Rising emissions make Paris promises little more than rhetoric

New data this week showing how little progress the United States has made in cutting greenhouse gas emissions since President Obama took office is the latest evidence to undercut the pledges the United States made in negotiating the Paris climate treaty.

The Clean Power Plan's crackdown on coal-fired power plants is on hold, thanks to the Supreme Court. Methane emissions are turning out to be higher than previously thought, as natural gas booms. People are buying more gas-guzzling cars, thanks to low prices at the pump.

Read the Inside Climate News story - “Rising U.S. Emissions Make Paris Promises Elusive.”

(The outcome of events in Paris last December was, according to some, a wonderful success and greeted with much whooping and hollering, but I can’t help but wonder whether or not we were simply swept up in to excitement and rhetoric of the moment.

Subsequently we were blinded to the very real hard work demanded of achieving the nearly impossible goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.

Obviously, I’m not privy to the inner-workings of the world’s decision makers, but looking on from afar, it appears the wheels on the global warming mitigation wagon have already come lose and at least one if close to falling off – Robert McLean).