Climate Change
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Some scientists believe we have already passed a point of no return for certain aspects of the climate, others suggest that 2035 could be a critical year for avoiding the most severe consequences. This means the next President is the tipping authority to push America towards avoiding this fate. Whether climate change is man-made or not is irrelevant at this point, the tipping point will be decided in the next few years.
In 1985, a hole was discovered in the ozone layer above Antarctica. Two years later, the Montreal Protocol was created, and in the 1990's, all global emissions of most man-made causes were banned. Within a decade, there was a noticeable difference to the Ozone layer. Every country banded together and turned the disaster around. It still isn't completely solved, but it is well on its way to being corrected. We can do so again for climate change as long as we commit and work together.
Remove existing Carbon
There are two parts to slowing and reversing climate change. The first is to stop the carbon increase by drawing down what is currently in the air. This drawdown can be accomplished via soil protection, which is also the second highest carbon emissions @ 11%. Drawing down carbon into the soil can be accomplished in several ways, but one way would be to follow the concept of a Regenerative Rancher, or Regenerative Agriculture. Some examples include:
-Tree Intercropping. Planting the same crop across a farm means the carbon pulldown of the farm is cut to zero at the same harvesting time, and this is a notable change when this happens according to records. Diversifying plants means diversified harvest times, which also means varied incomes for the farmers rather than gambling on just one harvest, so there is a money incentive as well.
-No till drills/stop tilling which destroys the top layer of soil. Untilled soil stores more water, which increases microbe growth and encourages rainfall. With just 1% increase of organic matter, 1 acre can pull down 10x more Carbon into the soil.
-A reduction of pesticides. Microbes are good for plants and animals, so excessive pesticides are harming plant growth, which harms the carbon drawdown effect . There is also a link between pesticides and cancers/mental disorders. Reducing this may assist in current genetical anomalies/hardships that appear to be increasing.
-Allow livestock to roam in sections (2.5 acres every 3 days). Allowing livestock to roam to reverse diversification can be done at low cost and assist in plant growth/soil rejuvenation. This will create grasslands which will also assist soil rejuvenation in areas that can’t support trees/forests. Chickens in transportable coops following behind cows will result in healthier/more nutritious eggs as well.
***(Note that cows are still the most carbon-producing food. So real work would be to reduce dairy and meat production. This reduction would reduce land demand, water pollution, and animal suffering and could likely improve human health. So we need a meat substitute, a simpler/cheaper/easier meat, or some major Public Relations to reduce the desire for meat in every meal.)***
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses Commodity Credit Corporation to guarantee certain farms produce specific crops. It would be a simple matter to adjust these to subsidize a better soil by linking payments to the history of crops rather than the current crop each year. This would push for a rotating crop, and potentially a resting period between plantings so the soil can recoup its nutrients again.
Composting (More of a state/city thing?): charge more for garbage, and less for recycle and compost. This can be sold or given to farmers or spread on a cycle through garbage dumps. Or the composte could be sold back to people trying to have better soil in their home gardens.
Reduce Growing Carbon Emissions
Beyond reducing existing emissions, first-world countries need to decrease the creation of carbon emissions.
The three largest pieces of greenhouse gas emissions are Transportation (28%), Electricity (27%), and Industry (22%)(according to a 2018 study).
The largest causes of these emissions is from coal, oil, and gas use. Countries can’t remove these emissions completely since military vehicles and other portions of industry will continue to require these for several decades yet, so the changes need to happen at the greatest point of emission.
Vehicles used by the population for driving around town (not those used for off-roading, camping, or travel) and have the capability to recharge during non-peak hours should become the "norm". The government needs to make electric vehicles the natural preference for most households. There are several ways to do this, including making them a cheaper option, allowing subsidies at different points in construction or purchase, create abundant "refueling" points in large cities and across the country similar to how gas stations were popularized, and by making them user-friendly by having charging points be standardized. Likewise, it may be possible to provide sensors at specific intervals in roadways for self-driving vehicles easier to manage, which would allow safer road travel as well.
Other possibilities would be looking into Fission capabilities, or fusion power plants again now that newer knowledge is available to make them safer. This would allow energy creation to move farther from carbon-emitting energy sources.
The natural fear is what about the jobs that currently work within the effected industries. Their industries cannot just stop producing, since military vehicles and various industries will still rely on them. But their production will be decreased. It should not be left to the President to tell them what to do with their lives though, it is their lives and no one else should force them into a service they do not want. The President can assist in offering opportunities to train for new industries that will likely develop. New manufacturing jobs, electric storage capabilities, and clean electricity production are all new options.