Political Rewind: On Earth Day, Reflections On Climate Change — And What Needs To Happen Next

Caption

In this June 3, 2017, file photo, the coal-fired Plant Scherer, one of the nation's top carbon dioxide emitters, stands in the distance in Juliette, Ga. Global carbon dioxide emissions related to energy use are being forecast to rise significantly this year, driven by a resurgence in the use of coal to generate electricity, the International Energy Agency says. The IEA’s report Tuesday, April 20, 2021, says that worldwide energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are on track to surge by 1.5 billion metric tons this year, following last year’s decline due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Credit: Branden Camp, AP

Today is Earth Day, an annual celebration of the place we call home. But that home is now under threat, as man-made carbon emissions and other pollutions wreak havoc with the environment and climate. 

Have we made any progress toward addressing the harmful impacts of climate change? If we fail to act, what will Georgia look like in the decades ahead? Our farms? Our coastal cities? The increasing number of dangerous scorching days of summer heat? And who is most vulnerable to the changes?

President Joe Biden marked the day by declaring a new emissions goal; a pledge to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas output by 50% in the next 10 years. How do individuals play a role in addressing the crisis? 

Panelists:

Mayor Van Johnson – Mayor of Savannah

Dr. Kim Cobb – Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Tech

Kevin Riley – Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Shante Wolfe – Electoral Politics Director, Sunrise Movement