Kyoto becomes law

The move to bring Kyoto into effect has been heralded as a breakthrough in the fight against dangerous climate change and a triumph for international diplomacy – despite the fact that the US, the world’s greatest emitter of greenhouse gases (responsible for 36% of the greenhouse gases from the industrialised world), refuses to take part. This is because they feel that developing countries that are currently exempt from making emissions cuts would gain a competitive advantage over them through not having to meet the costs of reducing emissions.
This all comes against a backdrop of worrying new scientific warnings on climate change. British scientists have recently reported that computer modelling forecasts predict that global temperatures could increase by up to 11 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, scientists from America’s space agency NASA have reported that precipitous warming in the Arctic could affect global atmospheric circulation. They point out that the result could include “dramatic swings in weather and climate across the world…with potentially far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and human populations”.

Protests have been held at various locations in the run up to the Kyoto protocol’s taking effect with protestors angered by President Bush’s refusal to take part. In a speech at the Davos world economic forum at the end of January UK prime minister, Tony Blair urged the USA to fully support world efforts to reign in greenhouse gas emissions – while accepting that Washington is very unlikely to sign up to the existing Kyoto protocol.

Although important, Kyoto remains just a drop in the ocean in terms of efforts to halt the greenhouse effect – potentially eliminating only a tenth of a projected 30 percent rise in worldwide emissions between 1990 and 2010. Its supporters are already looking beyond it, towards even bigger measures once the agreement expires in 2012.