Transcript global warming kyoto and beyond

HWK
Exam practice:
Explain why the impact of future climate change
is likely to be more severe in developing countries
than in the UK.
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The Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol
• Created in Kyoto in 1997 It aimed to reduce
the emission of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases to below 1990 levels by the
year 2012.
• The Protocol came in to effect and became a
Treaty in February 2005 when countries
accounting for 55% of greenhouse gas
emissions in the world signed up to the
Protocol.
Countries Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol
Participation in the Kyoto Protocol, as of June 2009,
Green = Countries that have signed and ratified the treaty
Grey = Countries that have not yet decided
Red = No intention to ratify at this stage.
Carbon Credits
The Kyoto Protocol is based
on a carbon trading scheme
As each country produces
CO2, it must be able to
contain/absorb that CO2 by
planting trees or other
processes that can absorb it
OR…
It can reduce the CO2 it
produces in the first place
“Carbon Credits” scheme
If a country produces more CO2 than it can absorb,
it has to buy “carbon credits” from another country
that has earned carbon by cutting its own levels.
The money made by selling carbon is used to give
grants to carbon saving schemes, e.g. promoting wind
power, “fuel switching”
The Kyoto Protocol-An update
The first phase of Kyoto expired in 2012. It had some
success but also some issues. Some countries' emissions
increased since they signed the Kyoto Protocol.
Many other countries (such as most European countries, the
UK and Scotland) have however succeeded in reducing their
emissions.
Most agree that too little has been done to stop climate
change and that Kyoto targets weren’t harsh enough. It is
believed that emissions will need to be cut by at least 80%
to prevent the climate from becoming dangerously unstable.
A new Kyoto Protocol?
Copenhagen Summit / Copenhagen Accord
The Conference of the Parties to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) took place in Copenhagen in December
2009. This was the largest climate change
gathering ever to take place with the aim to
negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.
No new Kyoto Protocol was agreed at Copenhagen.
Why aren’t we tackling climate change?
Name three advantages of using trees to tackle global
warming.
Name two types of renewable energy.
Name one reason against the use of nuclear power to
tackle global warming.
More Economically
Developed Country.
Less Economically
Developed Country.
(M.E.D.C.)
(L.E.D.C.)
Governments are only
elected for five years,
therefore they can only
think short-term. It would
be political suicide to make
harsh decisions now that
would upset the electorate.
Hypocrites! They tell us
We want the same quality
to conserve our forests,
of life such as MEDC’s why The MEDC’s have caused
but what did they do to
should we sacrifice our
this problem. It is their
theirs? We need to
economic development and industry that has produced
develop this natural
keep our people in poverty.
all the pollution.
resource to improve our
quality of life.
We are deep in debt to
There is no solid evidence
LEDC’s are the ones
How can we justify
Adapting industry,
MEDC countries; they
for global warming. The
producing too much
spending money on the
vehicles, homes will be
should provide us with
earth has naturally cooled
pollution with all their
environment, when huge
expensive for all
more money to tackle the
and warmed throughout its outdated technology, they sections of our population
parties. This will not be
problems of global
history.
should update!
live in poverty?
popular.
warming.
Global warming knows no
Rising fuel prices will be
MEDC have a moral
Trans-national energy We are newly industrialising national boundaries. There
highly unpopular, and
responsibility to help us
companies such as Esso countries, why should we
is no point in the EU
could result in civil
combat and prepare for the
have huge political power,
limit our industrial
working towards reducing
unrest. Industry will be
impact of global warming,
they backed Bush to the
development.
its carbon dioxide
hit, as will the less able
they have sustained their
Whitehouse and then he MEDC’s have become rich emissions agreed through
and affluent members
quality of life through
decided to pull out of the
from exploiting their
the Kyoto protocol if the
of our society such as
exploiting our natural
Kyoto protocol!
environment.
USA the biggest polluter
the elderly or the
resources and people.
continues to pollute.
disabled.
We would have the money We rely on Multinationals Renewable energies
We are a rich country we
With so many countries in
to tackle global warming
such as Esso and BP to are not cost effective or
will be able to protect
the world, any type of
and raise our quality of life
extract our natural
advanced yet to provide
ourselves from the impact
agreement is difficult.
if only MEDC’s would trade resources and provide jobs
for all our energy
of global warming.
fairly with us.
and income for a country.
needs.
Putting taxes on industries Even when countries do
What right do MEDC
that produce Carbon
come to agreement, they Even if countries agree
There are much more
countries have to tell us
dioxide would be
cheat! All countries have
to tackle Global
important areas to spend
how to run our industry and unpopular. Companies carbon dioxide quotas, but Warming, it does not
money on now. The war on
look after our environment? could leave the country MEDC’s purchase carbon
mean that they are
Terrorism is the biggest
This just smells of good old resulting in job loss. The dioxide quotas off LEDC’s actually going to meet
threat to global security.
colonialism.
price of goods may also
and continue to produce
their targets.
increase for consumers.
more!
MEDC’s sold us the
technology for our power
stations and industry and
now they want us to spend
more money updating, this
is not fair.
1. Why might LEDCs like India not want to sign up to
agreements to reduce their CO2 emissions?
2. Why might MEDCs not want to sign agreements to
limit their CO2 emissions?
3. Which country do you agree with more? Why?
Countries according to Greenhouse emissions.