Role of the Government

The government's main function should always be to enforce laws, legislate new ones, and arbitrate  conflicts. If you take this to relate directly to environmental problems the government has the same functions. First, enforce environmental laws through sanctions against those who pollute the most, which could most certainly have accumulated over time. This could be through fines or actual punishment that would help provide the government with some actual funds. Second, legislate new environmental laws to mandate wind energy or solar energy, etc. If you phase out our reliance on oil and coal and harnessed renewable energy our international debts could eventually be paid off. And lastly, arbitrate conflicts, within our own country first. We need to make sure "going green" is affordable for everyone.