Full Title: U.S. Climate Change Policy
Author(s): Kate C. Shouse
Publisher(s): Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Publication Date: October 28, 2021
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere trap radiant energy, warming earth’s surface
and oceans. Scientific assessments conclude that GHGs very likely have been the main driver of warming of the earth’s lower atmosphere since 1979. The most recent global assessment projected that surface temperature would continue to rise until at least mid–century even under the lowest GHG emission scenarios considered. A range of actions to mitigate GHG emissions and the risks of climate change (i.e., for adaptation or resilience) are under way or being developed on the international, national, and subnational levels. U.S. federal policymakers and stakeholders have different viewpoints regarding what, if anything, to do about future climate change and related impacts.