Climate change: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:30, 21 November 2006

Revision as of 22:42, 21 November 2006

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# [[Carbon capture and storage]]

# [[Carbon sequestration]]

# [[Enhancement of reflectivity]]

# [[Planetary engineering]] to cool the earth

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The world's primary international agreement on combating climate change is the [[Kyoto Protocol]]. The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)]]. Countries that ratify this [[protocol (treaty)|protocol]] commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in [[emissions trading]] if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases.

Enhancement of reflectivity can mitigate the "greenhouse effect," because reflections are made at the sun's originating wavelengths. For example, a white roof will immediately reflect more of the sun's infrared energy than a black roof. The black roof may later radiate some of the additional heat energy that it absorbed, but it emits at a longer (cooler) wavelength which is captured by carbon dioxide or another atmospheric "greenhouse" gas. Enhancing [[albedo]] (reflectivity) of both manmade and natural objects can therefore decrease the heat load on the planet. Indeed, several decades ago there was concern that enlargement of the great deserts in Africa and Asia would lead to global cooling, because deserts are far more reflective that forests or bodies of water or manmade envoironments such as cities. Under present conditions of global warming, measures such as painting structures to be more highly reflective can offset global warming.

Although the [[List of Kyoto Protocol signatories|governments of 163 countries]] ratified the Kyoto Protocol, (notably excluding the [[United States]] and [[Australia]]), there is a growing debate about how effective the Kyoto protocol has been. Some politicians, including President of the United States [[George W. Bush]] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/06/AR2005070602298.html], Prime Minister of Australia [[John Howard]] [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17747938%255E30417,00.html] had argued that the cost of [[mitigation of global warming|mitigating global warming]] via the Kyoto protocol is too large to be practical. This view may be proving correct, as the signatories of the Kyoto protocol are currently struggling to meet their targets [http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=76127&source=rss&dest=STY-76127], including Europe and Japan. After only five years, Canada has given up entirely. Also, of the 163 countries that have signed and ratified Kyoto, only 31 are actually required to lower greenhouse emissions.