SAS25_Ex5(2022)_AlyssaMiles
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Geography
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Feb 20, 2024
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Exercise 5
Page 1 of 9
Exercise 5 - Countries and Climate Change
Summary
In this exercise you will learn about how the culture of the United States influences what actions the country takes on climate change issues. You will fist examine information about the United States, including geography and demographics, the economy and government. You will research what climate change actions and mitigation measures the US has taken both nationally and internationally. Based on what you learn about the culture of the United States, you will discuss how you think this culture influences what mitigation measures the US will find appealing, and which measures the US will not participate in. Lastly, you will discuss what you think the United
States should do about climate change.
Learning Objectives
Research data on the United States.
Interpret data to describe the culture of the United States.
Research and describe what climate change actions the United States has taken.
Discuss how culture influences what actions the US will take on climate change issues.
Discuss what you think the United States should do about climate change
Background: What is culture?
As this course draws to an end, hopefully you have begun to form your own opinions on what the world should do to mitigate climate change. The opinions you form are to some degree a product of your environment. Where you grew up, your level of education, gender, race, income,
age, and religion are factors that make up your personal culture
— the set of attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize you, and influence your opinions about global climate change. As we learned in the previous assignment, there are many things you as an individual can do to mitigate climate change, and your personal culture influences which actions are appealing to you and which actions you could not live with.
Along with individual action, many actions are needed at the national and international level. Countries decide which actions to take based largely on that country’s culture. While one action, such as taxing GHG emissions, may be appealing to a country that places a high value on the environment, another country that values economic growth might find taxing GHG emissions unappealing. We can learn why some countries are eager to make policy changes while others are reluctant. If we understand a country’s culture, we can also understand how to create policies that will appeal to that country’s culture and help the environment. Most importantly, understanding a country’s culture can help us form meaningful and lasting national and international policies to mitigate climate change.
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Exercise 5
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What is the culture of the United States?
For this exercise, you will examine the culture of the United States and infer how that culture influences actions the United States takes (and doesn’t take) on climate change mitigation. Keep in mind the methods we use to do this can be applied to any country.
At first glance, the question “what is the culture of the United States” may seem overwhelming. Think of all the factors that go into your personal culture, and then think of how many people live in the United States (over 313 million), each of them adding to the nation’s culture. And culture varies geographically, state-by-state. Californians value “green” energy, while Kentuckians depend on coal for a large portion of their economy. So how can we get an idea of what the culture of the United States is? First, we need to look at some statistics (hurray!).
One great resource is the CIA world factbook
(Click on the link): (that’s right, the CIA is running covert operations so you can learn more about the world). Select the United States. You will find an overwhelming amount of information on this site. It is your job to look through the facts and draw conclusions on what they say about the culture of the United States.
Answer the following questions:
1) Briefly describe the geography of the United States:
a. How big is the United States in comparison to other countries?
b. What borders does the United States share with other countries?
c. How much coastline does the US have (in km and miles)?
d. What kind of climate does the US have?
e. What kinds of natural resources does the US have?
f. What are the natural hazards?
a.
The United States is #4 in the rank of largest countries, following Canada by around 151,000 sq kilometers. This only includes the states and not the US territories. It is half the size of Russia, more than twice the size of the EU and about half the size of South America. b. The Unites States shares two borders. The northern border is shared with Canada and the southern border is shared with Mexico.
c.
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Exercise 5
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The US has 19,924 km or 12,380.2 miles of coastline, touching the Pacifc and Atlantic oceans as
well as the Gulf of Mexico.
d. The overall climate is mostly temperate but there are regions such as Hawaii and Florida that have a tropical climate. The great plains also have semiarid, the great basin is arid, and artic in Alaska. e. The US’s main natural resource is coal, we have the worlds largest coal resrves and make up 27% of the worlds total. Other natural resources include, copper, lead, natural gas, timber, rare earth elements, gold, and iron.
f. There are earthquakes around the Pacific Basin, hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast, forest fires in the west, and permafrost in northn Alaska. Other hazards also include tsunamis, volcanoes, and flooding.
2) What factors from the “geography” section do you think influence how the US reacts to climate change mitigation strategies?
Note 2 references how the pacific coast and Alaska lie along the ring of fire, this means there are many active volcanoes and earthquakes. Because climate change can increase the intensity of these natural disasters, many people may assume that it is normal for those to happen due to the location. Note 7 also references how the US relies on foreign imports for an abundant amount of strategic resources. People may believe that because these industries for production/mining aren’t in the US we aren’t releasing as much emissions but in reality the emissions that are released for transport to the US plays a crucial role in climate change
3) Based on what you know about the geography of the US, what risks to climate change pose to the US?
Climate change would continue to increase the severity of droughts in California, Nevada, and outher states on the southern border. Coastal states would face extreme heats, wildfires and flooding. States in the Midwest would experience drought due to high heats as well. Overall the biggest threats to the US include drought, high heat, inland and coastal flooding and wildfires.
4) What are the current environmental issues in the US?
