| The climate is changing. The earth is warming | | | | |
| up, and there is now overwhelming scientific | | | | Research has shown that air pollutants from |
| consensus that it is happening, and | | | | fossil fuel use make clouds reflect more of |
| human-induced. With global warming on the | | | | the sun's rays back into space. This leads to |
| increase and species and their habitats on | | | | an effect known as global dimming whereby |
| the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt | | | | less heat and energy reaches the earth. At |
| naturally are diminishing. Many are agreed | | | | first, it sounds like an ironic savior to |
| that climate change may be one of the | | | | climate change problems. However, it is |
| greatest threats facing the planet. Recent | | | | believed that global dimming caused the |
| years show increasing temperatures in various | | | | droughts in Ethiopia in the 1970s and 80s |
| regions, and/or increasing extremities in | | | | where millions died, because the northern |
| weather patterns. What is Global Warming and | | | | hemisphere oceans were not warm enough to |
| Climate Change? Global warming and climate | | | | allow rain formation. Global dimming is also |
| change refer to an increase in average global | | | | hiding the true power of global warming. By |
| temperatures. Natural events and human | | | | cleaning up global dimming-causing pollutants |
| activities are believed to be contributing to | | | | without tackling greenhouse gas emissions, |
| an increase in average global temperatures. | | | | rapid warming has been observed, and various |
| This is caused primarily by increases in | | | | human health and ecological disasters have |
| "greenhouse" gases such as Carbon Dioxide | | | | resulted, as witnessed during the European |
| (CO2). | | | | heat wave in 2003, which saw thousands of |
| | | | people die. A growing concern from developing |
| The impacts of Global Warming are, Rapid | | | | countries and various NGOs is the need for |
| changes in global temperature, Extreme | | | | public participation and the effect on |
| Weather Patterns, Rising Sea Levels, Increase | | | | populations and poor countries that global |
| in Pests and Disease, Failing Agricultural | | | | warming negotiations have. The impacts of |
| Output; Increase in World Hunger. | | | | climate change will be felt on the world's |
| | | | poorest countries the most. In some cases, |
| The United States is the world's largest | | | | climate changes have already affected some |
| emitter of greenhouse gases. It: | | | | small island nations. Climate justice, equity |
| | | | and sustainable development are all important |
| • Accounts for roughly four percent of | | | | parts of this debate that are often left out |
| the world's population; | | | | of mainstream discourse. Equal rights to the |
| | | | atmosphere for all human beings and equity |
| • Accounts for approximately 23% of | | | | within and between nations are paramount. |
| global emissions and 42% of industrialized | | | | |
| country emissions. | | | | An agreed principle was that of common but |
| | | | different responsibilities. That is, when the |
| The previously 15 member-nations European | | | | world's majority countries signed up to |
| Union (E.U.), if considered as a whole (for | | | | climate change Convention (including |
| it is more comparable to the U.S.): | | | | countries like the US who would later |
| | | | withdraw from the subsequent Kyoto Protocol) |
| • Accounts for roughly 3 percent of the | | | | it was agreed that it is today's rich nations |
| world's population; | | | | who are the ones responsible for global |
| | | | warming as greenhouse gases tend to remain in |
| • Accounts for around 10% of global | | | | the atmosphere for many decades, and rich |
| emissions and 24% of industrialized | | | | countries have been industrializing and |
| countries' man-made emissions of the six main | | | | emitting climate changing pollution for many |
| gases. | | | | more centuries than the poor countries. |