Kyoto Pact Finally Takes Effect

[HoboFactory]

MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill confirming Russia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, clearing the way for the global climate pact to take force early next year, the Kremlin said Friday.

 

Both houses of parliament last month ratified the protocol, which aims to stem global warming by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

 

Putin signed the bill on Thursday, the Kremlin said.

 

Without Russia's support, the pact -- which has been rejected by the United States and Australia -- could not have come into effect.

 

It needed endorsement by 55 industrialized nations accounting for at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 1990.

 

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It's good that this progress has been made, but a shame that USA wants no part in it, because/despite of being the world's largest producer of the greenhouse gases.

[therethere]

oh, finally, after 8 years, it goes into effect. this is good news. too bad for the Americans and Bush's belief that greenhouse gases don't exist...

Edited November 6, 2004 by therethere

[Lauren]

high fives for the environment!

i think i may pay someone to off bush. hes making everything harder for everyone thats not a hyper-religious middle to upper class american.

[mg_forlife]

Huzzah!

I think Kerry was very pro environment, he probably would have signed on. However it didn't seem to be much of a campaign issue.

[Moonlight_Graham]

I watched a TV program with David Suzuki about kyoto. The sad thing is that he said Kyoto would only be a very, very small scratch into getting us to reverse the damage on the environment.

 

If its so difficult to get countries to even agree to Kyoto, how in the heck are we supposed to actually get countries to make major changes to help save the environment? Are we all doomed?

[HoboFactory]

...he said Kyoto would only be a very, very small scratch into getting us to reverse the damage on the environment.

 

....

That part is true, the article above goes into a bit of detail as exactly how much it can do.

 

An excerpt on America's issue with greenhouse gas production: Source:State Environmental Resource Center

 

With only 4% of the world’s population, the United States produces almost a quarter of all greenhouse gases.(1) According to the U.S. Department of Energy, despite ongoing voluntary reduction programs, U.S. emissions increased more than 10% since 1990 and, at the present rate, U.S. carbon emissions are projected to increase by more than 40% in the next 20 years.(2)(3) Although the Bush administration has acknowledged that global warming is a serious problem, it has strongly opposed any international or domestic mandatory actions to reduce emissions, and has even opposed the mandatory reporting of emissions from large sources. Instead, the administration favors long-term scientific and technological research that gives the appearance of action while ignoring the emission reductions that can be achieved using existing technology.

 

[Tati]

We're not much better here in Canada. We wrestled them into counting our 'carbon sink' the forests so that we can produce more gasses. The Kyoto Protocal is a great step in the right direction but they had to make so many concessions that in my mind it's a bit of a joke.

I am still proud that we joined but we can't let the gov get lazy on this.