CONVENTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

CONVENTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE KYOTO PROTOCOL OF 1997 By: Brock Johnson

CLIMATE CONTROL AND KYOTO PROTOCOL • International law • Draft Year: Decmeber, 1997 • Amendment years: Opened for signature on March 16, 1998, and closed a year later in 1998.

THE ISSUE. . . • The earth has experienced an increase in temperatures around the world. • The increase in temperature is caused by the excessive release of greenhouse gasses such as: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs and PFCs. These burn holes in the ozone and allow intense sun rays to leak into earths atmosphere and increase the temperature. • When the UV rays from the sun increase the temperature, habitats are thrown out of wack. ex. ) Polar ice caps melt, leaving animals that live in colder climates susceptable to habitat loss or decrease in food sources.

WHAT IS THE KYOTO PROTOCOL? • The Kyoto Protocol sets specific emission reduction targets for each industrialized nation, but excludes developing countries. • To meet their targets, nations can use these tactics: -place restrictions on their biggest polluters -manage transportation to slow or reduce emissions from automobiles -make better use of renewable energy sources like solar power, wind power, or biodiesel and not fossil fuels

AGENCY/GROUP RESPONSIBLE? • The UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) is responsible for initiating this project.

REGIONS INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT Parties; Annex I & II countries with binding targets Parties; Developing countries without binding targets* States not Party to the Protocol Signatory country with no intention to ratify the treaty, with no binding targets Countries that have renounced the Protocol, with no binding targets Parties with no binding targets in the second period, which previously had targets

SOURCES • http: //environment. about. com/od/kyotoprotocol/i/kyotoprotocol. htm • http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol