Kyoto protocol

**kemist** · 12-13-2011, 10:34 AM

http://www.independent.co.uk/environ...l-6276239.html

Canada abandons Kyoto Protocol

The Environment Minister, Peter Kent, said Canada is invoking the legal right to withdraw and said Kyoto does not represent the way forward for Canada or the world.

Canada, joined by Japan and Russia, said last year it would not accept new Kyoto commitments, but renouncing the accord is another setback to the treaty concluded with much fanfare in 1997 in Japan. No nation has formally renounced the protocol until now.

"The Kyoto Protocol does not cover the world's largest two emitters, United States and China, and therefore cannot work," Mr Kent said. "It's now clear that Kyoto is not the path forward to a global solution to climate change. If anything it's an impediment."

^ ok i can agree with that.

But i wonder if this had more to do with their decision (?):

Mr Harper's government is reluctant to hurt Canada's booming oil sands sector, which is the country's fastest growing source of greenhouse gases and a reason it has reneged on its Kyoto commitments.

**Sirius** · 12-13-2011, 12:44 PM

Undoubtedly the decision has to do with the oil sands sector.

Can you blame them though? If the US and China won't go along with it, why should anybody else?

**Amelia** · 12-13-2011, 02:34 PM

If everybody else littering, why not me too?
Come nah man.

**Sirius** · 12-13-2011, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by Amelia

If everybody else littering, why not me too?
Come nah man.

It's a little bit of a different situation with Kyoto. The Kyoto Protocol asks that countries reduce their emissions by a substantial amount - sufficient to actually create problems in their economies. If the big contributors of greenhouse gases are not doing their part then how can one ask the others to adhere to Kyoto?

This of course is different to not doing anything. Just the matter of adherence to the Kyoto Protocol or not. One can reduce carbon footprint without adhering to Kyoto.