Topic: Climate Policy
Paper details:
You will have a chance to work with the En-ROADS simulation model (developed by ClimateInteractive and MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative) to create a set of policies that can mitigate global warming to the internationally agreed target of less than 2°C (3.6°F).
You will be assigned to one level of government: Local (City/County), State, or Federal.
Some policies may make sense at one level of government but not another for legal or policy reasons.
You will have to justify your choice of policy at that level of government in the assignment.
This is the first of the 5 assignment in our Climate Action Policy Project to build a portfolio of policies from different levels of government and targeting different sectors using different policy tools.
Step 1: Access En-ROADS online at climateinteractive.org
(https://www.climateinteractive.org/tools/en-roads/). Review these materials to help you understand how to use this model:
Quick Guide to En-ROADS control panel, graphs and policy levers Download Quick Guide to En-ROADS control panel, graphs and policy levers
Watch the 2.5-minute introductory video to the En-ROADS simulator.
Captions on Youtube.
(https://youtu.be/x9xRwhFNMyc)
Step 2: Plan to post by Thursday Week 6 (8 points).
For this stage, use the simple policy sliders in the En-ROADS simulator (https://en-roads.climateinteractive.org/scenario.html?v=21.10.0.) to choose 1 action that your level of government has some legal authority to regulate.
Post the following information about your action:
A. Describe and embed screenshot of the action that you selected:
Sector/category (for example: “Energy/Renewables”)
Magnitude of action (how far you moved the lever, for example: “subsidized”)
Magnitude of climate impact (change in projected temp, for example, “reduced to +4.0C”)
B. Describe policy justifications for your choice:
The factual basis for why this action reduces GHG emissions
The source of legal power for this action by your level of government.
The cultural or values basis for taking this action
C. Anticipate the unintended impacts of taking this action:
Co-benefits (for example, reduces other types of pollution, enhances environmental justice) Negative impacts (for example, poor disproportionately bear costs, etc.)
Step 3: Plan to post by Saturday of Week 6 (4 pts) Comment on another student’s proposal by adding a new perspective on any aspect of the action or unintended (but anticipated) impacts of the action.
Step 4: Plan to post by Wednesday after Week 6 (4 pts) Respond to a classmate’s comment/question on your original action post.
Step 5: Plan to post by Wednesday after Week 6 (4 pts) Use the “like” button to vote for your top 3 actions that you or other classmates analyzed, considering legal authority at your level of government, effectiveness at reducing GHG emissions, and other factors like cost and public acceptance.
You will use the actions to inform the rest of the Climate Action Project, so start with a strong foundation!
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