Kyoto Protocol essays

Kyoto Protocol essays There is a consensus among the scientific community that increases in greenhouse gas emissions will affect climate. Considerable uncertainty, however, exists with regard to the magnitude of the effect, its timing, and its regional pattern. In addition, there is great uncertainty about changes in climate variability and regional impacts (Ha-Duong et al.,). In order to understand the underlying principles of potential climatic change, we must discuss what the greenhouse effect is, the nature of the gases to be controlled, and the effects this will have on the climate, if the controls are implemented. We will also look at human activities that may contribute to increased atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and their effects on climate change. Then, we will look at the impacts that global warming may have on Earths climate and consider possible immediate and long-term solutions. Finally, international cooperation for the control of greenhouse gas emissions will be addressed, wit h particular attention given to the most recent convention, the Kyoto Protocol. The greenhouse effect is the natural phenomenon that contributes to the Earths annual temperature having a global mean value of approximately 15C (Botkin et al., 1995). Without any greenhouse effect, the Earth would be 33C cooler than it is now (Minister of the Environment, 1994). The process involves incoming solar radiation from the sun that warms the Earth. Little of this solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, as the greenhouse gases allow most sunlight to pass. The heated Earth emits longwave radiation back to the atmosphere, in which the greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapour, are absorbed. These gases act like a blanket for the Earth, trapping more heat than light (Botkin et al., 1995). Does this mean that the measurably increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere over the last century will cause...