Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[stellara]

did you hear of that?! i just read it in the newspaper, a short notice about the coming G8-convention in scotland.

[asterix]

The USA has always refused to sign the Kyoto agreement. So has Australia.

Between 1990 & 2003
Russia has reduced its emissions by 35% and has beaten its Kyoto target by 35%.
Germany has reduced its emissions by 18.2% but is still 2.8% above its Kyoto target.
UK has reduced emissions by 13% and has beaten its Kyoto target by 0.5%.
France has reduced its emissions by 1.9% and has beaten its Kyoto target by 1.9%.
Japan has increased its emissions by 8.3% and is still 14.3% short of its Kyoto target.
Italy has increased its emissions by 11.5% and is 18% short of its Kyoto target.
USA has increased its emissions by 13% and is 20% short of its Kyoto target.
Canada has increased its emissions by 20%, and is 26% short of its Kyoto target.

Canada which has signed the Kyoto accord is doing worse than the USA, which has not.
Then there is China.

China has 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities, and for 70% of its energy needs it depends on coal.
It is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases.
Currently it has a 23 000 megawatt shortfall in energy production.
Oil use doubled in the last ten years.
China's economy is increasing at a rate of 9% per year.

India's carbon emissions grew by 61% between 1990 and 2001 and are expected to triple by 2020.

So, it's not just the USA that's the problem.

[stellara]

whhoaa..

sorry, asterix, i didn't know that so exactly (i'm not very knowledgeable in foreign politics.. *shame on me* )
i was only very surprised about Bush's statement... i don't like him anyway - but maybe i should read up on other "sinners" ( ) more before judging..

but in my 'naive' opinion i'm apalled about such an attitude - i mean it's our all world and we can't just say "oh, that won't bother me, i'm already dead when this is happening" (sorry, about the exaggeration).
less than ever as the president of the United States!

greets
_________________
Don't cry because it's over - smile because it happened!

MOKEY ROCKS!!!

[asterix]

I prefer politicians who are honest about their intentions rather than politicians who promise to do something and then don't do it.

Canada, where I live, and some of the other nations I mentioned, have promised to do something, but you can see the result above.

I think that the cost to the economies of many countries who try to implement these targets will probably be considered too high, and the Kyoto ideal will quietly fade away.

Considering that 80% of the earth's surface is not inhabited, perhaps we are being arrogant in assuming that this climate change is being caused by man's activities.

[element105]

Which country every year consumes 80 percentage of the world's energy and productions to feeds just 5 percent of the world's population?

[hitman]

OK, now we know that asterix and element have their modern statistics/clich�s. Asterix, if u live in Canada, why do you not consider that Canada only made it's first commitment April 13, 2005, when it launched the first phase of Project Green by releasing an updated plan for a healthy environment and a competitive economy. In North America, Canada is tied with the most strict emissions requirements (tied with the state of California) for automobiles. So Canadians were already doing well.

Environment Canada also says "The Plan provides for Government of Canada investments in the order of $10 billion between now and 2012 to fully realize the anticipated reductions of about 270 megatonnes. It also commits the Government of Canada to annual assessments of climate change initiatives and investments. Funding will be primarily reallocated, as necessary to ensure that measures are effective and cost-efficient, and that only actions resulting in greenhouse gas reductions are being funded. "

"Taken together, the following measures allow Canada to close its greenhouse gas emissions gap by 270 megatonnes by 2012"

I don't know about the other countries, but I am also in Canada. And I've paid special attention to this. Compared to Bush's administration and his saying no to the Kyoto accord, this commitment (which we have to see over the next years) is more than %100 better.

[element105]

[stellara]

wow i started an interesting thread, as it seems..
besides, i don't expect a 'sorry' in an internet-forum

okay, i looked sth up and as i don't want to repeat everything, go on here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_protocol

but i have to quote something very interesting!

from wikipedia:

[Bob S.]

[mkg1211]

people,
asterix is a typical american
i won't be shocked if he sued a poor african woman as she uses wood in making food
because the smoke may affect his health



america is america ,don't expect anything else

[Bob S.]

[element105]

[element105]

HAAAAAA

btw,if global warming is getteing rise to thaw of icebergs over there,I'd at once prepare some houses in tibet,maybe you'd need one

[asterix]

For your information, mkg. I don't live in the USA I live in Canada.

However, if I were a citizen of the USA I would not be ashamed of it.
America is trying to bring a better life to those of you, like mkg, who live in third world dicatatorships.

Naturally, those dictators, like Mubarak, Khomeini, Assad, Saddam, and the leaders of far too many African countries,are not amused.

Getting back to the subject of glabal warming - there have been, in the history of the earth, other periods, long before the industrial revolution,, when the temperature of the earth has risen and periods when it cooled down.
Also there are many natural phenomena contributing to pollution, such as volcanoes, forest fires and so on. How do you calculate the amount of pollution that each produces?
When Krakatoa erupted back in the 1800's there was a period of 3 years of terrible summers and crop failures. That was just one volcano.
So although mankind is adding to the pollution of the earth, we cannot calculate how much, and we have to take into consideration the economic cost to each nation of complying with regulations dreamed up by the same people who get the weather wrong every week.

[element105]

Really?Let's see something together