ERG Alum Dr. Malini Ranganathan (MS’05, PhD’10) talks about the connection between the Obama administration’s new carbon rules and urban flooding in developing Asia. She affirms the “bold move” stating, “It seems as if after years of feet dragging the United States is finally willing to walk its climate talk.”
Dr. Ranganathan highlights the way in which the White House links climate change with issues that the American public care about on an everyday basis such as health, rising food prices and damages to businesses. She connects this with urban flooding.
The issue of urban flooding… is an issue that is likely to get more dire with climate change. It is key therefore that people–particularly in the global north from where historically most of the greenhouse gas emissions have emanated–think of climate change not just as something that happens far away but is something that affects their neighborhoods and their communities. In that sense at least President Obama’s bold move and the rhetoric at least that has accompanied it is a step in the right direction.
Dr. Ranganathan is Assistant Professor in the School of International Service at American University.
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