Who says diverse interests can’t work together to solve big environmental problems? Thirty years ago, sulfur dioxide emissions were turning snow and rain acidic and damaging local ecosystems in the US. But those emissions – and the resulting acid rain – were vastly curtailed by a cap-and-trade program implemented with the Clean Air Act. Remember the ozone hole? The Montreal Protocol, first signed in 1987 and eventually ratified by every member of the United Nations, helped phase out the chemicals in hairsprays and refrigerants that chip away at Earth’s protective layer.
Some hope the same kind of multilateral, inexpensive solutions can be used to curb ballooning growth of greenhouse gas emissions – a primary cause of Earth’s warming temperature. Past attempts have had limited success, but world leaders will have another chance for global action next year at the 2015 Paris climate conference.
