The Kyoto Protocol and climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Kyoto protocol and climate change - Essay ExampleGlobal warm up and Political climate Global warming is a phenomenon that occurs as a result of greenhouse gases (GHGs) averting thermal radiations from being reflected back to the space. (Wang and Wiser 2002). Coppock (1998, p.2) defines it as the increase in average orbicular temperatures as a result of pumping CO2 into the atmosphere thus changing its temperature levels which in turn affect the water bodies such(prenominal) as oceans and seas leading to alteration of the Earths hydrologic cycle. The global warming not only creates fear to the planets residents because of rising global temperatures, (currently preceding(prenominal) 1 C higher than 5 centuries ago) but also an increase in intensity of hydrologic cycles. This causes storms which are responsible to flooding that leads to destruction of farmlands, life and situation (Painuly and Rowlands 2001). Generally global warming has more immediate consequences such as flo ods, rising global temperatures and far-reaching environmental, economic and social impact that does not chose whether one rural area is the main producer of emissions or not (Carr and Thomas 1998). The ecosystem, a natural sink( the uptake of greenhouse gas by forests, soil etc) is of paramount importance as the changes in climates may cause organisms of fresh water and wetlands to face new conditions due to higher temperatures and altered precipitation thus may have perplexity producing enough organic sediments and root material that enable them to adjust. Contentious issues According to Schiermeir (2012 p.3), for the planet Earth to get rid of dangerous climate change, countries should limit global emissions to less than 2 C above preindustrial levels, the EUs threshold likely to prevent dangerous climate change. Further, he assert that to contain a... The Kyoto Protocol is seen by some researchers as a remarkable achievement in international affairs. The first it has put the w orld on the right path by bringing in the issues of climate change to the table so as the nations can chose to join the work force to regulate the emissions. The second it will vanish a valuable legacy since it developed methodologies for reporting and verifying national greenhouse-gas emissions and land-use changes that will act as guide for future climate treaty as with any agreement containing specific quantified and legally binding commitments, issues of monitoring and compliance are central. Third, it has come with a way of trading carbon emissions through the EUs Emission Trading Scheme among countries that face limits. Also through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) transactions, an establishment of market incentives is proposed for rich countries to get assign towards achieving their emissions targets by making cost-effective emissions cuts in poor. The CDM despite critics that it is plagued by bureaucracy, had an arms length investment worth almost U$100 one thousand thousand supporting some 5000 CDM projects whose services range from provision of solar cookers to rural people, e.g. in China to supporting clean energy production projects such the 100-megawatt whirl firm in Mexico.