Hi everyone ,
I'm not usually down this way very often. But I have something relevant to the Global Warming issue ,even though personally I think this is more about politics than climate change in that I don't think Kyoto will do anything for the climate and is merely a gravy train for bureaucrats.
Anyway ,Australia and the U.S. are 'infamous' for not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.But that is about to change it appears ,atleast as far as Australia is concerned because our new Government has immediately set to work to get it ratified.Here's the article:
Rudd gets early start on climate change
Sunday Nov 25 17:47 AEDT
Kevin Rudd has immediately begun preparations to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and attend next month's climate change talks in Bali.
Labor's election victory was welcomed internationally as a shot in the arm for global greenhouse talks.
Mr Rudd said he would be discussing with the prime minister's department the administrative steps required to ratify Kyoto.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in a call to Mr Rudd after his election victory, formally invited him to the Bali meeting under the UN framework which will negotiate a post-Kyoto climate change treaty.
"I responded positively, of course, to President Yudhoyono's invitation and said I looked forward very much to meeting him in Bali very soon," Mr Rudd said.
Indonesian presidential spokesman Dino Djalal said the new Australian leader's presence, and the ratification of Kyoto, would by symbolically significant and "add greater momentum" to the work of the conference.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who also spoke to Mr Rudd, said ratifying Kyoto would mark a significant shift in Australia's attitude to tackling climate change.
"His commitment to a post-Kyoto agreement, and what he wants to do about a binding commitment, will be a very important factor in the next stage of the Bali talks," Mr Brown told reporters in Kampala at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Despite Labor's election win, Australia formally opposed a push at CHOGM to get the Commonwealth's 53 member states, which represent one-third of the world's population, to adopt their own set of binding targets.
Mr Rudd also spoke to US President George W Bush, but did not reveal if they discussed his plans to break ranks on Kyoto with the United States, making it the last developed nation not to ratify.
Greenpeace said Mr Rudd's victory was great news for the accord.
"It's a very important event in the international climate debate, and for Bali. It will leave Bush and the United States more isolated," Greenpeace political director Shane Rattenburg told AFP.
Ratifying Kyoto would require Australia to keep emissions at 108 per cent of 1990 levels in the 2008-12 commitment period, a target the outgoing coalition government said it was on track to meet.
Mr Rudd will go to Bali already committed to a target of cutting Australia's carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. He has postponed setting shorter term targets until receiving a report next year.
Climate Institute chief executive John Connor said Mr Rudd's attendance in Bali would be a key driver to cutting the nation's greenhouse gases.
Mr Connor said exit polls showed the environment and climate change was the third top issue that affected people's vote.
"The key message is that Kevin Rudd has a mandate and a responsibility, but we believe the clear intent,(is) to show leadership on climate change and cutting Australia's greenhouse pollution."
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) said people had voted for action on climate change, citing the 21 out of 24 new Labor seats decided on Australian Greens' preferences.
"We would also urge the coalition to give bipartisan support to Kyoto ratification," ACF executive director Don Henry said.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/minisite/election_article.aspx?id=318924§ionid=6046§ionname=minisiteelection