The current environmental issues are pollution, from air pollution to water pollution, carbon dioxide emmisions, deforestation, desertification, declining natural freshwater in the western part
of the country, species conservation and invasive species.
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Exercise 5
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5) How would the current environmental issues change with climate change (would they get better, worse, or stay the same)?
These environmental issues would worsen. The droughts would further decrease the amount of fresh water, and desertification would speed up due to the dryness. The CO2 emissions would also increase the air pollution.
6) What environmental international agreements is the US a part of? Which ones are related to
climate change?
The US is part of 4 Air Pollution agreements, 3 Antarctic agreements, 2 climate change specific agreements, endangered species agreements, environmental modification, 2 marine agreements, nuclear test bans, ozon layer protections, ship pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, wetlands and whaling. Climate change related ones include the Paris Agreement, Ozone layer Protection, desertification, Ship Pollution, Nuclear Test Ban, and Environmental Modification.
People and Society:
1) Briefly describe the demographics of the United States:
a. What are the major ethnic groups in the US?
b. What are the major religions in the US?
c. What is the population of the US compared to the rest of the world?
d. How does the population growth rate of the US compare to the rest of the world?
a.
The major ethnic groups are white, black or African American, Asian, amerindian or Alaska native, native Hawaiian and other pacific islander.
b. The major religions are protestant, roman catholic, Jewish, church of Jesus Christ, Muslim, Jehovah’s witness, Buddhist, Hindu, and other Christian.
c. The population of the US is around 339 million people. We are the third country with the largest population following China and India.
d. The population growth rate is 0.68%. We are 129
th
following French Polynesia. This small comparing to Syria with the higher at 6.39%
2) Do you think the demographics of the US influence how it responds to climate change? Explain how (or why not).
I do think that the demographics have an influence because in a survey that was done at least 42% of adults in the US say that there needs to be done more (pewresearch.org). I think this 42%
is in correlation with the fact that those that are more likely to feel the effects of climate change
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Exercise 5
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are those that part of minority groups so a smaller amount would respond to climate change as an
issue.
3) Describe health care and education in the US:
a. What percent of the GDP does the US spend on health care?
b. How does the prevalence of AIDs/HIV and the number of deaths from that compare to the rest of the world?
c. What percent of the population in the US is obese and how does that compare with the rest of the world?
d. What percent of the GDP is spent on education and how does that compare with the rest of the world?
e. What percent of the population is literate?
a.
18.8% of the GDP spends on health care.
b. I was not able to find any info on AIDs and HIV data.
c. 36.2% of the population is obese. The US is 12
th
on the list following a list of small islands in the
Pacific/Oceana. The US is the first large country.
d. 6.1% of GDP is spent on education. The US is 40
th
on the list following Australia and Cyprus.
e. There is no data on literacy.
4) Based on the information in question 3, how important do you think health is to
Americans?
I don’t think health is the biggest deal to Americans. The physicians density and hospital bed density seems to be really small and considering health care is not free in the US, the health of the general population does not look like it is a priority.
5) Do you think there is a connection between health and climate change mitigation?
Yes I do think there is a connections. Climate change mitigation could take public health concerns in consideration. For example, if we were to plant trees in order to absorb CO2 and decrease the concentrations in the atmosphere, the air would be cleaner and healthier to inhale. 6) How important is education to Americans?
Education is important to Americans. We can see this as education in the US is widely available through public education for the youth. Higher education is
7) Do you think educated people are more or less likely to enact climate change mitigation
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Exercise 5
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measures?
I think they are more likely because if they’re more educated, they probably have more resources
to enact climate mitigation measures.
Government:
1) What type of government does the US have?
The US has a constitutional federal republic which means there is the supreme law of the land, the states and federal government share sovereignty, and the people in power are elected by the people.
2) What kind of legal system does the US have?
The US has a common law system based on English common law at the federal and state level. The exception is Louisiana where the state’s law is based on Napoleonic civil code.
3) Does the US participate in international law (International Court of Justice or International Criminal Court)?
No the US does not participate. In too5 the US withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction and withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002.
4) Of the political pressure groups and leaders, which do you think have an interest in climate change mitigation and why?
I think the democratic and green party groups and leaders have more of an interest because they are interested in making changes in the to ensure the well being of the people in terms of the environment and equality while the other parties tend to be more business minded and work with
the private sector.
5) Do you think the US government would be for or against international climate change mitigation laws? Why?
I think the US government would be for mitigation laws under the democratic party but under the
republican party I think it would change to against. I believe this based on the actions of the government from Trump to Biden. Like I said before the republican party seems to be more business minded therefore they may see mitigation laws as something that would be bad economically.
Economy:
1) Briefly describe the US economy:
a. How does the US GDP compare with the rest of the world?
b. Compare the percent of the US GDP that is based on the environment to that which is based on
industry.
c. How does the US unemployment rate compare to the rest of the world?
d. What percent of the population is below the poverty line?
e. Does the US have a budget deficit or surplus?
a.
