International attention on the growing problem of climate change has resulted in a number of agreements regarding carbon emissions, most notably the Kyoto Protocol, originally adopted in 1997. Over the years, 191 nations have been signatories to this accord and its various extensions. But notably, the United States has never ratified it.
The Kyoto Protocol establishes binding targets for carbon emissions reduction by a number of the participating countries. One such country that signed up to reduce its emissions is Great Britain.
How is Britain doing in meeting its Kyoto targets? Extremely well. Between 1990 and 2005, Britain reduced its carbon emissions by over 15%. That’s great news, right?
Actually, it is not so great. Britain’s reduction in carbon emissions has been due in great part to the economic slowdown and to de-industrialization. Like our own country, Britain has been moving out of manufacturing steel and chemicals and into non-energy-intensive businesses like banking and professional services.
In the meantime, Britain has been importing more and more manufactured goods from elsewhere, notably China. When the carbon emissions associated with all of these imported goods are taken into account, it turns out that Britain’s carbon consumption actually went up by 19% during the period 1990-2005.
In tackling the problem of global warming, we need to focus on our carbon footprint: how much total carbon our activities produce. Local or national reductions in emissions are of no avail if, as a result, more carbon is being emitted elsewhere. We all live in one world.
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Web Links
Too Good To Be True? The UK’s Climate Change Record
http://www.dieterhelm.co.uk/sites/default/files/Carbon_record_2007.pdf
Photo, taken on May 1, 2011, courtesy of Alan Stark via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, with partial support from the Field Day Foundation.