The warning bells had been ringing for a long time about the dangers of global warming. Detailed documentation compiled by NRDC showed that since 1990 there had been more severe droughts in different parts of USA; more intense rainstorms, more devastating wildfires because of the dry conditions, more powerful and dangerous hurricanes due to warmer ocean waters. Similar data had been appearing in other place too. No matter USA still decided to pull out of Kyoto! And it is no wonder when you read the revelations brought out by Andrew Revkin (in the New York Times of June 8, 2005, ) of how a senior Bush aide had been doctoring scientific reports and other documents regarding link between greenhouse gas and global warming to cast veiled doubts about the scientific data (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0608-05.htm).
Kyoto Treaty took a long time to come into effect. But what a nation can achieve cannot be more than what its citizens can achieve – individually or collectively. Any war on global warming has to be fought at the level of people using energy and the state has to educate, facilitate and support them.
Just as the world has to live with the detrimental effects of excessive carbon emission as a harsh reality, it also has to accept the dependence of the modern society on use of energy in every sphere of life. Obviously answers to this dilemma lie in avoiding energy wastage, increasing energy efficiency, conserving energy and finally finding alternative sources of “clean” energy – sources which are environmental friendly and safe.
All the developed countries, and many developing countries, are engaged in finding ways in which they can canalize the efforts of the individuals, industries and the scientific community to serve that one goal - saving this planet from disaster.
No two countries have identical conditions environmentally, geographically or in social preferences and practices. For instance, UK is a small country geographically as compared to USA or Canada. In UK, therefore, people do not commute long distances to-and-from their work; this is not the case in USA. Obviously the amount of fuel consumed by one in UK for commuting to work will be far less than what an average American may spend. Also the price of fuel is much lower in USA as compared to UK; avoidable excessive consumption of fuel for cars, therefore, is far greater in USA than in UK. Geographical and climatic conditions of some countries may suit the alternative sources of energy such as wind energy or solar energy better than the others. Colder countries use heating within buildings, warmer countries will have greater need of air-conditioning for cooling.
But each country is adapting its plans and policies for limiting and reducing carbon emission taking their own ground realities into account. The next post will look into these issues.
Just as the world has to live with the detrimental effects of excessive carbon emission as a harsh reality, it also has to accept the dependence of the modern society on use of energy in every sphere of life. Obviously answers to this dilemma lie in avoiding energy wastage, increasing energy efficiency, conserving energy and finally finding alternative sources of “clean” energy – sources which are environmental friendly and safe.
All the developed countries, and many developing countries, are engaged in finding ways in which they can canalize the efforts of the individuals, industries and the scientific community to serve that one goal - saving this planet from disaster.
No two countries have identical conditions environmentally, geographically or in social preferences and practices. For instance, UK is a small country geographically as compared to USA or Canada. In UK, therefore, people do not commute long distances to-and-from their work; this is not the case in USA. Obviously the amount of fuel consumed by one in UK for commuting to work will be far less than what an average American may spend. Also the price of fuel is much lower in USA as compared to UK; avoidable excessive consumption of fuel for cars, therefore, is far greater in USA than in UK. Geographical and climatic conditions of some countries may suit the alternative sources of energy such as wind energy or solar energy better than the others. Colder countries use heating within buildings, warmer countries will have greater need of air-conditioning for cooling.
But each country is adapting its plans and policies for limiting and reducing carbon emission taking their own ground realities into account. The next post will look into these issues.
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