By: Kayley Bell, Door County
What is the Climate Crisis? 
The climate crisis is climate change and global warming (United Nations). Climate change is defined as “a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates” (NASA, 2021). Global warming is “the long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere” (NASA, 2021).
Who is Impacted by the Climate Crisis?
All of the living organisms on earth, including humans, are impacted or are going to be impacted by the climate crisis. If the earth continues on this path with rising temperatures, more snow and ice will melt. This will cause water levels to rise in the oceans. Some places would also get hotter. Other places, however, may have colder winters and more snow. Rain patterns and levels may be different in many parts of the world, and some places may experience stronger natural disasters such as hurricanes. Currently, the most directly impacted groups are the ecosystems of the arctic, as they are already enduring a serious change in their ecosystems and environments. The climate crisis, however, is already starting to come back to haunt humans: “…more extreme weather events and wildfires, decreased air quality, and diseases transmitted by insects, food, and water…” and by also impacting agriculture, which affects the world’s food supply (Impacts on Society).
The Public Opinion on the Climate Crisis
As far as the public’s opinion on the climate crisis, there is a lot of controversy. Some people strongly advocate for change in order to attempt to address the crisis, while others do not even believe in or refuse to acknowledge the crisis at all. Historically, there has always been a level of natural climate change in the world and atmosphere. The issue, however, is determining human’s impact on increasing the pace and severity of these changes. 97% of scientists also agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change (NASA).
Government Actions
As the public is divided on the issue of the climate crisis, so is Congress. Democrats tend to favor legislation that addresses the climate crisis, whereas Republicans tend to oppose it on the grounds of the potential negative economic impacts of the legislation. There is, however, some legislation that has been passed by Congress in the last 50 years that has briefly addressed the environmental issue. An example of this is the Clean Air Act (Federal Action On Climate, 2021). This covers the involvement of the legislative branch, but the executive and judicial branches have also played a role. The judicial branch has played a role in that “Federal courts interpret existing laws and provide a venue for states, industry and citizens to seek or challenge climate measures. A growing number of citizens and communities are bringing lawsuits seeking relief from the detrimental effects of increased carbon dioxide emissions. How the courts handle these cases will affect industry, government, law, policy, and the environment” (Federal Action On Climate, 2021). Lastly, the executive branch has played a role through its departments and independent agencies. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has played a key role in researching and monitoring climate change via satellite imagery and other tools that monitor the sun and the energy that it sends the earth (Dunbar, 2015). NASA is an independent agency of the executive branch. Another independent executive agency that is involved in the issue is the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA plays a critical role in that it “tracks and reports greenhouse gas emissions, leverages sound science, and works to reduce emissions to combat climate change” (Environmental Protection Agency). Additionally, executive departments such as the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation play an important role. The Department of Energy partners with the private sector to look into and create more environmentally-friendly technologies. It also sets the efficiency standards for equipment and appliances. The Department of Transportation sets standards that “improve the fuel economy of motor vehicles” (Federal Action On Climate, 2021).
Government Interactions 
There are many ways the branches of government, bureaucracy, and interest groups interact to address the issue of the climate crisis. The President, the head of the executive branch, sets the administration’s policy agenda. The President also has the power to issue executive orders that could address the issue of the climate crisis and issue a state of national emergency if necessary. The President also has veto power, so they could veto legislation that conflicts with the interest of the world in terms of improving the climate crisis. As previously stated, the bureaucracy plays a role in the issue such as departments and independent executive agencies such as NASA, the EPA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Transportation. Also as previously stated, the judicial branch plays a role in that it hears cases that involve the environmental and societal impacts of the climate crisis, and interprets existing environmental laws. The legislative branch has the power to pass legislation that would help improve the climate crisis. Interest groups play a role in that they lobby for or against climate change solutions.
The Climate Crisis Relates to Founding Principles of the United States
A founding principle of the United States that is reflected in the situation of the climate crisis is the separation of powers. The previous paragraph explains the government’s role in the climate crisis and how each branch of government has its own impact on the issue with certain discretion. A founding principle that could be debated in regard to the climate crisis is individual rights. The climate crisis could pose a threat to life, which is a foundational belief that this is a right as stated in the Declaration of Independence: the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The “right to life”, however, is mentioned in the constitution. It is important to remain within Constitutionality while attempting to address the issue of the climate crisis.
Resources
Dunbar, B. (2015, May 13). What is climate change? NASA. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-climate-change-k4.html.
Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Climate Change. EPA. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.epa.gov/climate-change.
Federal Action On Climate. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. (2021, February 10). Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.c2es.org/content/federal-action-on-climate/.
Impacts on Society. Globalchange.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.globalchange.gov/climate-change/impacts-society.
Marlon, J., Howe, P., Mildenberger, M., Anthony, & Wang, X. (2021, October 19). Yale Climate Opinion Maps 2020. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/.
NASA. (n.d.). Do scientists agree on climate change? – climate change: Vital signs of the planet. NASA. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/17/do-scientists-agree-on-climate-change/.
NASA. (2021, August 24). Overview: Weather, Global Warming and climate change. NASA. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://climate.nasa.gov/resources/global-warming-vs-climate-change/.
United Nations. (n.d.). The climate crisis – a race we can win. United Nations. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.un.org/en/un75/climate-crisis-race-we-can-win.