To TreeHugger : ” If (the) Kyoto Protocol dies at COP17 climate talks, so does our climate “. This article reminds us that the next round of UNFCC climate talks will start in less than two months in Durban, South Africa.
It also reminds us that it is the only law we have on a global level on climate and that even if the United States are still not part of the process it is working (quite) well as developed nations decreased their emissions since 1990.
Due to end in 2012, the Kyoto Protocol might not be perfect but really got us moving on climate and energy issues.
This is why we really need to create a successor that will bring all nations to cut their emissions and truly embrace sustainable development.
Beyond pure climate, I believe the successor should also mention energy topics. We are uncertain whether we reached peak oil or not. But we know one thing : we are at the end of conventional oil.
Besides, coal is also nearing its end, albeit it will occur much more later. If China and the Appalachia have reached this point, it won’t occur on a global scale anytime soon. But this particular energy source is by far the dirtiest of them all.
In the meantime, solar energies and wind power are more and more cost-competitive. Other renewables and energy efficiency are also gaining traction.
Not only do we need to keep the ball rolling, we need it to accelerate many times over if we want to have a chance to keep living quite comfortably…