PLESE ONLY USE THE SOURCES ATTACHED IN FILES
Mid-Course Essay Questions
Limit your answers to roughly 500 words on each question
Consult the readings, class material, and discussions
No references or footnotes required, these are essays
Question 1:
Addressing climate change and rising greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions will require all
countries globally to contribute to reducing emissions. However, there are many different ways
to view which countries and regions have greater or lesser responsibilities for reducing future
emissions. These different views of both historic, current, and future responsibilities are at the
center of complex and difficult negotiations over global efforts to reduce emissions and limit
the warming of the climate to only 1.5 to 2.0 degrees centigrade as the goal of the Paris
Agreement in 2015 and the Glasgow climate summit last November. What is the basis for these
different viewpoints over responsibility for addressing climate change? How have these
different views between the developed and developing countries been at least partially
accommodated in the mechanisms agreed at the 2015 Paris Agreement over each country’s
and region’s contribution to the global effort?
Question 2:
Why did China become so dependent on coal for its energy needs and when did this really
accelerate? What problems is this heavy use of coal causing for China domestically and
internationally? What is the leadership doing in energy strategy and policy to address the
problems caused by heavy coal use? What are their most recent climate goals, NDC
commitments, and policies to achieve their long-term climate ambitions?
