[Letter to the editor]Begging to differ on global warming

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[Letter to the editor]Begging to differ on global warming

Prior to the G8 summit scheduled this week, England, Germany and Japan have been diplomatically pressing U.S. President Bush to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, in order to mitigate and slow global warming.
However, I can’t see any reason why President Bush should ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Instead, I would like to point out some reasons why he should not ratify the protocol.
First, the creation of the Kyoto Protocol is based on assumption, not fact.
The Kyoto Protocol focuses on reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released in the air, assuming that the increase in carbon dioxide leads to global warming.
There is no scientific evidence that the temperature becomes higher in proportion to the amount of CO2. It means that even if many countries ratify the protocol, keep their promises and lessen the amount of CO2, it may not mitigate global warming.
Since I believe that any agreement should be based on fact, not speculation, President Bush is right to abandon the Kyoto Protocol.
Second, the Kyoto Protocol has unrealistic objectives.
Even if we assume that the United States ratifies the Kyoto Protocol next month, the target seems to be impossible to achieve.
By ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized countries have committed to cut their combined emissions to 5 percent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.
There is only one year left before the “due date.”
Moreover, studies predict that by 2020, total carbon dioxide emissions by developing countries will significantly surpass those of industrialized countries.
Ninety percent of that increase will come from China and India alone.
Unless the developing countries, especially China and India, ratify the protocol, nothing is going to be improved by the United States ratification alone.
The Kyoto Protocol is fundamentally flawed. Therefore I support President Bush in not ratifying it.
What I want to emphasize is that the Kyoto Protocol is not efficient and realistic.
That is why we should not blame President Bush for being honest and realistic.
Lee Injung, Ilsan, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province
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