Page 529 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

In June 2013 President Obama gave a speech at George- 20
town University announcing that, because of legislative grid-
lock, he would take steps to address climate change using his 10 4.9
executive authority. His “climate action plan” urged the EPA
to speed its regulation of new power plants and to begin regu- 0
lating existing power plants. It also aimed to jumpstart renew- -8.9
able energy development, modernize the electric grid, finance -10
clean coal and carbon storage efforts, improve automotive fuel Change from 1990 level (%) Non-Soviet-Bloc nations
economy, protect and restore forests, and encourage energy -20 All nations
efficiency. At the same time, the president’s plan sought to Former Soviet-Bloc nations
prepare the nation to adapt to the impacts of climate change, -30
and to better engage with other countries to address green-
house gas emissions. -40
-39.2
–50
The Kyoto Protocol sought to limit 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010
emissions Year
(a) Emissions through time since the Kyoto Protocol
Climate change is a global problem, so global coopera-
tion is needed to forge effective solutions. This is why the
world’s policymakers have tried to tackle climate change Australia
with international treaties. In 1992 at the U.N. Conference Canada
on Environment and Development Earth Summit in Río de United States
Janeiro, Brazil, most of the world’s nations signed the United Japan
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC).
This agreement outlined a plan for reducing greenhouse gas Italy
emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000 through a voluntary, France
nation-by-nation approach. European Union
Emissions kept rising, however, so nations came together United Kingdom
to forge a binding treaty to require emissions reductions. An
outgrowth of the FCCC drafted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, the Germany
Kyoto Protocol mandated signatory nations, by the period Russia
2008–2012, to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases to -40 -20 0 20 40
levels below those of 1990. The treaty took effect in 2005 after Percent change in greenhouse
Russia became the 127th nation to ratify it. gas emissions, 1990–2010
The United States was the only developed nation not
to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. U.S. leaders who opposed the (b) Changes in emissions since the Kyoto Protocol
treaty called it unfair because it required industrialized nations Figure 18.28 The Kyoto Protocol has produced mixed
to reduce emissions but did not require the same of rapidly results. Nations ratifying it decreased their emissions of six green-
industrializing nations such as China and India, whose green- house gases by 8.9% by 2010 (a), but this was largely due to unre-
house emissions were rising quickly. Proponents of the Kyoto lated economic contraction in the former Soviet-Bloc countries. A
Protocol countered that the differential requirements were jus- selection of major nations (b) shows varied outcomes in reducing
tified because industrialized nations created the current prob- emissions. The United States did not ratify the Protocol, Australia joined it late,
lem and therefore should take the lead in resolving it. and Canada left early. Values do not include influences of land use and forest
Because the United States was emitting fully one-fifth of cover. Data from U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2013.
the world’s greenhouse gases, its refusal to join international
efforts to curb greenhouse emissions generated widespread increase in emissions. Nations not parties to the accord,
resentment and undercut the effectiveness of global efforts. including China, India, and the United States, increased their
At a 2007 conference in Bali, Indonesia, where 190 nations emissions still more.
strove to design a road map for future progress, the delegate
from Papua New Guinea drew thunderous applause when he
requested of the U.S. delegation, “If for some reason you are International climate negotiations seek
not willing to lead . . . please get out of the way.” a way forward
As of 2010 (the most recent year with full international
data), nations that signed the Kyoto Protocol had decreased In recent years, representatives of the world’s nations have
their emissions by 8.9% from 1990 levels (Figure 18.28). met at a series of international conferences, trying to design
However, much of this reduction was due to economic con- a treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. At their 2009 meeting
traction in Russia and nations of the former Soviet Bloc fol- in Copenhagen, Denmark, these climate negotiators failed to
lowing the breakup of the Soviet Union. When these nations reach consensus (Figure 18.29). China promised steep emis-
528 are factored out, the remaining signatories showed a 4.9% sions cuts but would not allow international monitoring to

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