Reference no: EM133322344

Policy proposal 1: Eliminating Oil Subsidies

In 2021, in Norway, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and France, a gallon of gasoline costs over $6, whereas in the U.S., the average price of a gallon of gasoline is $2.60 (Statistica). Some countries, such as France, charge a high-energy tax, which allows them to offer free education and health services and promote greener forms of transport. The estimate shows that an average U.S. resident pays "anywhere between $2 and $0.90 less than the actual market value of gasoline because of government subsidies." The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reported that the U.S. spends over $26 billion yearly on fossil fuels subsidies. The Council advocates for ending subsidies in the U.S. Another article in nature energy wrote, "the removal of fossil fuel subsidies is widely regarded as one of the most cost-effective ways for governments to meet their commitments under the Paris climate agreement to curtail greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions."

Policy proposal 2: Eliminating Agricultural Subsidies

Farm subsidies are federal government funds paid to the U.S. agribusinesses to reduce farmers' risk from extreme weather like droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, commodities brokers, and disruptions in demand. There are 2.1 million U.S. farms, of which 97% are family owned. In 2017, the combined agriculture and food industry made up 5.4% of the U.S. economy and employed about 11% of workers. Farming contributed 1% of the gross domestic product and used 1.3% of workers.

Some argue that agriculture should not receive preferential treatment, as it faces no more risk than other industries. Additionally, subsidies help high-income businesses, not poor rural farmers. Between 1995 and 2017, the top 10% of recipients received 77% of the $205.4 billion doled out. Farm subsidies may encourage farmers not to switch to drought-resistant crops and to plant the same crops yearly, regardless of crop yield. The drought is forcing farmers to drain the groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer eight times faster than rain is putting it back. Other subsidies encourage farmers to grow corn for ethanol biofuel, which drains an additional 120 billion gallons a year from the aquifer. Grains are the most heavily subsidized, making them cheaper than vegetables and fruits. Therefore, more than 6% of farm subsidies go toward four "junk food" components: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, cornstarch, and soy oils.

As an engaged citizen, which one of these two policy proposals will you lobby for?