KYOTO PROTOCOL

Global Warming is affecting the planet and we need to do something about it! What I am trying to do here is convince Prime Minister Harper to honour the commitments that Canada has made to the Kyoto Ptrotocol, which calls for the reduction in greenhouse gases. The Kyoto Protocol officially went into effect on February 16, 2005 and is now a binding international agreement, of which Canada is part. On February 16, 2007 I plan on presenting Mr. Harper a petition showing that we as Canadians agree with the Kyoto Protocols efforts of greenhouse gas reductions. It wont be easy for us to reach the goals set out for us in the Kyoto Protocol but every effort we can make to help global warming will help the future of the planet.

WHAT IS KYOTO PROTOCOL
According to a press release from the United Nations Environment Programme:
"The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement under which industrialised countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2\% compared to the year 1990 (but note that, compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this target represents a 29\% cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions of six greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs - calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-12. National targets range from 8\% reductions for the European Union and some others to 7\% for the US, 6\% for Japan, 0\% for Russia, and permitted increases of 8\% for Australia and 10\% for Iceland."

KEY DATES FOR KYOTO PROTOCOL AND CANADA

December 11, 1997 Canada signed Kyoto Protocol.
December 17, 2002 Canada ratified Kyoto Protocol.
February 16, 2005 Kyoto Protocol went into effect when Russia became the 55th country to ratify, accounting for at least 55\% of the collective carbon dioxide emissions for 1990.
April 25, 2006 Canadian Minister of the Environment, Rona Ambrose, announced that Canada had no chance of meeting targets

ENERGY CONSUMPTION STATISTICS FOR CANADA

Canada has less than half of one percent of the world population but is the eighth largest producer of carbon dioxide.
Canadians use more energy than all 760 million inhabitants of Africa.
The average Canadian uses 23.6 tonnes/year, for times the global average

WHAT CAN WE DO

For starters we can try to convince Prime Minister Harper to honour Canadas commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, and make Canada a leading nation in the reduction of greenhouse gases. Secondly, we as consumers can try to reduce our energy consumption on a personal level; suggestions for personal reduction can be found at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/