What Can Be Done Measures heavily dependent on teamwork and political will can slow the rate of glob

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What Can Be DoneMeasures -- heavily dependent on
teamwork and political will -- can slow the rate
of global warming and help the world cope with
the climate shifts that occur.Reducing
emissions. Burning oil and coal more efficiently,
switching to renewable forms of energy, and
developing new technologies for industry and
transport can attack the problem at the
source.Expanding forests. Trees remove carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere, but deforestation --
the current trend -- liberates additional
carbon.Changing lifestyles and rules. The
cultures and habits of millions of people --
essentially, whether they waste energy or use it
efficiently -- have a major impact on climate
change. So do government policies and
regulations.Coping. Steps have to be taken to
limit damage from consequences of global warming
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Accomplishments to date . . . and
Challenges Technology versus politics and
economics Between 1990 and 2000, total
greenhouse-gas emissions of industrialized
countries actually declined (by 5.6 per cent) --
but that reflected unusual circumstances.
Emissions of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet
Union fell by 37 per cent. That more than
compensated for an 8.2 per cent increase in
emissions among developed countries elsewhere.
The real work -- worldwide economic progress
combined with reduced emissions -- has yet to be
accomplished.   Technology already exists that
could stabilize and even reduce greenhouse gas
levels within a few decades. Getting such
technology in place such as using renewable
energy sources is politically and economically
difficult.
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Economic systems and governments currently
aren't arranged for accomplishing greenhouse-gas
reductions. Cutting emission costs are immediate.
The benefits, such as fewer severe storms,
floods, and droughts will occur in the future and
will benefit people everywhere, whether they pay
for the relevant technology or not. It is hard to
put a price on these positive outcomes.   If
laws and regulations around the world aren't
equally demanding, businesses in countries that
don't require greenhouse-gas reductions will be
able to operate more cheaply and sell their
products at lower prices (in the short term) than
businesses in countries that require more
climate-friendly behavior resulting in
competitiveness problems.   No-regret options
can reduce emissions and pay for themselves
through greater efficiency and lower operating
costs . . . but even those require up front
investments.
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Examples of progress to date Denmark
stabilized emissions between 1990 and 2000 by
switching to more efficient methods of
electricity generation and by shifting from coal
to renewable energy and natural gas.   Germany
achieved a considerable reduction in CO2
emissions by economic restructuring resulting
from reunification, through reduced use of
lignite, and greater use of wind. There also were
substantial cuts in methane emissions from coal
production, waste management, and agriculture.
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• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  (IPCC)
• Scientists sound the alarm
• It fell to scientists to draw international
  attention to the threats posed by global warming.
  Evidence in the 1960s and '70s that
  concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
  atmosphere were increasing first led
  climatologists and others to press for action. It
  took years before the international community
  responded.
• In 1988, the IPCC was created by the World
  Meteorological Organization and the UN
  Environment Programme. This group issued a first
  report in 1990 reflecting views of 400 scientists
  stating that global warming was real and urged
  that something be done about it.

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• IPCC
• The Panel's findings spurred governments to
  create the United Nations Framework Convention on
  Climate Change. It was ready for signature at the
  1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development
  -- the "Earth Summit" -- in Rio de Janeiro.
•  
• The IPCC does not conduct its own scientific
  inquiries, but reviews worldwide research and
  issues regular assessment reports.
•  
• The IPCC's findings, because they reflect global
  scientific consensus and are apolitical, form a
  counterbalance to the highly charged political
  debate over what to do about climate change. IPCC
  reports played a major role in the negotiations
  leading to the Kyoto Protocol, a second, more
  far-reaching international treaty on climate
  change.

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The Kyoto Protocol This international agreement
sets legally binding targets and timetables for
cutting the greenhouse-gas emissions of
industrialized countries.   The Protocol shall
enter into force on the 90th day after the date
on which not less than 55 Parties, which
accounted for at least 55 of the total CO2
emissions for 1990 have approved it.   In
November 2004 Russia ratified the protocol
bringing it into effect.   On 16th February 2005
the Kyoto Protocol entered into force!!
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Table Total carbon dioxide emissions of Annex I
Parties in 1990 Party Emissions
(Gg) Percentage Australia 288,965 2.1 Austria 59
,200 0.4 Belgium 113,405 0.8 Bulgaria 82,990 0.
6 Canada 457,441 3.3 Czech Republic 169,514 1.2
Denmark 52,100 0.4 Estonia 37,797 0.3 Finland 53
,900 0.4 France 366,536 2.7 Germany 1,012,443 7
.4 Greece 82,100 0.6 Hungary 71,673 0.5 Iceland
2,172 0.0 Ireland 30,719 0.2 Italy 428,941 3.1
Japan 1,173,360 8.5 Latvia 22,976 0.2 Liechtenst
ein 208 0.0 Luxembourg 11,343 0.1 Monaco 71 0.0
Netherlands 167,600 1.2 New Zealand 25,530 0.2
Norway 35,533 0.3 Poland 414,930 3.0 Portugal 42
,148 0.3 Romania 171,103 1.2 Russia 2,388,720 1
7.4 Slovakia 58,278 0.4 Spain 260,654 1.9 Sweden
61,256 0.4 Switzerland 43,600 0.3 UK 584,078 4
.3 USA 4,957,022 36.1 Total 13,728,306 100.0 (31
out of 34 have ratified)