The Kyoto Protocol: An Attempt to Manage Global Warming

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The 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 quickly which leads to the so called global warming. Humanity has come to understand that its actions are the cause of this warming. The industries of our industrialized countries emit an enormous amount of green-house gases such as carbon dioxide which heats up the lower atmosphere and thus gradually contributing to global warming (Climate change facts, no date). The effects of global warming can be seen all over the world – draughts, floods, tsunamis, melting ice caps, snowfall in places such as Israel, spreading diseases (which were unable to survive in the once-cold climate) etc. Besides the environmental degradation, world leaders have to bear in mind the economical implications of this effect – the melting ice caps will open new trade routes which may pose a threat to some countries (such as Russia), the ever-increasing population of the Earth will soon be starving due to the disappearance of certain crops and species, shifting fishing grounds that may cause disputes over fishing rights between countries, etc.

All of these reasons and effects have made people and most importantly world leaders, realize that there is a need for change in our life so we can secure a normal future for the next generations. There are many things everyone c...

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...s take the initiative of bringing the protocol further in its purpose of legally binding cuts of greenhouse gases. In the succeeding meetings between country leaders this should be a priority topic as it affects not only us at this point in time, but will affect the future generations. This is why I think that the protocol is one great achievement of international relations and humanity as a whole and should be supported and ratified by every country, as well as being updated and upgraded regularly.

Reference:

No name, no date, Climate change, retrieved 15/03/08 http://www.combatclimatechange.ie/index.asp?locID=6&docID=&COMMAND=PRINTER

No name, no date, Kyoto Protocol, retrieved 15/03/08

http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/278.html

No name, no date, Kyoto Protocol on climate change, retrieved 15/03/08

http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l28060.htm

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