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Q.1 Climate disruption is an international topic of discussion. The Kyoto Protocol (1997) is a negotiated agreement between 161 nations to help slow global warming and the resulting climate disruption. By 2009, 194 of the world's nations, though not the United States, ratified the agreement. Do you think it is working? What do you think of the position the United States has taken in regard to this agreement?

Personally I believe that when international policies and agreements are made, the common goal is always the primary objective. Like in the case of The Kyoto protocol normally a system of accountability on it part of the agreement is very important to the success of that agreement be it legal binding or just a protocol. Under this treaty countries must meet their targets primarily through national measures. However, the Kyoto Protocol offers them an additional means of meeting their targets by way of three market-based mechanisms.

The Kyoto mechanisms which are:

Emissions trading known as the carbon market"- Under the Protocol, countries actual emissions have to be monitored and precise records have to be kept of the trades carried out. Registry systems track and record transactions by Parties under the mechanisms. The UN Climate Change Secretariat, based in Bonn, Germany, keeps an international transaction log to verify that transactions are consistent with the rules of the Protocol. Reporting is done by Parties by way of submitting annual emission inventories and national reports under the Protocol at regular intervals. A compliance system ensures that Parties are meeting their commitments and helps them to meet their commitments if they have problems doing so.

Clean development mechanism (CDM) - The Kyoto Protocol, like the Convention, is also designed to assist countries in adapting to the adverse effects of climate change. It facilitates the development and deployment of techniques that can help increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. The Adaptation Fund was established to finance adaptation projects and programs in developing countries that are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The Fund is financed mainly with a share of proceeds from CDM project activities.Joint implementation (JI) - The Kyoto Protocol is generally seen as an important first step towards a truly global emission reduction regime that will stabilize GHG emissions, and provides the essential architecture for any future international agreement on climate change. By the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, a new international framework needs to have been negotiated and ratified that can deliver the stringent emission reductions the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has clearly indicated are needed.

The United States over the past several years have stated their goals which is to achieve efficiency improvements that would reduce the 183 metric tons of emissions per million dollars of gross domestic product (GDP) from 183 metric tons to 151 metric tons by the year 2012. The plan states that if, in 2012, we find that we are not on track toward meeting our goal, and sound science justifies further policy action, the United States will respond with additional measures that may include a broad, market-based program and other incentives and voluntary measures to accelerate technology development. In addition, the plan directs the Secretary of Energy in consultation with other key agencies, to substantially improve the emission reduction registry to upgrade the voluntary emission reduction program under section 1605(b) of the 1992 Energy Policy Act, to bring about enhanced measurement accuracy, reliability, and verifiability. Other measures include providing for protected, transferable emission reduction credits, increased funding of $700 million in total climate-related spending, and a new management structure to coordinate climate change and technology research.

Domestic policies such as tax incentives for renewable energy and new technology, development of fuel-efficient vehicles and cleaner fuels, and carbon sequestration were also proposed, along with several international bilateral initiatives and relatively modest increases in foreign assistance. Some observers praised the plan for taking a practical, conservative approach to government action and for relying on voluntary measures. Critics observed that voluntary approaches by themselves have not historically often been effective and noted that the reductions in energy intensity are very little different from current trends and would allow for significant increases in over-all greenhouse gas emissions rather than reductions. With such policies in place I think that the U.S will achieve their goals through these guidelines while meeting their target deadline.

Q.2) Air pollution has been a concern in the United States for many years, specifically in the Los Angeles area. With regulation the United States has been able to manage this problem with much success. What do you foresee as the outcome of industrialization in China with respect to air pollution and public health?

The rapid pace of economic growth in the Asia Pacific region has been accompanied by resource depletion and environmental degradation. Air is the first element to get tainted by industrialization, with air quality becoming an increasingly important public health issue. China in particular has grappled with air pollution and frequent bouts of haze in recent years. Chinese smog has been recorded not only in Hong Kong but as far afield as America and Europe. In an attempt to remedy the problem, tall smokestacks were built. However, the smokestacks only served to divert the contaminated air to the lakes and forests of Scandinavia in the guise of acid rain.

It became apparent that air pollution could not be addressed by simply deflecting the route of the smoke. As long as the root causes persisted, problem would be manifested, albeit in varying forms. This realization finally prompted the government to introduce legislation to cut smoke emissions. Half a century has passed since the Great Smog of London, yet the problem of global air pollution is actually worsening, brought about by industrialization and the growth of the emerging economies which house more than half of the worlds population and account for 28 percent of global economic activity. Clean air is an important prerequisite for sustainable economic development and is a basic requirement for human health and welfare. In addition, pollutants contribute to atmospheric problems such as acidification and global climate change, which have impacts on crop productivity, forest growth, biodiversity, buildings and cultural monuments.

Q.3) what is the scientific consensus about global climate disruption during the last half of the twentieth century and projected temperature changes during this century? Do you support the theory that the earth is warming due to human activities, or that this is part of a natural cycle?

Climate change has been extensively researched and the overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that the observed modern day global warming is unprecedented and is very likely caused by humans. The 2007 IPCC reports detail this widespread consensus. Although there is little serious debate between climate experts, many in the general public still think that these scientists are unsure about climate change and the role that humans have played in modern day global warming (Doran & Zimmerman, 2009). Prof. Stephen Schneider says, As a rule of thumb, those working for an organization which conducts primary research on climate science (e.g. CSIRO or Universities), and publishes this work in peer-reviewed scientific journals (the industry gold standard), should have their theories taken seriously.

This is because they are following the scientific process the same process that underpins the massive literature reviews of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports, and indeed the same process that has taken man to the moon, decoded the genome, and given you digital watches, laptop computers and automobiles. In any research field there will, of course, be diverse opinions about causes and effects the positing, testing and overturning of theory and hypotheses are at the very core of science. Provided such arguments are bound by empirical or experimental evidence, and have survived rigorous pre-publication scrutiny and review, then they should be considered a valid viewpoint

Q.4) One way to slow the increase of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere is to reduce the clearing of forests, especially tropical rain forests. These forests are found in developing countries. What should the United States and other developed countries do, if anything, to stop the cutting of these forests? What political and ethical issues are involved in these efforts?

Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area. The worlds rainforests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation. Forests are cut down for many reasons, but most of them are related to money or to peoples need to provide for their families. The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock. Often many small farmers will each clear a few acres to feed their families by cutting down trees and burning them in a process known as slash and burn agriculture.

Logging operations, which provide the worlds wood and paper products, also cut countless trees each year. Loggers, some of them acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote forestswhich leads to further deforestation. Forests are also cut as a result of growing urban sprawl. Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species. Seventy percent of Earths land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.

In order to achieve zero deforestation by 2020 we need ambitious and science-based domestic and international forest policies from our government. We use U.S. laws like the Wilderness Act, Lacey Act and the Roadless Rule to protect U.S. forests and stop illegal wood products from entering the U.S. marketplace. We also support and use treaties like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to help protect forests and the endangered plant and animal species that rely on forests for habitats. The international community must also urgently commit to mechanisms that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation in tropical forest developing nations.