Debbie Stabenow is an American politician born on April 29, 1950. Currently, she is the USA Senator for the state of Michigan and is affiliated to the Democrats Party. She was elected as senator for the State of Michigan in 2000 making her the first ever female senator. Before vying for the senatorial sat, Stabenow represented Michigan’s 8 the congressional district in the House of Representatives. Over the years, she has had a chance to service as chair various senatorial committees such as Democratic Policy Committee and Agricultural Committee. Stabenow has played a vital role in voting for or against some of the policies that affect the people of Michigan and USA such as abortion, energy and oil, budget and economy, civil rights, corporations, crime, drugs, education, families and children, environment, foreign policy and free trade.
The USA is amongst the leading nations in the world in relation to greenhouse gas emissions. As a result of this, a considerable number of the USA states are facing challenges when it comes to reducing the harmful impacts brought about by these gases. Other states such as Massachusetts and California have been able to reduce the effects of greenhouse gasses by formulating various policies. However, there are still other states that have not yet come up with effective greenhouse gas emission policies one of them being Michigan. The country is located in the heavily populated and industrial Midwest that is more energy and carbon-intensive that the entire nation’s average. According to Stabenow and Gary Peters, they voted a NO on barring the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, an amendment that was introduced in the Senate in 2011 (On The Issues ). Stabenow cited that global warming is an important facet and should not bring about partisan politics. According to the EPA, its primary duty is to make sure there is environmental conservation in the USA. However, the Clean Air Act was introducing an Amendment section “No Regulation of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases." The EPA is the only agency that can make certain that there is reduced environmental pollution. In the case of Michigan, it has had to face costly and extreme weather events such as intense storms, droughts, summer heat waves and floods that threaten infrastructure, public health, and natural resources. Therefore, voting NO was aimed at ensuring the people of Michigan will become protected from the harmful GHG including the entire nation.
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The oil and gas subsidies have played a crucial role in the energy policies of the USA for more than a century. The two major tax breaks related to oil and gas exploration were first formulated in 1916 and 1926 whose sole aim was to reduce the ballooning costs associated with production thus encouraging for more gas and oil exploration in the USA (Zou,2013) . As years went by, a substantial number of tax subsidies were added, and despite the increased oil and gas fluctuations in the world, the USA has continued to expand on its tax subsidies and breaks. However, there has been political tensions between various government officials as they aim at removing the subsidies for the subsidies have risen to billions of dollars annually, and they are embedded in tax codes. The lawmakers have cited that instead of subsidizing the oil and gas explorations, the nation should instead focus on coming up with a more just transition for employees working in the oil and gas industries. In 2007, Stabenow voted NO against removing gas and oil exploration subsidies (On the Issues ). In Michigan, oil and gas exploration is the core economic driver. The industry has created tens of thousands of jobs and brought in billions of dollars in terms of income for the residents of the state. As of 2014, 82 counties of the total 83 relied on oil and gas exploration as the main economic driver while 62 of counties produced natural gas and or oil (Hasen, 2016). It is an indication that, phasing out the government subsidies on oil and gas exploration will have detrimental impacts on citizens of Michigan. They will not only lack a source of income, but the entire state will undergo an economic meltdown.
According to Michigan’s vision 2030 CO2 reduction plans, it aims at having an annual reduction rate of 6-9 million tons (Alliance for Industrial Efficiency). The sectors that contribute towards an increased carbon emission in Michigan includes transportation, residential, commercial and industrial. Michigan is part of the Great Lakes region, and with increased carbon dioxide emission, this region is likely going to face devastating effects. The increased CO2 in the atmosphere is likely to bring about four different changes to the climate of the Great Lakes region; reduced ice cover, elevated evaporation levels, precipitation, and reduced lake levels. Climate change as a result of increased CO2 emission is also affecting the forest in Michigan, Forest plays a vital role in regulating the climate of a region and in the case of Michigan, and it is experiencing shorter and warmer winters that affect the pests and diseases that affect trees.
In most cases, cold winters have regulated the number of pests that attack the trees and now with winters being warmer, it has made pests to become rampant, and this has brought about an increased presence of hemlock woolly adelgid that attacks trees (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009). CO2 levels also affect the health and wellbeing of people as it brings about increased respiratory diseases. As a result of the harmful impacts on Michigan’s natural resources and public health, Stabenow voted YES on addressing the effects of carbon dioxide without having to consider India and China (On the Issues). According to the Rapier (2018), China is amongst the leading carbon emitters around the globe. India is also a leading CO2 global emitter. However, the two nations have been reluctant in relation to reducing CO2 levels for a considerable number of their economic sectors are heavily reliant on coal and other fossil powered energy (Rapier, 2018) . The emissions from China alone had surpassed those of the USA and EU combined as of 2012 and s an indication that the nation should be on the forefront when it comes to reducing CO2 emission. However, the nation is not ready Stabenow believed that the USA should move on with its CO2 emission reduction plans for it will help mitigate climate change and increased public health concerns not only for the people of Michigan but the USA .
