Kyoto Protocol And Global Warming - 1173 Words

In December 1997, Kyoto protocol was signed to address global warming specifically. Global warming is the â€Å"gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth s atmosphere and its oceans due to green house gases emissions.†(NRDC, 2005) In the past 100 years, the rate of global warming is unprecedented. In fact, global warming has become one of the most challenging environmental problems in the 21st century. In order to effectively address this issue, international cooperation is necessary. Through international cooperation, undeveloped countries are able to overcome financial obstacles in meeting their targets. In addition, it could also promote worldwide technology sharing, data foundations and public awareness of climate change.†¦show more content†¦For starters, modern economy relies heavily on fossil fuels, which is a main resource that contributes to global warming. Adopting renewable energy might sharply reduce GHG emissions. However, according to inte rnational energy agency, â€Å"switching from fossil fuels to low-carbon sources of energy will cost $44 trillion between now and 2050†(IEA, 2009). In case 44 trillion is too abstract, 1 trillion dollar can fill up an entire soccer field and stack more than 10 feet high. This cost could be intimidating for any country. Moreover, the cost also depends on how long it takes for us to start reducing emissions. â€Å"The IPCC report showed that continuing to hold off on reducing emissions could increase costs by 40 percent† (IPCC, 2008) For developing countries, this cost would be a financial burden and a limiting reagent on GDP growth. Socially, civilian’s life quality will be affected by the GDP reduction. As a result, it becomes more challenging for countries to take initiative in addressing this problem. The question eventually came down to whom should bear the astronomical cost? Are we willing to invest in something that might cost more than its benefits? Evaluation on its Successfulness The achievements of Kyoto Protocol have been controversial. Nevertheless, the agreement has had a mix of success. In order to evaluate its successfulness, we need data of the emission level of Annex I parties from 1990 to 2012 explicitly. As a result, the United States did not ratify theShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming And The Kyoto Protocol1470 Words   |  6 Pagesthe global warming agenda and tackle the issues surrounding the Kyoto Protocol. The second part will look at climate change and the protocol from the respective lenses of realism and liberalism. I will argue that while none of the theories precisely covers the entirety of the issue, each provides helpful analysis falls short of clarifying the entire climate change picture. Can states cooperate effectively through the structure of the Kyoto protocol to solve an international problem of global warmingRead MoreGlobal Warming : The Kyoto Protocol1183 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction According to the American Meteorological Society, there is a 90 percent probability that the global temperature will increase between 3.5 to 7.4 â„Æ' by 2100 [1]. This increase in global warming could trigger widespread catastrophes such as rising sea levels and famine. International cooperation is crucial because there is not a single country that accounts for 26% of global emissions, and mitigation will require more than 15 countries in order to account for at least 75% of emissionsRead MoreGlobal Warming And The Kyoto Protocol1737 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernments have been working on addressing one of the major challenges the world has been challenged to this day which widely is known as Global Warming. The Kyoto protocol is the well-known abiding playground internationally recognized as a global treaty placing obligations on developed nations to significantly minimize their Green House Gas emissions first adopted in Kyoto, Japan in 1997. Three actions are recommended for th e UN to take up on: First, the UN shall bring all the major actors onboard toRead More Global Warming and the Kyoto Protocol Essay886 Words   |  4 Pages Global Warming and the Kyoto Protocol   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the world today there are talks about why and how the people of this planet are polluting the rivers, lakes, soil, and even air. With these talks countries are coming up with great ways to reduce this problem. They see the effects and they are happy and life goes on but there is another problem, the one the everyday people just can’t solve with their own hands, that problem is the theory of global warming. During December of 1997, a meeting inRead More Global Warming and the Kyoto Protocol Essay1229 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal Warming and the Kyoto Protocol Environmental issues are becoming a growing concern for the world as well as for the worlds leaders. Pollution, littering and the burning of fossil fuels are all problems that have drastically affected humans over the past few years. Impure drinking water, radiation, less ecological diversity and cancer are a few of such harms that the world has experienced. However, one of the most prominent concerns is the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect, a naturalRead MoreThe Kyoto Protocol: An Attempt to Manage Global Warming Essay1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe Kyoto protocol is one of the most important treaties signed in contemporary days. It has great limitations and is yet to evolve to another level, but it addresses an issue that affects not one, two or ten countries – it affects the entire world. That is why countries have to work and cooperate to create a binding legal document that sets specific standards to greenhouse gas emissions. In recent decades we have witnessed a gradual change in our environment. Our planet is heating up very quicklyRead MoreThe Kyoto Protocol Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagespaper examines the Kyoto Protocol and the United States position on their participation in the Kyoto Protocol. To understand the underpinnings of the Kyoto Protocol one must agree that our planet is warming, and we (its citizens) are contributing to its warming. Any general argument about global warming has to address at least the following five questions: 1. Is global warming really occurring? 2. If global warming is occurring, are humans responsible for it? 3. If global warming is occurring, whatRead More Global Warming Blown Out of Proportion Essay1126 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal Warming Blown Out of Proportion The United States by no means should consider complying with the Kyoto Protocols. My conviction in the negation towards passing this bill is that the whole Global Warming idea is highly blown out of proportion by politicians and the mass media. Global warming, as it may exist in the most gentle form, is the result of natural changes and could yield positive benefits. It is a predictable, quantifiable process. Thus the Kyoto planRead MoreGlobal Warming And Climate Change1339 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Environmental Problem Kyoto was created in 1997 during the Third Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC with the objective to globally reduce GHG emissions and ultimately address climate change (United Nations, 1997). This international agreement is based on the premise that global warming is mostly due to GHG emissions and those emissions are undeniably anthropogenic (United Nations, 1997). International Cooperation Because the atmosphere is a public good, individual countries haveRead MoreKyoto Protocol And Its Effect On The Earth s Natural Cycles999 Words   |  4 Pages20th century, global changes were measurable. This marked the beginning of the â€Å"Anthropocene†, and era where human activity became a force affecting the Earth’s natural cycles. One of these changes is a global planetary warming, causing more frequent droughts or heavy rains depending on the locations, ice cap melting at the Earth’s poles and rising sea levels, triggered by the emission of massive amounts of man-made greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide (Holland 2015). This warming impacts everyone