wave energy: a green and sustainable energy resource
President Bush's recent statements make it clear that the US Administration has no intention of joining the rest of the world's nations in trying to address the enormous threat posed by climate change . It is outrageous that the President of the world's largest and most wasteful polluter (5% of the worlds population emitting 25% of the world's carbon dioxide) should make what amounts to a full frontal assault on global efforts to prevent dangerous climate change.
The Kyoto protocol is designed so that it does not need the USA to sign in order to come into force and there is no alternative but for the international community to ratify the Kyoto Protocol without them. The EU and Japan particularly must show great leadership in resisting the USA at this crucial time.
Urgent diplomatic efforts are needed now by the EU, Japan, Russia, India, China and developing countries in general to ensure that the USA cannot and does not wreck the resumed Climate Negotiations in Bonn in July. The EU and these countries must signal to the White House that this would be totally unacceptable.
The fallacious arguments used by Bush to refute action on climate change echo those made by companies like Exxon, Texaco and other fossil fuel companies for many years and point to the influence those companies have within the Bush administration.
- Kyoto would cause 'serious harm to the US economy'
Many domestic US studies have shown that US emissions can be reduced with a real benefit to the US economy and at the same time reduce the US' dependence foreign energy sources. It is true that dirty coal fired power stations would be affected and it appears to be true that Mr. Bush has acted to support these industries ahead of the common good of all. - There is an "incomplete state of scientific knowledge of the causes of, and solutions to, global climate change..."
A recent report from the world's top scientists found that "There is new and stronger evidence that most of the observed warming over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities" and that "Thus, from the collective evidence there is high confidence that recent regional changes in temperature have had discernible impacts on many physical and biological systems". - It is unfair for the USA to take action when India and China do not.
It has been internationally agreed, including by the USA, that it is only right and fair that developed countries such as the USA should take action first to reduce emissions. The USA accounts for the largest single share of global greenhouse gas emissions - about 25% of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. India and China on the other hand account for about 6% and 12% respectively.
There are mechanisms within the Kyoto treaty to facilitate the transfer of clean technology to the developing world so that these nations can improve their standard of living and grow their economies without travelling along the the same polluting road that the industrialised world has trodden.
