Sustainable Vermillion Policy Report
Description
Climate change is a global phenomenon that is all encompassing. There are no nations, cities, or towns that are unaffected by climate change. Human industrial development is accelerating climate change and without drastic practice changes, global temperature increase and sea level rise will be inevitable. The problem does not lie only from a large perspective, but is based from the cultural unsustainable practices people have become accustomed to. American culture has become one of single use. People are normalized to the idea that it is okay to buy products that are only made to be used one time and then thrown away, like plastics. In addition, fossil fuel burning for heat, transportation, and electricity is commonplace. But these practices are not sustainable. Within the next decade, the world will reach the point of no return in regards to climate change. National and global climatologists agree, the time for action is now to mitigate temperature rise. The problem needs to be addressed from the ground up; at the local level. To begin implementing more sustainable practices at the local level, a municipality needs to have a sound understanding of sustainability.