December 5, 2007

New ideas on climate change

Nations plan next steps to end global warming

By Claudia Atticot

On December 3, more than 10,000 scientists, environmental activists and government officials from 187 countries met in Bali, Indonesia, to kick off the United Nations Climate Change Conference. It's the largest global warming conference ever held.

ABROR RIZKI—AFP/GETTY IMAGES Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (second from right) and the First Lady Kristiani, speak with members of “Bike For Earth Goes to Bali”, a group of 100 cyclists that rode from Jakarta to Bali, to show how cycling can help climate change.

Making a Change

One of the main goals of the two-week meeting is to develop a replacement for the international treaty called the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto agreement, which has been signed by 174 countries, called for limits on the release, or emission, of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane that scientists say are responsible for global warming.

The United Nations hopes this conference will lead to an even stronger global commitment as early as 2009. "We cannot wait," says Rizaldi Boer, an Indonesian climatologist. "We need to do something now." Many experts fear that a warmer planet could lead to increased flooding, droughts and major natural disasters as well as the extinction of thousands of animal and plant species.

The Challenge of Getting Everyone Onboard

Under the Kyoto Protocol, nations were legally bound to reduce greenhouse gases, but since the treaty was signed in 2005, carbon emissions have continued to increase worldwide. Of the largest greenhouse gas emitters, only Russia and Japan have agreed to follow the rules of the Kyoto Protocol. Poorer developing countries like China and India--which are second and sixth on the list of emitters-- are excused from making cuts in greenhouse emissions. At least for now.

The United States signed the treaty in 1997, but has not yet agreed to follow the strict rules, which requires that greenhouse gas emissions be reduced by almost 10% by 2012. U.S. officials are opposed to these required, or mandatory, cuts in emissions. They worry that cutting emissions that much would be too costly and would hurt the U.S. economy. But they also realize that some action must be taken. "We're not here to be a roadblock," said Harlan L. Watson, a top U.S. climate official. "We're committed to a successful conclusion, and we're going to work very constructively to make that happen."

Working Toward the Future

Even if greenhouse gases are reduced, scientists say that it will take decades or longer to stop the global warming that is already underway. To help poor countries deal with rising temperatures and climate changes, the UN has developed The "Adaptation Fund." The Fund would help nations improve farming techniques and water systems and also provide them with emergency aid when natural disasters struck. The World Bank estimates that this assistance would cost tens of billions of dollars a year. So far, the "Adaptation Fund" has only raised $67 million.

"The money should come from the countries most responsible and most capable," said Kate Raworth, a senior research official from the Oxfam International aid group. She listed the U.S. European Union, Japan, Australia and Canada.

This year, dozens of climate conferences have been held around the world in an effort to address the problem of global warming. In October, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and to former vice president of the United States, Al Gore, for their work in spreading the message of climate change and global warming.

The Prize committee called Gore, "the single individual who has done most to create a greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted."

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