Overview

Global warming, as an issue, moved to the forefront of public attention as a result of our increased understanding of the inter-related nature of global environmental problems. Despite continued challenge of the evidence and causes of global warming, the vast majority of the scientific community and most of the general public accepts that there is a link between emissions, warmer temperatures, and damage to the environment. The principal challenge in dealing with such problems is that international solutions have national costs that will not be distributed equally. Further, the number of potential sources of greenhouse gases is almost incalculable and unevenly distributed. A number of international agreements have been crafted to develope global standards to move, albeit slowly, the world community towards reductions in emissions. The US government has been a reluctant participant in this effort and has sought to expand worldwide the system of market-based trading of pollution permits that has been developed in the United States.


Objectives

After completion of the web-lectures, assigned readings, and article abstracts, you will have an understanding of global warming poses a number of challenges and that efforts to limit emissions are politically and economically problematic.