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The United States must engage on climate | Columnists
CClimate

The United States must engage on climate | Columnists

  • 18.01.2025

With the worsening climate crisis, wildfire season is practically year-round. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement brought countries together to keep temperatures from rising 2 degrees Celsius. Yet, last year marked the hottest year in recorded human history. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, NASA and Copernicus, Earth has warmed roughly 1.5 degrees Celsius above temperatures in the 1800s. The warming is driven by the burning of fossil fuels and other man-made causes. As technology and AI continue to rapidly expand, demand for energy also increases. To redirect our reliance on fossil fuels, we must convert to and use renewable energy.

With the presidential inauguration only days away, President-elect Donald Trump has promised during his campaign to broaden oil and natural gas production. During his previous presidency, Trump rolled back more than 125 environmental policies and withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, making America the first country to withdraw from the international treaty. Furthermore, Trump’s pick for secretary of energy, Chris Wright, is the CEO of the Liberty Energy fracking firm. During the Senate energy committee on Wednesday, Wright said that he “will work tirelessly to pursue [President Trump’s] bold agenda.” In the past, Trump has called global warming a “hoax,” attacked scientific research regarding climate change, promised to cut emissions regulations and vowed to rescind funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump’s second term of presidency will dismantle the progress the U.S. government has taken to address climate change.

Renewable energy, also known as clean energy includes geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind and ocean energy — all of which can be replenished. Currently, fossil fuels account for more than 80% of energy production. However, fossil fuels are not renewable. They also emit carbon dioxide into our atmosphere when burned, trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere which causes global warming. The growth of the renewable energy sector has shown to protect and improve our environment, health and economy.

As countries begin to harness sustainable energy sources, renewables offer new jobs and a wider distribution of energy. Renewable energy is quickly becoming one of the cheapest energy options, making it more accessible for developing countries. The international Renewable Energy Agency estimates that more than 90% of the world’s electricity will be sourced from renewable energy by 2050. However, the renewable energy sector is facing uncertainty with the Trump administration’s plans to increase tariffs that could make renewable energy equipment, such as solar panels, more expensive. Furthermore, by weakening incentives for green energy, fewer renewable energy projects and startups can stay afloat in the United States, setting the nation back amidst the global stage of conservation and innovation.

The beginning of 2025 has revealed the catastrophic impacts of climate change in our communities and on our planet. Yet, the new administration’s plans to direct efforts away from low-carbon energy sources will be irreversible. Right now, a renewables revolution is taking place globally, and the United States cannot afford to continue to prolong climate catastrophe.

Eileen Liu is a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.

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