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But this also brings me to thinking about the effectiveness of the, for example, Kioto treaty. Or any treaty regarding nature. We cant effectivelly measure polution reduction on countries. We cant allow developing countries *coughBrazilcough* to grow polluting, but will those countries be able to grow without generating extra pollution at first? What do you think about US's position of never signing a treaty but creating his own rules, always indulging its internal industries?
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I have seen some of the cities in Brazil. I am quite surprised by the expansion capable by your people, Luis. I thought it impossible that so many apartment and business buildings could be created in such a short time in Sao Paulo... it even puts the buildings in Vancouver to shame quite easily!
The US never signed the Kyoto treaty... and currently, are very POd that the current Canadian Prime Minister, Paul Martin, decided to make a comment that the US should be more aware of something called International Conscious, which, needless to say, did not go over well with the government.
The US also asked us not to include them in the election process. Funny, considering that already one of the major planks in the platform of many parties regards the blatant side stepping of the Softwood Lumbar industry in Canada. Not only that, but a little bit of a minor plank is to attempt to push the American's into joining it as well. Like it or not, the US effects us enough that anything we do will effect them. Even if the Bloic comes into power.
It does not surprise me that Killer Whales are the largest these days... Polar Bears have begun scavenging in neighbourhoods, and eating from other sources than seal meat, so less water bourne toxins are making it to them. Obviously, the killer whales, not only an inhabitant of those waters but a major predator in them, can most likely consume vast quantities of these poisions daily.
On Japan, not only do they use gas, but less cars, originally. Many people in Japan use bikes in more remote areas, and I hear that the Japanese are taking great strides in promoting public transit and fuel efficient cars, among creating other products that are revamped to use different types of energy.
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But I recently had to do a whole debate about the topic of the environment, (and faced the difficult side of saying we were doing ok as it was) and of course Kyoto came up, but I had found some interesting research. That, as you sort of mention, the treaty is much more linient on developing countries. Now here in Australia, we are major users of coal and pollution, because we simply haven't had the technology to advance far enough, signing this treaty will seriously cripple us economically.
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Canada is one of the world's leading suppliers of coal. In fact, we have enough currently out of the ground to survive off of for the next 300 years ourselves. 98% of the energy I use right now is probably from some sort of non renewable fuel, although that is most likely because I am living out west.
For us, it would cripple us greatly... hydroelectric damns and solar energy do not make as much as people think, although it is enough to supply Canadians about 6 or 7 percent of our energy.
Currently in Canada we have had a series of commercials regarding the One Tonne (that means one thousand kilograms, not a measly one thousand pounds
) Challenge, which means that every Canadian who signs up must try to cut own one tonne of pollution, or a quarter of our pollution, through the use of renewable sources and flourescent lightbulbs, ect, ect...