Authorities are discussing ways to battle climate change amid rising tensions between United States and Russian officials over cybercrimes that have recently targeted many American businesses and other international establishments worldwide.
On Monday, John Kerry, the climate envoy for the United States, and Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, expressed their hopes of continuing talks regarding climate change to deescalate rising tensions between the two nations. Kerry went on a four-day visit to Moscow to meet with Lavrov. Kerry is so far the highest-ranking official of President Joe Biden's administration to travel to Russia.
Climate Change Issue
Lavrov noted how the Russian government values the issue of climate change and how it is continuously willing to work together with other countries to solve the controversies. He added that Kerry's visit to Moscow was a positive signal for the development of relations between the two countries.
Kerry said it was possible for the U.S. and Russia to work together and solve climate change issues. He added it was also possible that the two nations have more opportunities to address other issues, ABC News reported.
The two top officials acknowledged that climate change was an important issue for both the United States and Russia, as well as other countries worldwide. Kerry said that authorities have spent years discussing worse problems such as chemical weapons and nuclear armaments. He added that the climate change issue is just as crucial as previous discussions.
Worldwide, Russia, is one of the largest producers of oil and gas. Authorities have recently made commitments to tackle climate change as a proper issue. However, many critics have pointed out that Russia, which is also the fourth-highest producer of carbon, is not doing enough to make a significant impact on the worsening issue.
For years, Putin has been known for his skepticism about man-made global warming. He previously claimed that Russia would benefit from the issue. One of his most recent endeavors is making the development of Russia's Arctic region a strategic priority. The efforts come as ice cover continues to melt and the Northern Sea Route has become more accessible, which could be used to export hydrocarbons to Asian nations, The Moscow Times reported.
Effects of Global Warming
One of the most recent large-scale effects of global warming in the United States was the incident when the drought in the Western parts of the country was recorded as one of the hottest in history. Nearly half of America's territory is experiencing severely dry conditions. Wildfire risk has significantly increased due to dry soil and less water in Mountain snowpacks. Lake Mead, the country's largest reservoir, is also heading down to its lowest level since it was filled in the 1930s.
Southwestern states have recorded the past year to be the driest or second-driest season since 1895 when records were started. Officials have begun implementing water restrictions across farms and cities to conserve water. However, Western regions are now under hotter climates that are shrinking water supplies no matter what type of weather arrives, NPR reported.
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