Earth Day 2016: US Among Countries Signing Paris Agreement To Reduce Global Warming & Fight Climate Change

April 22, 1970 marked the birth of Earth Day. On that momentous day, people objected to the harmful environmental effects of the rising fossil fuel industrial operations. Since then, the government implemented ways to reduce air and toxic pollution. Stricter environmental laws were passed and citizens have been granted rights in the implementation of those laws.

United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon picked this year's Earth Day to gather nearly 200 world leaders to formally sign the pact, EcoWatch reported. The event, which was approved at the COP 21 climate change conference in December, will be held at UN's head office located in New York City.

The United States and China -- countries which have the highest levels of pollution -- are among the signatories of the agreement. Although more detailed plans are in place, the treaty ultimately aims to address concerns revolving around global warming and climate change, so Earth Day couldn't be any more perfect of a date.

Paris Agreement: Goals and Plans

The Paris agreement intends to accomplish several key plans to prevent climate change and to save people from pollution's harmful effects. The nations involved in the agreement promise to lessen greenhouse gas emissions every five years, maintain global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius and to provide financial support to impoverished countries in their quest to fight climate change and decrease their carbon levels, CTV News listed.

Signatories will need to be transparent when it comes to their emissions, though punishments will not be given if they miss their individual emissions targets. The agreement will also require participating countries to evaluate their emission pledges in the next four years, as well as submit new plans to make those targets stronger.

Aside from the government, the Paris agreement will also urge citizens to help in reducing harmful emissions by supporting the governments' actions and efforts. Hopefully, these plans can be put into place before it's too late, although experts claim, as previously reported by Parent Herald, argued otherwise.

Renewable energy, which comes from naturally replenished resources like sunlight, wind and geothermal, is considered as the safer alternative to fossil fuel. Renewable energy, if developed, can potentially supply 100 percent of the world's electricity supply, The Ecologist wrote.

Paris Agreement Criticized

World leaders and environmental activists praised the Paris agreement, but it has also gathered outcry from critics. According to Erich Pica, president of the Friends of the Earth Action, the Paris agreement is unfair and fails to wholly benefit developing countries, which greatly suffered the repercussions of climate change, Time reported.

Republican senators in the U.S. are also opposing the agreement. They said the participating countries' environmental commitments are vague, and urged the pact to be submitted to the U.S. Senate for approval. The Paris agreement, however, is designed without the necessity of approval from the U.S. government.