A Historic Day The Kyoto Protocol Comes Into Force For 141 Countries

[Don Rizzle]

The historic agreement comes into force for the 141 countries who have a consience about what they are doing now and how that will effect the future, where others like America (the worlds richest country and the worlds worst gross pollutor) and Australia see the present day economic factors are far too important to even consider matters like the enviroment even if both can flurish together.

Kyoto Protocol comes into force
The Kyoto accord, which aims to curb the air pollution blamed for global warming, has come into force seven years after it was agreed.
The accord requires countries to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Some 141 countries, accounting for 55% of greenhouse gas emissions, have ratified the treaty, which pledges to cut these emissions by 5.2% by 2012.

But the world's top polluter - the US - has not signed up to the treaty.

The US says the changes would be too costly to introduce and that the agreement is flawed.

Large developing countries including India, China and Brazil are not required to meet specific targets for now.

'Out of control'

The ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, where the pact was negotiated, is hosting the main ceremony marking the treaty's coming into force.

Russia ratified the treaty in November 2004 - the crucial moment making the treaty legally binding.

Russia's entry was vital, because the treaty to had to be ratified by nations accounting for at least 55% of greenhouse gas emissions to become valid.

This target was only met after Russia joined.

But the head of the UN Environment Programme, Klaus Toepfer, said Kyoto was only a first step and much hard work needed to be done to fight global warming and its possible effects on the world's climate.

"Climate change is the spectre at the feast, capable of undermining our attempts to deliver a healthier, fairer and more resilient world," he said.

 HAVE YOUR SAY
If you really care about the environment, stop buying things that come in plastic packaging and stop using your car
Joe, London
 


Recent projections on planet warming made terrifying reading, he said, painting a vision of a planet that is "spinning out of control."

He said it would be Africa which bore the burden of the world's failure to act.

Individual targets

The protocol, which became legally binding at midnight New York time (0500 GMT) on 16 February, demands a 5.2% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from the industrialised world as a whole, by 2012.


Each country has been set its own individual targets according to its pollution levels.

Growing developing countries China and India are outside the framework, a fact pointed out by US President George W Bush when he abandoned Kyoto as one of his first acts when taking office in 2001.

Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi issued a statement welcoming the treaty but also calling on non-signatories to rethink.

"From now, we have to build a system in which more nations will work together under the common framework to stop global warming," he said.

Environmentalists plan to hold protests around the world to mark the treaty coming into force - with many targeting the US.

Speakers at the official ceremony include Nobel Peace prize winner Wangari Maathai.

Ms Maathai, an ecologist and Kenya's deputy environment minister, said the Kyoto Protocol would require not just efforts from governments and businesses, but also a change in the way people lived.

Tough goals

But even for countries that have signed up to Kyoto, meeting the goals could be difficult.


 CLIMATE CHANGE EXPLAINED
 

Canada, one of the treaty's first signatories, has no clear plan for reaching its target emission cuts. Far from cutting back, its emissions have increased by 20% since 1990.

And Japan is also unsure it will be able to meet its legal requirement to slash emissions by 6% from 1990 levels by 2012.

"Japan will make all efforts to respect the rules of the Protocol," said Takashi Omura, of the Japanese environment ministry. "It will neither be easy nor insurmountable."


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4267245.stm

[Suga Foot]

Canada, one of the treaty's first signatories, has no clear plan for reaching its target emission cuts. Far from cutting back, its emissions have increased by 20% since 1990.

haha

[Don Rizzle]

even if they don't meet their targets the fact is atleast they are trying to cut emmissions rather than not caring about the issue at all

[Suffice]

even if they don't meet their targets the fact is atleast they are trying to cut emmissions rather than not caring about the issue at all

word up

[Thirteen]

even if they don't meet their targets the fact is atleast they are trying to cut emmissions rather than not caring about the issue at all

so if america signed the treaty but then did little to back it up...at least they'd be trying and most of the people here could get the stick out of their ass?

'fraid not

[Don Rizzle]

even if they don't meet their targets the fact is atleast they are trying to cut emmissions rather than not caring about the issue at all

so if america signed the treaty but then did little to back it up...at least they'd be trying and most of the people here could get the stick out of their ass?

'fraid not

no it would have to be a genuine effort

[Woodrow]

even if they don't meet their targets the fact is atleast they are trying to cut emmissions rather than not caring about the issue at all

so if america signed the treaty but then did little to back it up...at least they'd be trying and most of the people here could get the stick out of their ass?

'fraid not

no it would have to be a genuine effort

You got served last time you brought this up. Why talk about it again?

[Don Rizzle]

even if they don't meet their targets the fact is atleast they are trying to cut emmissions rather than not caring about the issue at all

so if america signed the treaty but then did little to back it up...at least they'd be trying and most of the people here could get the stick out of their ass?

'fraid not

no it would have to be a genuine effort

You got served last time you brought this up. Why talk about it again?

1 no i didn't, 2 i talk about this again because it became legally binding for those countries that ratified it. your excuse was not all countries participate so why bother which is weak especially considering with american involvment we'd have 80% of the worlds pollutors involved in making steps to cut emmissions. also since the last discussion on the topic there have been numerous reports that previous predictions on emmissions levels under estimated the effects these are causeing. i'd like you you to come up with a reasonable arguement to for supporting the world worst pollutor or get the fuck out of this topic as you obviously don't belong here because you have been been brainwashed to believe that emmissions have no negative effect when there is plenty of evidence to show current effects OR you just proven why america is so bad its spawned a culture of there always being someone else to blame other than yourselves so you have little willingness to do anything about it unless it directly effects you in the here and now.

[Lincoln]

I can't wait to see energy prices rise along with a recession in country while nothing happens!

[Trauma-san]

*Sigh.

Canada signed a piece of paper, talked the talk, and increased pollutions by 20%. 

America didn't sign the peace of paper, said it was bullshit uninforceable useless nonsense, and all 95 senators voted NOT to sign the treaty, after Clinton wanted to. 

If you don't like it, write your congressman.  Any of them.  They all voted against it, even John Kerry... although he's critical of Bush not signing it.... when they ask Kerry why HE didn't vote for it, he doesn't have an answer, and the press conference is over.

You liberals need to get your shit straight before you accuse and bitch. 

[Don Rizzle]

america did sign up to kyoto it was one of bush's first moves when he became president to pull out. i'm not american so i can't write to you congressmen and have any influence over them. however i am proud of my countrys commitment and leadership on kyoto/climate change and on other key international issues such as reducing world debt/poverty and an end to the palestine/israel conflict, these are all things america has not been commited to nearly as much as they should be.