GRAY MAGUIRE: US goals a positive step, but more must be done to avert environmental crises
There are global moves towards sustainability, but the relationship between commerce and natural resource dependency needs to change
The annual Earth Day event that took place last Thursday has always seemed an appropriate day to step back and take stock of progress on environmental issues over the previous year. This year I found my feelings more mixed on the subject than usual. The day itself was marked by two events in particular that reflect some of positive steps being made.
The first was the announcement by US President Joe Biden of his intention to double Barack Obama’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals under the Paris climate agreement to 52% by 2035, and then achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. After four years of environmental lunacy under Donald Trump it is an enormous relief to again have an American president at the helm who is more concerned with genuine governance issues than petty politicking. There is a general sense that with the US back on board the Paris climate train, the “decade of action” on climate change can now truly commence in earnest. And at long last it appears as though ...
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