the Biden administration has brought the previously abandoned Paris Climate Agreements back to the United States.
On February 19, the American government publicly announced its return to the agreements, creating a clash of opinions.
Newly inaugurated President Joe Biden has announced the country’s return to the Paris Climate Agreements.
The Paris Climate Agreements are a set of goals and guidelines for the world’s nations to attempt to meet.
This was met with a mixed response from the American people.
According to BBC News correspondent Helen Briggs, many of the world’s nations have met at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland in order to discuss a plan of action for tackling the climate crisis.
Many of these countries are under heavy pressure to improve upon the commitments they made six years ago in Paris.
According to AP Government teacher Jessica Muller, this topic will likely be controversial amongst many of America’s citizens.
“The other day we were looking at 2016 polls on threats to America, and the only people that ranked climate change as a threat were registered Democrats,” Muller said.
According to Muller, about half of America’s population is conservative. This means that almost half of American citizens likely will not support the agreements.
Muller says that the Paris Climate Agreements could be a very “polarizing issue” for the American people due to the difference of opinion amongst many of its citizens.
“We might see differences, not just between conservatives and liberals,” Muller said, “but also between younger children and older Americans.” Muller says this is because many children in younger generations are more open to understanding and reacting to the impacts that are brought about by climate change.
Freshman Vienna Fulginiti agrees that the climate crisis is an extremely pressing issue, and that the Paris Climate Agreements are a good way to try to bring about change.
“You only have one planet,” Fulginiti said.
Fulginiti is confident that the agreements will bring about positive changes to the country, and the world as a whole.
Also supporting America’s return to the agreements is AP Environmental Science teacher Kim Wilson.
Wilson suggests that students limit their carbon footprint in order to help the country lower its impact on global warming.
According to Wilson, students should reduce their time in the shower, turn off lights and unplug electrical chargers when possible.
“If you have errands that you have to run, try to put them together; use foresight into what you’re going to be doing,” Wilson said. This is another way that students, especially seniors, can easily reduce their carbon footprint.
Wilson says that the agreements should “aim high” in establishing policies and goals for the countries of the world to meet.
According to Wilson, less of America’s resources and time should go toward space exploration, and possibilities of colonization, and more toward helping to stop climate change. “We have problems right here on Earth,” Wilson said. “All of our funds should be going toward this because this is going to be the biggest issue for humanity in the next 100-200 years.”
Wilson believes that climate change, and the world’s reaction to it, will “determine whether we are here or not” in the future.