Recently, the Earth’s temperature has risen rapidly. The annual average temperature is rising because of global warming. Japan’s heat wave is continuous now, and even the temperature of Iran soared to 73 degrees. Experts say that one of the biggest causes of that are greenhouse gases, which absorb some of the reflecting infrared light from the surface of the earth. Consequently, the international community is preparing many countermeasures.
  What countermeasure does the United States, which emits the second most greenhouse gases, propose? According to an article in ‘Newsis’, Obama said all states need to reduce greenhouse gases by up to 32% before 2030. Also, they need to regulate the amount of coal-fired electrical power plants. However, opinions are divided on the points. One said, “That innovative policy about the reduction rate of emitting greenhouse gases is higher than the world average.”.On the other hand, “The regulations are reinforced in accordance with historical responsibility.” However, some said it is too early to evaluate it.
  Pope Francis also spoke out about the reduction of greenhouse gases. Last June, the Pope establishes the first environmental rules in the ‘Laudato Si’. This was the first time for a Pope to make rules about the environment, and the Pope led the whole process of writing them. He also said developing alternative energies is important on Twitter. Experts say the Pope’s intentions are the development of policies to reduce greenhouse gases and to develop alternative energies.
  Also, new environmental measures about greenhouse gases will be made in the UN Climate Change Conference in December in Paris. This conference will be the biggest one which might be able to substitute the ‘Kyoto Protocol’ and to correct policies which have effectively become mere scraps of paper as member nations have left the association. To sum up, accomplishing policies are the main purpose of setting the INDC(Intended Nationally Determined Contribution).
  Korea also set its INDC. The government announced it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 31.3 percent before 2030, but some environmental groups criticized the government’s policy. According to a government officer saying in an environmental group, “The government’s policy is not practicable.”
  The world really needs to make countermeasures for climate change. Kang Sun-hwa, who is studying about the climate change, said, “The average temperature of the Earth will rise 2 degrees Celsius by 2030, so we need to make countermeasures. It is a must, not a choice.”

By Lee Min-kyo
mk36@cbnu.ac.kr