A cap and trade are aimed at harnessing various market forces with the sole purpose of bringing down costs linked to emissions in a more effective manner (Frunza, 2013). This is very different from the control and command approach employed by a government whereby it can dictate the types of technology to use or set performance standards. Most nations found in the EU use the cap and trade program and in the USA, it was introduced in 2009 which led to the formulation of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (Frunza, 2013). However, the efforts of the passing the bill died in the same year. Stabenow voted a YES on requiring the Senate to debate on the cap and trade in 2009 (On the Issues ). Gary Peters also voted in 2014 a YES on a need to look back into the cap and trade bill. In Michigan, there a need to reduce the emission of CO2 by 22.3 million short tons by 2030. (Alliance for Industrial Efficiency). However, this can only be achieved by setting up emission credits by the leading CO2 emitters in the state. In case the state decides to use a command and control approach, it will negatively affect a huge number of businesses as the government is likely to set what types of technology must be used. Some of the technologies might be too expensive, and this will make them shut down operations, and this translates to increased unemployment rates in Michigan.
Additionally, setting up of performance standards can affect businesses that will meet the set levels. The government can set standards that are way higher for some companies and in order to prevent any penalties or legal tussles, the firm can decide to shut down operations and thus bringing about negative impacts on Michigan’s entire economy. A command and control approach can also make the investment atmosphere of Michigan unfavorable thus leading to high unemployment rates.
According to the EPA, the annual emission of carbon dioxide forms a passenger vehicle is about four metric tons (the United States Environmental Protection Agency). In the state of Michigan, there are thousands of passenger vehicles among others . In 2003, Stabenow voted a YES on targeting about 100,000 hydrogen-powered automobiles by 2010 (On the Issues). This type of vehicle uses hydrogen for energy and thus not produce any carbon dioxide. The use of hydrogen-powered cars will play a crucial role in reducing the harmful effects of carbon dioxide not only in Michigan but the entire USA.
Nonetheless, the hydrogen-powered automobiles re rather expensive and it will be hard for people to afford them. In case the government pushes for such laws, it is an indication that it will start phasing off the fossil-fueled automobiles. It can affect transpiration not only in Michigan but the entire USA. However, the government has a subsidy for people who choose to purchase energy efficient vehicles, and this can help reduce the expenses. Stabenow also voted a YES for making global warming as part of the federal project planning (On the Issues ). Global warming is not only affecting the USA but the entire world. Therefore, there is a need for the government to set up funds that will be used in creating and raising awareness of the harmful impacts of global warming and push for the adoption of renewable energy sources. Without the government considering the global warming menace and allocate funds to push for its elimination, the people of the nation will suffer. As seen from the case of Michigan, it is located in the densely populated and industrialized Midwest an indication it is contributing a lot toward global warming. Stabenow’s YES vote on global warming efforts to receive funding is a smart move and will help the people of Michigan to overcome the adverse impacts of the industries in the region by adopting better GHG emission strategies and technologies.
Stabenow has been Michigan’s senator for the past eighteen years . Over the years as Michigan’s senator, she has been able to play a role in passing various laws that have positive or negative i mpacts on not only the people of Michigan but the entire USA as a country . In relation to the energy and oil policies, Stabenow has voted a YES or NO on various amendments and bills . She voted a NO against reducing EPAs, the ability to control the emission of GHGs. She also voted a NO against removing oil and gas exploration subsidies. She voted a YES on addressing the impacts of carbon dioxide without having to consider India and China, on requiring the Senate to debate on the cap and trade, targeting about 100,000 hydrogen-powered automobiles by 2010 and global warming as p art of the federal project planning.
References
Alliance for Industrial Efficiency. (n.d). Michigan’s carbon dioxide pollution could be dramatically reduced with industrial energy efficiency and combined heat and power . Retrieved on 10 November 2018, from http://alliance4industrialefficeincy.org/resources/state-industrial-efficiency-ranking/
Frunza, M. C. (2013). Fraud and carbon markets: the carbon connection . Routledge.
Hasen , T. ( 2016, May 23). Michigan’s oil and gas industry drives Michigan’s economy . Retrieved on 10 November 2018, from https://www.michiganoilandgas.org/study_michigan_s_oil_and_gas_industry_drives_michigan_s_economy
On The Issues . ( n.d). Michigan Senator , Debbie Stabenow . Retrieved on 10 November 2018, from http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Debbie_Stabenow.htm
On The Issues. ( n.d). Michigan House Gary Peters . Retrieved on 10 November 2018, from
http://www.ontheissues.org/MI/Gary_Peters.htm
Rapier , R . (2018 , July 1). China Emits More Carbon Dioxide Than the US and EU Combined. Forbes. Retrieved on 10 November 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2018/07/01/china-emits-more-carbon-dioxide-than-the-u-s-and-eu-combined/#58dfc917628c
United States Environmental Protection Agency . ( n.d). Greenhouse Gas Emissions form Typical Passenger Vehicle. Retrieved on 10 November 2018, from https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passanger-vehicle
U.S. Global Change Research Program. (2009). Global climate change impacts in the United States: A state of knowledge report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program . New York: Cambridge University Press.
Zou, C. (2013). Unconventional petroleum geology . Burlington, Mass: Elsevier.
