World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

Unfortunately, climate change has not emerged as a major issue in the media coverage of the US national election even though former Vice-President Biden has tried to make it one. But it seems clear that even though it is not a major topic for the talking heads, the US public considers it almost as important as the problem of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pew Research Center conducted a poll in several major countries and found that the issue is considered important in every one.

Interestingly, the US public is ideologically divided on the issue to a degree shared by few other countries.

The last four years have not seen major international efforts to reduce carbon emissions although there has been steady progress in the development of renewable sources of energy. During this time, we have become more aware of the future dynamics of climate change–the shift to the contribution of poorer countries to the problem. There is little question that the rich countries were responsible for the bulk of carbon emission in the 20th century.

But the future of climate change rests more on the developing countries who are beginning to experience more rapid economic growth.