Scientists have predicted that there will be a rise in the Earth’s average temperature of approximately 1.9°C or 3.5° Fahrenheit by 2100. Such a change would pose a severe threat on the Earth’s environment, people’s lives, and economies. Therefore, it is crucial that immediate measures be taken to slow down global warming.

The temperature rise is believed to result mainly from the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, such as methane, nitrous oxide, etc. which trap heat into the Earth’s atmosphere. A lot of the greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere. However, human activity in the period after the Industrial Revolution has significantly increased their levels of concentration.

The Kyoto Protocol was prepared in 1997 to commit the world’s governments to reduce their levels of greenhouse-gas emission. It was meant to create international cooperation regarding the problems the Earth’s environment was facing. As of today (December 12, 2005) 157 countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol. On average, under the protocol, industrial countries must reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by slightly over 5% between 2008 and 2012.

The most recent UN Climate Change Conference was held in Montreal in December 2005. The participating parties agreed on the formation of a new working group which would focus on setting environmental regulations after the Kyoto Protocol has expired in 2012. Perhaps most important of all, as the Conference President, the Canadian Environment Minister, Stéphane Dion said, finally: “The Kyoto Protocol has been switched on.”