The US GDP is at $21.132 trillion. It is currently second in the world following China and its predecessors on the list are all lower than 9 trillion.
b.
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Exercise 5
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In the US Industry GDP is almost 20 time greater than the GDP from agriculture. Industry accounts for 19% while agriculture accounts for only 0.9%.
c. The US has an unemployment rate of 5.46%. It is 95
th
in the world following the Democratice Republic of Congo.
d. 15% of the US population is below the poverty line.
e. The US has a budget deficit at -3.4% of GDP.
2) How dependent is the US economy on energy?
a. How does electricity production and consumption in the US compare with the rest of the world?
b. How does oil production and consumption in the US compare with the rest of the
world?
c. How does natural gas production and consumption in the US compare with the rest of the world?
a.
The US consumes 3.8 trillion kWh and 304.414 million Btu/person putting us at the 11
th
spot. Countries below the US all have a consompution of less than 300,000,000 Btu/person.
b. The US ranks 1
st
in the world for oil consumption (Worldometers.info) and it is also the largest oil producing country in the world (Statistia.org)
c. The US is first natural gas production as well as consumption (EIA).
3) How do you think climate change mitigation measures would affect the US economy?
I think mitigation measures would slow the economy the fuel and energy industries bring jobs and high profits to the country.
Now that you have a good understanding of the culture of the United States, think about how that culture has influenced participation in climate change mitigation.
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Exercise 5
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What climate change actions has the United States taken?
Search government resources to find what climate change actions the United States has taken. For the following questions you do not need to include every action/agreement the US has been involved with, just the ones you think are the most important. 1) What international agreements on climate change is the US involved in?
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (Vienna Convention) and the resigning the Paris Agreement.
2) What efforts has the US made at a national level to mitigate climate change?
The US has set goals and plans that are reachable to help mitigate climate change. For example the clean power plan has set standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40%.
3) Have any goals been set to reduce emissions by a certain date?
Yes. The clean power plan has been set to reach goals by 2030.
4) Are there any agreements or efforts that are legally binding? Some suggested resources:
Obama White House page
US Environmental Protection Agency
Yes. There have been agreements made to contribute funds to the Green Climate Fund, the US, Norway, and the UK have launched partnership to support forests in developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation.
What will the United States do?
Based on what you have learned about the culture of the United States, and what actions the US has taken so far in regards to climate change, what do you think the United States will do in the future?
1) How does the culture of the United States influence what mitigation actions the US finds appealing?
The mitigation actions the US finds appealing are those that involve other countries or organizations. The US looks like the would like to work together with the world to combat climate change rather than do it on its own.
2) Do you think US be affected by climate change?
I do think the US will be affected by climate change because so many different industries that the US leads contributes to climate change. Therefore, the US will have to make major changes.
3) Is the US concerned about climate change?
Yes the US is concerned about climate change but its efforts don’t seem to be strong enough to help combat it.
4) Do you think the US will invest money in climate change mitigation measures?
Yes the US has already invested money in climate change mitigation measures especially in developing countries, they are pouring in money to different funds and I believe they will continue to do so.
5) Do you think the US will legislate climate change mitigation (such as making laws that set emission reduction targets)?
Yes, EPA's Clean Air Act protections for the oil and natural gas industry help combat climate
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Exercise 5
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change
and reduce emissions of other harmful air pollutants.
6) How do you think the US economy will be affected by climate change mitigation measures?
I said earlier that I do think the economy will be affected but I also think these changes will only be temporary as new solution will be found through the improvement of other sectors and industries.
What do you think the United States should do?
Briefly discuss what you think the United States should do about climate change, based on what you know about the US culture. What actions do you think Americans will be in favor of? Do you think a change in American culture is needed? Your answer may include (but doesn’t have to) a discussion of whether government regulation is needed or if free market strategies will
work best.
Americans tend to like incentives. I like how the government has added incentives to encourage buying electric vehicles. Americans don’t like being required to do things so laws that
force people will anger people. Rather I think the US should continue to encourage its citizens by
education the population and regrading those who are making a difference. References
Bloom, Arnold J (2017)
Climate Change: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions. Disciplines,
https://indd.adobe.com/view/8f2ed4a1-a1b0-4f12-b5bb-5009bbbad0f3
CIA world factbook: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/
Obama White House page: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/president-obama-climate-
action-plan
United States Environmental Protection Agency:
https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators
Statistica Page: https://www.statista.com/statistics/236605/share-of-global-crude-oil-production-
of-the-top-15-oil-producing-countries/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20accounts
%20for,the%20condensate%20is%20recovered%20separately
). Worldometer page: https://www.worldometers.info/oil/us-oil/#:~:text=Oil%20Consumption
%20in%20the%20United%20States&text=The%20United%20States%20ranks%201st,of
%2097%2C103%2C871%20barrels%20per%20day
. EIA: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48756#:~:text=U.S.%20petroleum
%20and%20natural%20gas,petroleum%20and%20natural%20gas%20production
. Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2019/11/25/u-s-public-views-on-
climate-and-energy/
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