More work must be done to derail a potential catastrophic threat

The Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent science organization, claims that the agreement is promising progress toward a unified effort against climate change. More work must be done before climate change can be consider nothing more than a passing inconvenience, however. Renewable energy adoption is on the rise as more countries begin to consider sustainability a matter of economics rather than one of politics. The organization claims that more cooperation must be fostered between countries in order for renewable energy and emissions reduction efforts can make sufficient progress to derail climate change.

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