Journal #6 As the World Burns

   

                       I believe that we should spend a realistic amount of GDP in an attempt to curb climate change.  The 1% of annual GDP that economist Jeffery Sachs recommends is much more than we are currently spending and if we are to have any hope of success, we must set attainable goals or people will dismiss them altogether.  The United States is a world leader in everything from music and pop culture to the dollar as the world’s currency—for now.   This position that we currently enjoy may be all that is necessary to persuade most of the world to follow our lead, but we must be serious.  Some countries will not be able to compete on a global economy and effectively reduce greenhouse emissions so perhaps it would be in the best interest for everyone if developed countries put as much as they could afford into a fund that will make up for countries that lack the 1% GDP goal. 

                     In order to fund the 1% goal we could end large scale operations in Iraq and Afganistan and cease giving aid to Illigal Immigrants.  The costly need to have our troops in the theaters of Afganistan and Iraq has come to an end.  We can maintain a presence but with unmanned drones or other scaled down methods.  This alone would account for the 1% needed.  Another solution would be to stop all aid givin to immigrants here legally or illegally.  The antiquitated laws difineing a citizen as “anyone who was born in the U.S” allows for “anchor babys”.  I don’t think that our founders had in mind that immigrants would be sneaking into our boarders and allowing this criminal action to be awarded with citizenship.  According to Factcheck.org, at least $10.4 billion in federal programs are spent on familiys headed by an illegal alien.  The U.S. needs to be an inhospitable place for people who come here with no regard for our laws.  Legal immigrants should not receive assistance because we should only be accepting people with skills who can find work and contribute to our nation, not leach off of it. 

                    By promoting fuel efficient cars, nuclear power, and practices like carpooling, we may have a chance of reducing greenhouse emissions by 2016.