A major concern for environmentalist and politicians is global warming. The warming of the earth's temperature is created by a worldwide production of vast amounts of carbon dioxide and other compounds that trap the warmth produced by the suns rays beneath a blanket of gasses. Over time, this phenomena known as the greenhouse effect creates a gradual increase in the world's temperature. These events produce a threat to humanity because it can raise ocean temperatures, which in turn, melt the huge ice blankets that hold most of the world's water. The result would eliminate most of population that lives in costal areas (Minix,522). The greenhouse effect has triggered worldwide concerns and on December 1997 over 160 countries meet in Kyoto, Japan to negotiate the reduction of these effects. The Kyoto protocol is a five-year plan (2008-2012) that calls for significant adjustments in reductions of CO2 emissions, and energy consumption. The United States who is a major emitter of CO2, decided to not adopt the Kyoto protocol. This report will address the affected parties, their short and long run affects, and their immediate and long-term impacts upon that decision.
A number of international efforts have been initiated to decrease greenhouse-gas emissions. The most recent effort occurred in 1997, when representatives from 160 countries met in Kyoto, Japan to negotiate an agreement to reduce worldwide emissions of harmful gases. This agreement is known as the Kyoto Protocol. It obligates 38 industrialized nations to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases and cut their emissions to levels of 5 percent below those of 1990. This reduction is to be achieved no later than 2012. The United States emissions level per capita has been 10 times higher than China and 20 times higher than India (Kirova,6). Due to these facts Bush's administration voluntarily accepted an increased reduction of 7 percent below 1990 levels; the European Union, which had wanted a much tougher treaty, along with Australia committed to 8 percent; and Japan and Canada a 6 percent decrease.