In recent years, the issue of climate change - and what we can do to prevent further changes to the planet's natural eco-systems - has taken centre stage on the world political agenda. There's been plenty of talk, but what is actually being done to stop climate change?
From the Kyoto treaty to smaller commitments people are making to do their bit for the environment, here we set out what is being done to help prevent further damage to the environment, and the big challenges shaping the debate.
The Kyoto Treaty & International Summits
Climate change is a global issue, and so too has been the international move to support a long lasting solution to tackle the problems. A number of international summits - including the Earth summit in Rio and more recently Kyoto - have taken place in recent years to debate the principal environmental concerns and set out an agenda to help prevent further eco depreciation.
Kyoto has been one of the most influential summits to date, as it sets out a binding protocol for reducing carbon emissions. For countries in the EU, this involved a commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 12.5% by 2012. While the protocol is binding, it isn't compulsory for countries to actually sign up, and, notably, several large countries including the US didn't commit to the scheme, despite growing international pressure.
The Big Ask
In the UK, Friends of the Earth have been campaigning since 2003 for a climate change law that would make it a legal requirement for the government to cut the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by three per cent year on year. So far, 200,000 people have registered their support for the campaign by contacting their MP on the matter. As a result, a climate change bill was tabled in 2007 as a long-term commitment to tackling climate change.
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The Government's Climate Change Bill
The climate change bill sets out the framework for the UK's long-term policy on climate change and in particular CO2 emissions. The government agreed to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 60% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels), a previous commitment that will now become legally binding. The bill also proposes an independent committee on climate change to be established that would monitor and give advice on how to achieve these emissions targets.
This committee would be comprised of industry experts in science, energy and technology. Finally, the bill sets out new powers to enable future governments to implement stricter emissions policies going forward. The bill became the Climate Change Act 2008.
New Challenges For Combating Climate Change
As we become increasingly aware of climate change - particularly when its effects begin to affect us directly more than ever - new challenges continue to shape and complicate the debate.
Developing economies: countries such as India and China are experiencing unprecedented levels of growth in their economies, spearheaded by commerce and industrialisation. Levels of CO2 emissions have risen here accordingly, and continue to rise, thus cancelling out other nations' attempts to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Reluctance of the US: The single-largest carbon emitter, the United States, has been less than enthusiastic to make a lasting commitment to help tackle climate change. Most recently, a UN conference in Bali reached a deadlock after the US refused to support a follow-up deal to Kyoto, which would have seen countries have to reduce carbon emissions by up to 40% by 2020.
Changing people's outlooks: there is still a lot we can be doing on an individual basis to help combat the effects of climate change. A small change individually equates to a large-scale change collectively, so turning around some of our bad habits around can make a lasting difference.
The government should promote oatmilk perhaps by subsidising it for those on low income. Dairy farmers should be supported to change to arable and prevented from selling dried milk to China.
To combat global warming we will be planting millions of trees.
What if we took this extra water of part of it, passed it through desalination plants and piped the water to arid, or desert parts of the world for irrigation and plant these areas with the trees.
If man can use large pipes to pump oil from one country to another, then surely man can use the same large pipes for water.
I appreciate that this will cost an enormous amount of money, but how much is the Earth worth? The machinery could be powered by solar panels and wind turbines, and in the fullness of time the trees could be harvested.
If the UN could take this project on board and take it to say parts of Africa, India, Australia etc then parts of the problem would be solved. Plus, look at the employment prospects.
to STOP and wait at the first set of traffic lights which is
absolutely necessary to allow other vehicles from other
directions to also go around the roundabout while taking turns.
That means once you are actually onto the roundabout after
leaving the first set of lights, you are then hit with either
another one, two or sometimes three sets of traffic lights
stopping you from going around it any further until they change
to green or unless you are quick enough before the lights
change for you to stop.
I totally disagree with the design of these traffic lights on
every roundabout in the UK, and I believe that once you have
stopped at the first set of lights at the commencement of the
roundabout and then accelerate to move further on around the
roundabout, we should not have to put up with those extra
inside set of traffic lights which means that every single
vehicle on any roundabout would leave the very first set of
lights and drive all the way around the rest of the roundabout
in one single journey 'without' stopping.
In other words, you stop at the very first lights at any
roundabout and once they change to green, you head straight
onto your next turn off from the roundabout in one single
journey without the need to stop.
At present, a car has to stop at the beginning of the
roundabout which is absolutely necessary to allow other
vehicles from other directions to also go around the
roundabout while taking turns as earlier mentioned and
therefore, once the lights change to green he/she accelerates.
Up to now, that means that the car driver had to slow down to
start with at the traffic lights while approaching the
roundabout, then had to accelerate but then has to stop and
accelerate again on the 2nd set of traffic lights. The driver
has to stop and accelerate again if there happens to be a
further set of lights ahead.
If just 'one' car or some other type of vehicle has to approach
and go around a roundabout while stopping at 2 -3 sets of
traffic lights in just one day of the week, isn't that a lot of lot
of exhaust fumes polluting the atmosphere from all the
vehicles at once?
Every few minutes on every UK roundabout where there are
more than one set of traffic lights to give-way and accelerate
again, the fumes from all these vehicles will be doing nothing
more than polluting our air. However, after stopping and leaving
at the very first set of traffic lights at the roundabout and
continuing on all the way around 'without stopping at all' and
then leaving the roundabout onto the road you actually require,
would be much less pollution every day of the whole year. It
would also mean many drivers are saving on fuel costs as they
are not having to slow down and stop before accelerating again.
I have
thxs for your help anyone
What are the possible laws that could be passed?
1.In how much time will the planet end?
2.Are we trying to stop this? What are we planing to do for stopping this?
3.What are the plan you create?
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