©2019 Sarah Becker Greenhouse Gases “Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have grown faster in the United States than in the rest of the world…reinforcing calls for unilateral U.S. curbs on the global-warming gas,” The Washington Post wrote in 1989. Today the United States is the world’s second largest carbon emitter. Carbon dioxide molecules, once emitted, remain in the atmosphere for almost a century. Do Americans, Alexandrians for example who reside in the U.S. Route 1 residential corridor adapt to climate change—as President Donald Trump’s environmental policies suggest—or do local, state and federal governments mitigate? At present Alexandria promotes accelerated auto transportation. Six Metro stations are closed for summer repairs. Most U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are human roused—the result of burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) for heat, electricity, and transportation. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (84%), methane (10%), nitrous oxide (4%) and fluorinated gases (2%). According to the Rhodium Group carbon dioxide emissions rose 2.7% in 2018, the second largest annual spike since 2000. “Much of the emissions spike was driven by the continued rise of transportation emissions, now the nation’s top source of emissions.” “The hardening scientific consensus has pushed governments to move toward negotiations for international controls,” The Post continued in 1989. The United Nations Montreal Protocol (ozone) became effective in 1987, the Kyoto Protocol (emission reductions) in 1997. “In 1997 the United States signed a non-binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—primarily carbon dioxide,” The Washington Post reported. Then U.S. carbon dioxide emissions “exceeded the Kyoto target by 18%, or 220 metric tons per year.” The percent of excess continues to grow. Rather than develop mass transit competitively, plan and market its metro stations fittingly, the city of Alexandria encouraged auto-driven streets. It still does knowing that in 1990 “Virginia ranked 19th among the states—and ahead of industrial…