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Consider the global problem of GHGs (greenhouse gases), which have a major impact on climate change. Generally, it is assumed that the most important players in reducing GHG emissions are nation-states, as they are the most powerful actors in the anarchic international system. But, as Bulkeley and Newell argue, oftentimes these nation-states are limited as to how directly they are able to influence carbon emissions in their country. Most of the time, it is non-state actors, such as multinational corporations or individual consumers, that most directly influence the amount of carbon emissions.<\/p>\n
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Furthermore, even if international agreements on climate policy seem to assume that nation-states can easily reduce or contain these emissions, much of the time it is a lot more complicated as to how much influence governments really have. That is because most of the GHGs produced in a country are emitted by processes and actors that defy national borders.<\/p>\n
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It is very complicated as to how to deal with emissions by non-state actors across national borders, but one of the first things that should be done is to increase consumers\u2019 environmental awareness and education. Most people–myself included– do not understand how much of an impact they can have on the environment, even if they are just buying food at a supermarket<\/a>. Meat has a higher carbon footprint than most other foods<\/a>, as it requires fossil fuels to produce fertilizer and provide irrigation for the corn feed, and ruminant animal\u2019s waste generates methane, which is a large contributor to global warming. This is just one of the ways that what we buy affects the environment. It\u2019s not the only solution, but more educated consumers could have a large impact on the mitigation of climate change, and might even help to change the attitudes of corporations and industries to become more environmentally friendly. This change at the community level is a very important step in changing the attitude of society toward climate change. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In much of popular rhetoric, global warming is called a \u201cglobal problem.\u201d Which, of course, is true. The Earth\u2019s atmosphere and oceans obviously do not arrange themselves according to a country\u2019s boundaries, and emissions from one country will affect the entire globe, not just the country of origin itself. Global warming is a problem that … <\/p>\n![\"neighborhood\"](\"http:\/\/mosaics.dickinson.edu\/COP20-2014\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2014\/09\/thehood.jpg\")
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