Temperature is rising by Claudia Sonea

“After me, the deluge” said Louis XV of France showing his indifference for what happens after his death and it is a phrase characteristic for the attitude we adopt towards our planet. Earth is full of wonders and gives mankind everything necessary for an opulent existence. Yet, we exploit its resources avidly until abusing of them and in return through our activities we generate a tremendous pollution which kills our Planet. The biggest threat that Earth has to face is the climate change. In the past 50 years the Earth's average surface temperature has risen dramatically causing widespread melting of snow and ! ice, and an increase in global sea level. If it continues to increase at this rate, mankind and other life forms will be seriously affected by irreversible and catastrophic phenomena. The greenhouse gas emissions are the main responsible for the global warming and these gases result from human activities. People’s awareness led not only to the foundation of multiple non-governmental organizations fighting for the protection of environment, but it also determined countries to appoint governmental committees and create laws related to the environment. The European is at the forefront of international efforts to address the matter and its efforts were fruitful up to now as two major treaties were signed in 1992 and 1997 that are meant to bind countries in adopting measures and policies with the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions cost-effectively. This year from 2 to 6 November the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long! -term Cooperative Action under the Convention will be held in ! Barcelon a as a last session of negotiations before the climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. There will be also a meeting of Asian and Pacific leaders in Singapore between 14 and 15 November tackling the issue of gas emissions. US remains politically the leading country and all the other countries are usually influenced by its policy, thus making the adoption of a climate bill imperiously necessary. However, Obama’s administration fails to agree on the healthcare bill and there are small chances to approach issues like the targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions or the funds that will help developing countries to limit their discharges. Most probably, another country will have to step up and assume a role that US no longer seems capable to handle or this year, the environmental policies will not be renewed and there will not be any other treaty signed at Copenhagen in December.

related story (sgx15771): http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091027/ap_on_re_us/un_un_climat...

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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