| Traces history of issues of Greenhouse effect and | | | | nations needed to take action to negate the effects of |
| Global warming | | | | global warming. Kyoto Protocol, an international |
| There is one subject that is certain to raise a | | | | agreement to fight global warming, was born in 1997. |
| passionate argument in a party these days and that is | | | | This protocol called for countries to reduce their |
| Global Warming. Everybody has an opinion about it. | | | | emission of greenhouse gases. After eight years of |
| And why not? After all if the international action plans | | | | hard bargaining, and acrimonious debates Kyoto treaty |
| for reduction of carbon emissions have to succeed, | | | | was finally ratified by 141 countries. Noteworthy among |
| every individual needs to be involved and committed to | | | | the countries that did not ratify it were the USA and |
| it! | | | | Australia both the largest producers of greenhouse |
| It is generally believed that the earth was covered with | | | | gases. |
| ice about 15000 years ago. About 7000 years ago the | | | | The treaty aims to limit and cut back emission of |
| earth began to warm up and the ice age came to an | | | | greenhouse gases to control global warming. It sets |
| end. Then again from the 14th century to the 19th | | | | limits for emission from 35 developed countries; |
| century large parts of the earth experienced harsh, | | | | developing countries are exempted from emission |
| cold conditions. This period was known as the little ice | | | | limits to allow them time to catch up. Under the treaty, |
| age. In 1824 Fourier proposed the theory that solar | | | | various countries have committed to reduce the |
| radiations are trapped by the atmosphere and | | | | emissions to below their 1990 levels by 2012. |
| reflected back to the earth causing the earth to warm | | | | Most of the countries are struggling to limit the |
| up and that the earth was slowly getting warm. | | | | greenhouse emissions to the levels they had |
| Arrhenius termed it the greenhouse effect in the late | | | | committed to; many are finding it quite tough when it |
| 19th century. In the 1950s, Callendar supported the | | | | comes to pushing for action while balancing domestic |
| theory of the greenhouse effect. | | | | political pressures and pressure from oil & gas industry. |
| From late 20th century there was a much greater | | | | It is, however, heartening to note that there are already |
| attention being paid to environmental issues and | | | | significant success stories coming up where individual |
| serious scientific activities started for devising ways to | | | | companies have shown the leadership and achieved |
| measure global temperatures and to devise better | | | | remarkable success in attaining, and in some cases |
| mathematical models to analyze earths climate. By the | | | | over attaining, their targets of reduction of carbon |
| end of the 20th century there was a large body of | | | | emission. In USA public opinion is seen to be far more |
| scientific opinion that believed that increased carbon | | | | decisive and assertive than the Federal government |
| dioxide emissions, caused by ever increasing use of | | | | and many states are going ahead enacting legislations |
| fossil fuels, were responsible for global warming. In | | | | to limit carbon emission while federal government |
| 1994, the United Nations Panel on Climate Change | | | | twiddles thumbs. |
| asserted that global warming was still a threat and | | | | |