What’s the fuss about Kyoto?

We (the bigger “we” meaning those scientist vested with advising governments) have know for sometime that the earth’s balance is being disrupted by the impact of human activities. I don’t think in fact any one actually disputes this fact. It just the amount of impact that everyone seems hung up on.

Back in 1972 at the UN Conference for Human Environment in Stockholm pollution was the main theme on the agenda. The meeting drew attention to the fact that something dramatic was happening to the environment and that the parties present should find out about the effects and causes and take voluntary steps towards reducing pollution. No specific pollutants were mentioned.

Twenty years later we knew more. It had been observed that certain gases were having dramatic effect on our environment. The primary culprits were found to be 6 Green House Gases (GHG). They were isolated as being the most responsible. So, in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio - also known as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; 189 parties gathered together to make an agreement to reduce emissions of these GHG’s.

Unfortunately even though the knowledge of impact is there, the mechanisms of the climate and atmosphere are complex and therefore consensus takes sometime. My feeling is where doubt based on good scientific observation is in place we should act, because if we wait until it is absolutely unequivocal to all, it will be much too late to reserve the impacts.

Here’s the rub. The developed nations of the world are the primary producers of GHG from back in the 60’s till now. So the Kyoto accord decided to get those nations that profited creating GHG’s to start the reduction program. The program is a non-binding program to reduce GHG’s and the developing nations such as India and China (although larger producers now) do not have to sign off on reductions at this point.

Whilst many countries signed off on the above principles two notable exceptions (Australia and the USA) decided that they weren’t going to sign. They sight the fact that China and India don’t have to make reduction commitments and all sorts of things. But the fact is the USA and Australia (Australia on a per capita basis) are significant contributors GHG’s. America on the basis that it is 5% of the world’s population and contributes 25% of GHG’s - it has a lot to answer for…… The US also consumes 40% of the world’s oil, so just imagine if we don’t set and example and China plus India (2.4 Billion people) end up with the same rate of consumption and GHG production! Whew!

Note the Kyoto targets are actually non-binding, but they get the system of reduction mindedness and carbon trading in place for a more significant set of measures likely to be introduced in 2012. In its most simple form we have to sign off and move forward as leading nations of the world. To not do so only shows ignorance, arrogance and stupidity by the leaders of Australia and the USA.