Identify an existing problem that is being caused by climate change in the world today and explain how that problem can be addressed.
The rise in sea level has become one of the major environmental concerns since the 20th century. Coastal areas around the world are being threatened by the rising sea level and the entire surface of the Earth will be affected in the long run. According to Church et al (2001), the thermal expansion of sea water and the melting of Earth’s ice caps are found to be the major contributors to the change sea level (Church et al, 2001). Through satellite observations, Juniper (2007) found that the extent of sea ice has an average decrease of 2.7% per decade since 1978 while more than 7% of summer melting has been recorded (Juniper, 2007). These signs of changes are indeed sharing a common factor, which is the climate change resulting from the enhanced greenhouse effect. To address the problem of rising sea level, the Kyoto Protocol, which has become an initiative to counteract the impact of enhanced greenhouse effect, needs full recognition and cooperation by all nations.
The idea of building seawalls to prevent seawater from flooding the coastal areas may sound attractive, but it only offers a short-term solution to the problem. Besides, this idea is impractical to be implemented due to the large coastal area that needs to be protected. In contrast, actions have to be taken straight to the source of global warming, in which what the Kyoto Protocol have done. The Kyoto Protocol, being a notable cross-national effort, has been set up to cut down the emission of greenhouse gases. According to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (1998), the six targeted greenhouse gases are identified to be carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), herfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) (UNFCCC, 1998).
The Kyoto Protocol is a 1997 international treaty based on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which has the objective of "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system" (UNFCCC, 1992). As of November 2007, 174 countries had signed and ratified the protocol (“List of Kyoto Protocol signatories”, 2008). Henson (2006) noted that the Kyoto Protocol is a political approach to require the participating nations to cut their emissions of six greenhouse gases stated above to meet the emissions target based on the 1990 values, in the “commitment period” from 2008 to 2012 (Henson, 2006).
In response to the protocol, different mechanisms are being practiced by the participating countries. Henson (2006) and “Emissions trading” (2008) pointed out carbon trading (or emission trading) is one of the mechanisms that work along with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) projects to control greenhouse emissions (Henson, 2006) (“Emissions trading”, 2008). It is implemented actively in the European Union and has become one of the major components in the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) that supports Kyoto Protocol (“Emissions trading”, 2008). Under this scheme, all corporations are given a cap or quota for emission of greenhouse gas that will be lowered over time. If a corporation has excess allowance of emission, the allowance can be either sold to other corporations that exceed the emission limit, or donated to nonprofit organizations to gain other benefits, such as tax reduction.
Although some countries never ratify the Kyoto Protocol up to today, the protocol, indirectly, has created strong influence about climate issues to these countries. The United States, which contributes about a quarter of greenhouse emissions to the world according to Juniper (2007), has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol until today, despite the strong support from countries around the world. Juniper also discovered that the incentives of carbon trading, as well as the shift of public opinions in climate change have sparked commercial interests that eventually lead the government to adapt practices to control the greenhouse emissions (Juniper, 2007).
From what we have seen, we can draw conclusion that the Kyoto Protocol is in fact a successful treaty that unites the world in order to overcome the problem of rising sea level. Although it is too early for the results of Kyoto Protocool to be evaluated, we should indeed recognize and appreciate this multinational effort for the sake our future generation.
The rise in sea level has become one of the major environmental concerns since the 20th century. Coastal areas around the world are being threatened by the rising sea level and the entire surface of the Earth will be affected in the long run. According to Church et al (2001), the thermal expansion of sea water and the melting of Earth’s ice caps are found to be the major contributors to the change sea level (Church et al, 2001). Through satellite observations, Juniper (2007) found that the extent of sea ice has an average decrease of 2.7% per decade since 1978 while more than 7% of summer melting has been recorded (Juniper, 2007). These signs of changes are indeed sharing a common factor, which is the climate change resulting from the enhanced greenhouse effect. To address the problem of rising sea level, the Kyoto Protocol, which has become an initiative to counteract the impact of enhanced greenhouse effect, needs full recognition and cooperation by all nations.
The idea of building seawalls to prevent seawater from flooding the coastal areas may sound attractive, but it only offers a short-term solution to the problem. Besides, this idea is impractical to be implemented due to the large coastal area that needs to be protected. In contrast, actions have to be taken straight to the source of global warming, in which what the Kyoto Protocol have done. The Kyoto Protocol, being a notable cross-national effort, has been set up to cut down the emission of greenhouse gases. According to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (1998), the six targeted greenhouse gases are identified to be carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), herfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) (UNFCCC, 1998).
The Kyoto Protocol is a 1997 international treaty based on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which has the objective of "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system" (UNFCCC, 1992). As of November 2007, 174 countries had signed and ratified the protocol (“List of Kyoto Protocol signatories”, 2008). Henson (2006) noted that the Kyoto Protocol is a political approach to require the participating nations to cut their emissions of six greenhouse gases stated above to meet the emissions target based on the 1990 values, in the “commitment period” from 2008 to 2012 (Henson, 2006).
In response to the protocol, different mechanisms are being practiced by the participating countries. Henson (2006) and “Emissions trading” (2008) pointed out carbon trading (or emission trading) is one of the mechanisms that work along with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) projects to control greenhouse emissions (Henson, 2006) (“Emissions trading”, 2008). It is implemented actively in the European Union and has become one of the major components in the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) that supports Kyoto Protocol (“Emissions trading”, 2008). Under this scheme, all corporations are given a cap or quota for emission of greenhouse gas that will be lowered over time. If a corporation has excess allowance of emission, the allowance can be either sold to other corporations that exceed the emission limit, or donated to nonprofit organizations to gain other benefits, such as tax reduction.
Although some countries never ratify the Kyoto Protocol up to today, the protocol, indirectly, has created strong influence about climate issues to these countries. The United States, which contributes about a quarter of greenhouse emissions to the world according to Juniper (2007), has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol until today, despite the strong support from countries around the world. Juniper also discovered that the incentives of carbon trading, as well as the shift of public opinions in climate change have sparked commercial interests that eventually lead the government to adapt practices to control the greenhouse emissions (Juniper, 2007).
From what we have seen, we can draw conclusion that the Kyoto Protocol is in fact a successful treaty that unites the world in order to overcome the problem of rising sea level. Although it is too early for the results of Kyoto Protocool to be evaluated, we should indeed recognize and appreciate this multinational effort for the sake our future generation.
