Hope of a Kyoto revival

[MarkuisMellvile]

Source: BBC News.

Russia cabinet backs Kyoto treaty

Putin backs Kyoto - but his top economic aide opposes it.

The Russian government has approved the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and sent it to parliament for ratification, Russian news agencies report.
Until now, Moscow has wavered over the treaty, which can only go into force with Russian ratification.

The Kyoto Protocol cuts the emission of greenhouse gases, which many scientists believe causes global warming and climate change.

President Vladimir Putin earlier made his support for Kyoto known.

But Mr Putin's chief economic adviser, Andrei Illarionov, said the treaty would stifle economic growth.

Environmentalists are expected to greet the news with relief.

The necessary law on ratification is set to pass through the Russian parliament unhindered and, in theory, the treaty could come into force within three months.

Since the US, the world's biggest polluter, pulled out three years ago, the treaty has been dependent on Russian ratification.

Political gains

President Putin ended the confusion over Russia's stance in May, when he spoke of his desire to see the treaty ratified.

A number of government ministries were told earlier this month to approve and prepare for ratification.

But some top Kremlin economists have questioned how Russia could reduce greenhouse gas emissions when it is enjoying an industrial revival and has set itself the target of doubling GDP within a decade.

This week top Russian scientists advised against ratification, claiming there was no evidence linking greenhouse gas emissions to climate change.

But the deciding factor appears to be not the economic cost, but the political benefits for Russia.

In particular, there has been talk of stronger European Union support for Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization, in response to its ratification of the treaty.


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But will the US be content to watch Kyoto succeed while they remain outside the fold of progressive environmentalism? Of course they will.

The US is big enough to not have to care about interacting with any other country, other than wanting to make as much money as possible out of trading with them!

Oh for a US president with more foresight than the next ballot box, or balance sheet of her/his sponsors.

[rizzo]

I'm hoping that the international community can now pressurise the US to come on board with Kyoto.

Am I right in thinking that their main objection is that countries like China and India are exempt?

If this is so is there no room for including China and India in the protocol further down the road?

[Micron]

Putin wants to soften Europe before he begins major assault in Chechnya.

Two reasons why Kyoto treaty won't work in Russia:

First, Russia is too poor to afford implementing Kyoto treaty.

Secondly, corruption and almost total absence of law and order make Kyoto treaty in Russia unenforceable and therefore meaningless.

[MarkuisMellvile]

Originally Posted by Micron

Putin wants to soften Europe before he begins major assault in Chechnya.

Two reasons why Kyoto treaty won't work in Russia:

First, Russia is too poor to afford implementing Kyoto treaty.

Secondly, corruption and almost total absence of law and order make Kyoto treaty in Russia unenforceable and therefore meaningless.

and elsewhere

Originally Posted by Micron

Reads like a school essay.

At least my contribution on Islam was gramatically accurate.

Since when did

First, Russia is too poor to afford implementing Kyoto treaty.

become a proper sentence?

Russia's main motivation for ratifying Kyoto, is to be granted admission to the WTO.

Russia may well have trouble fulfilling its obligations under Kyoto, but their ratification of it means that the obligations and commitments by the other signatories will be acted on. Without Russia or the US no action would have come from the months of negotiation.

Kyoto is a very small first step, but it is progress. The international community needs to kick-start the transfer of power from fossil-fuel lovers to the many sustaible energy technologists.

[Micron]

Originally Posted by MarkuisMellvile

At least my contribution on Islam was gramatically accurate.

Was it?
<"gramatically" or grammatically"?>

[reality]

So one more country got it wrong!

Will Russia do this time as they so often have in the past - sign any treaty put in front of them and then violate it at their leisure. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. The Kyoto Protocol will be only as effective as is the compliance of all the signatories. The USA did NOT sign because we consider a treaty as a serious matter, not as another opportunity for duplicity, as so many "Old Europe" countries typically do!

We wait to see whether the signatory nations comply when they realize the full implications of this treaty!