Kyoto Protocol Essay
The Kyoto protocol is the additional document of the UN’s climate changing convention. 159 states have signed it in Kyoto (Japan), in 1997.
It came into effect in 2005 and was ratified by these countries which give 55% of all worlds’ emission. The countries arranged the necessity of the emission reduction which can lead to the global warming. This document provides that during the period from 2008 till 2012 all carbon dioxide and methane emission must be reduced by 5.2%. Each country gets definite quota for emission. If some country doesn’t use all limits it can sell quota for another country. According to the UN experts’ opinion such mechanism should help the developing countries to receipt additional money for industry development. The Kyoto Protocol has caused a lot of disputes in the scientists’ circles. The main reason of such disputes was the great number of advantages and limitations of this document.
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The most significant disadvantages of the protocol are:
1. The absence of any obligations between the hugest issuers of the greenhouse gases. All the countries which have signed the Kyoto protocol in 2005 emit less than 30% of all emissions. The USA, China and India - three largest producers in the world, haven’t taken any obligations yet. Without them the Kyoto protocol in the existent form can’t seriously influence on ecology.
2. The Kyoto protocol allows transferring unused and unsold quotas to the next periods of the protocol effect. The problem is in the quotes surplus which has formed because of the economic recession. For example, in the former USSR countries the emissions have reduced twice in comparison with 1990. Most of the European countries are against quotes transferring.
The other problem is that the poorest countries which are not guilty in any ecological problems will suffer more than anyone. The conditions of life are bad in these countries and with climate changes they will become terrible. Such countries need a lot of financial and technological support from international organizations to prevent any ecological changes and to adapt to them. But here they face with the problem of decision making. The mechanisms of the associate collaboration and development were exposed to criticism many times because of the excessive bureaucracy and other procedural problems. According to information published by the World Bank from project developing to emission reduction three years pass.
Despite of such limitations the Kyoto protocol has many advantages too. The first and the main of them is the positive effect on the ecological situation on Earth. The scientists agreed that the reduction of the gas emissions has already made an impact on the general ecological situation. The developed countries which produce nearly 3/4 of all emissions were obligated to do everything to lower this volume. At the same time many developing countries have enough time and cost to implement necessary technologies. The adoption of the Kyoto protocol will not only improve the ecological situation on Earth but also speed up the development of the new technological processes. Since its confirmation many huge manufactures have successfully implemented...
