Different Approaches in Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emission

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (n.d.), as cited in Connor (2007), “Concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are at their highest levels for at least 650,000 years” (para. 1). This number is quite surprising, considering the fact that global warming is mostly caused by carbon dioxide gas. Concentration of carbon dioxide has reached 380 parts per million and keeps increasing at a rate 2 parts per million every year (Juniper, 2007). All countries in the world are now considering global warming as a major problem which may endanger not only humans, but also the entire environment on earth. The most obvious example is about the increment in temperature of the earth. According to Juniper (2007), if greenhouse gases had not reached today’s levels, earth would have been around 15 centigrade colder which would have a real effect for the earth, mainly in a place like Antarctica, where some parts of ices have started to melt and causes the sea level to increase at rate 2 mm every year (Munk, 2003). Many conferences have been made regarding global warming by most countries and it has been agreed that reducing carbon dioxide emissions is the best thing that can be done to reduce the increasing rate of global warming (Kyoto Protocol). Currently, there are two common approaches to deal with this problem. The first approach is a technological approach, which is usually adopted by well developed countries like the U.S.. The second approach is a human approach, which is usually adopted by a developing country like Indonesia.

The U.S., as a well-developed country, is using technology approach, which is known as “Twenty in Ten” (“Twenty in Ten,” 2007), to reduce its carbon emission where Research and Development programmes for climate change are established with impressive budgets. Through this Research and Development centre, new energy sources are being developed to substitute current energy sources, fossil fuels, which emit a huge amount of carbon dioxide. It is expected that a highly efficient and cheap new energy source will have substituted fossil fuels by a few years ahead. Currently, the U.S. government is also trying to increase cars’ efficiencies (“Twenty in Ten,” 2007); therefore the amount of gasoline consumed is decreasing which also helps in reducing carbon dioxide emission.

In contrast, Indonesia, as a developing country, still does not have proper technology to establish such a research and development centre. Therefore, it has its own approach to deal with climate change. According to the Indonesian State Minister for the Environment (2007), the government will publish a policy about placing value on carbon in the near future which means that people or factories will have to pay when they pollute the environment. The government hopes that people will start reducing their carbon emission, especially carbon dioxide when they have to pay for it. In the same article, it is also stated that Indonesia is asking for technology transfer from well-developed countries to deal with climate change because by using technology, Indonesia can be a few steps further in its process to reduce carbon emission.

In comparing how the U.S. and Indonesia approach carbon dioxide emission problem, we realize that the differences in their approach are really obvious. The U.S. is actively reducing its carbon dioxide emission by its technology, while Indonesia is quite passive in dealing with climate change problem as it doesn’t have enough power. Actually, both methods will work in reducing carbon emission although passive method will take longer to show its result. A well-developed country is supposedly support a developing country in dealing with climate change since they all live in the same planet.

In conclusion, the U.S. and Indonesia have different approaches to deal with climate change whereas a well-developed country is usually using technological support while a developing country is usually using preventing method and asking for support from a well-developed country. But, in order to save our planet, all countries have to work together, well-developed countries and developing countries, and support each other in dealing with this global warming.





References
Connor, S. (2007). Carbon dioxide rate is at highest level for 650,000 years. The Independent. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/carbon-dioxide-rate-is-at-highest-level-for-650000-years-434809.html
Indonesia asks for technology transfers in dealing with climate change. (2007, December 1). People Daily. Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/6313157.html
Juniper, T. (2007). BBC: Saving planet earth. United Kingdom: HarperCollins Publisher.
Kyoto protocol to the United Nations framework convention on climate change. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://unfccc.int/essential_background/kyoto_protocol/items/1678.php
Munk. (2003). Ocean science: Ocean freshening, sea level rising. Science Magazine. Retrieved Marh 11, 2008, from http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;300/5628/2041
Revkin, A.C. (2007). As China goes, so goes global warming. The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/weekinreview/16revkin.html
Twenty in ten: Strengthening America’s energy security. Retrieved March 12, 2008, from the White House Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/initiatives/energy.html