Final Reflection

I enjoyed keeping a blog for this semester, I felt like I learned a lot more about my topic. At points I felt like it was a little chaotic to keep up with the blog, projects, and the journal, but overall I think it was a good way for me to organize my schedule in order to meet deadlines. For creating my blog posts, I would organize what I wanted each post to be a couple days in advance with some helpful links for me to use to write my post. Then, I would do one or two blog posts a day before they were due. My topics I tried to keep as general as I could so that they could be relatable to most people. I do not plan to keep blogging, between the club I am president of, my full time job, and other course work my free time is incredibly limited. I have enjoyed the blog, but it is a lot to keep up with!

Climate Action in Government

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As someone who is concerned about the environment, it is important to be aware of the steps your government is taking regarding climate action. 

According to the White House website, President Biden has taken some of the following actions: 

1. Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which is, “the most significant investment in U.S. history to tackle the climate crisis” (Whitehouse.gov 2024). 

2. Encouraged companies to move towards green energy

3. U.S. investments in clean energy such as solar panel and electric vehicle manufacturing

The Inflation Reduction Act has made huge strides towards improving our climate. According to EarthJustice, “as the bill turns two, we can begin to measure its impact in terms of jobs created (334,000 and counting, with an economic value of $265 billion) and investment in reducing harmful pollution ($27 billion to cut emissions and advance clean energy projects)” (EarthJustice). 

Works Cited

Hanson, Molly. "Two Years Ago, We Passed the Biggest Climate Spending Bill Ever. Here’s What It Has Achieved." Earthjustice, 20 Aug. 2024, earthjustice.org/article/the-biggest-climate-spending-bill-ever-just-turned-two-heres-what-it-has-achieved.

"National Climate Task Force." The White House, 7 Mar. 2024, www.whitehouse.gov/climate/#:~:text=Secured%20more%20than%20%2450%20billion,wind%2C%20battery%2C%20and%20critical%20material.

What are Popular Companies Doing About Climate Change?

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As economic consumers, we have the opportunity to make choices about the companies we choose to buy products from. In addition, it’s important for consumers to be aware of practices that those companies use to produce their products. 

The popular fast-food chain McDonald’s announced in 2020, and has since revised, its climate initiatives as a company. Their initiatives include environmentally aware steps in sourcing and developing their beef products, in designing their packaging and toys, and have made a commitment to forests and natural ecosystems. They also pledged a commitment to cutting their emissions as low as possible by 2050. Despite these efforts, McDonald’s disclosed in 2021 that their emissions had actually increased by nearly 12 percent. The emissions that fast-food chains create relates to their supply chains such as their beef production. 

Fast-food chains like McDonald’s need to invest in environmentally sustainable practices and products in order to reduce their carbon footprints on the planet. As consumers, it’s important for us to be aware of the companies we choose to purchase products from. It’s also important to take note of if these companies are following through on their pledges and initiatives. 

Works Cited

McDonald's: Burgers, Fries & More. Quality Ingredients, mcdonalds.com.

"Nytimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos, 22 Sept. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/09/22/business/food-companies-emissions-climate-pledges.htm