1/19/2020

Learning Goals:
• Greenhouse gas emissions data
• Kyoto Protocol
• Paris Climate Accord
• Climate activism
• Climate denialism
 1/19/2020

 Most scientists agree that we should limit the average  Kyoto protocol: a plan within the United Nations for
1.5 °C to avoid the most
temperature increase to _____ controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Adopted in Kyoto,
dangerous impacts of climate change, including drastic Japan, in 1997.
sea level rise and species extinction.  The Kyoto protocol required participating nations to
 Climate models suggest that atmospheric limit their greenhouse gas emissions, starting in 2008,
concentrations of greenhouse gas must stabilize at no to specific concentrations by 2012.
450 ppm CO2 equivalent. (It is currently
more than ______
 After the first commitment period ended (2008-2012),
around 400 ppm) the second commitment period (2012-2020) began and
 By 2050, all industrialized countries need to set a new target for greenhouse gas
nations would have to cut emissions.
their annual greenhouse gas  The success of the Kyoto Protocol
80
emissions by _____% relative can be summarized with the photo
to their emissions in 1990. to the right.

Countries with targets for 2012-2020 period.

Countries with targets for 2008-2012 period but not the 2012-2020 period.  In 2012, the government of Canada, led by Prime
Countries with no targets at all. withdrew
Minister Stephen Harper, ____________ Canada from the
Countries with targets for 2008-2012 period, but withdrew from the Kyoto protocol. Kyoto Protocol.
 Canada set a target of 6% reduction of CO2 by 2012.
 Canada failed to meet its target in the first commitment
increased
period. In fact, Canada _____________ CO2 emissions by
17%.
 The Harper government prioritized Alberta’s oil sands
over protecting the environment.
 The current Prime Minister,
Justin Trudeau, is more
Countries that agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, but did not ratify (sign into effect).
supportive of climate change
initiatives.
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 Canada was not the most embarrassing nation with  After the failure that is the Kyoto Protocol, in December
respect to the Kyoto Protocol. 195 countries came together in Paris,
of 2015, ______
 The United States, led by President Bill Clinton, signed
France, and agreed to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
the Kyoto Protocol in 1998. However, in order for the  As of today, May 2017, 195 countries signed the treaty,
Protocol to become binding (lawful), the treaty had to be of which 147 have ratified it. The agreement went into
against
ratified by the Senate, which voted ___________ the effect on November 4th, 2016.
Kyoto Protocol.
 When President George W. Bush was elected, he
decided to ______
reject the Kyoto Protocol.

State parties  While it is comforting that the vast majority of the world
Signatories has signed the Paris Agreement, there are no
EU ratification _____________
enforcement mechanisms (no punishment for failing to
meet the requirement).
 This is similar to Hitler’s infamous signature to promise
to never other countries again.
 The United States elected a new President: Donald
denier
Trump. He is a known climate change __________.
 1/19/2020

State parties  The world simply isn’t doing enough to combat climate
Signatories change.
EU ratification
miss
 We are on track to _______ our target of limiting
warming to less than 2 °C by the end of the century.

 Almost all countries in the world are not doing enough

to live up to their 2015 promises.
 1/19/2020

 In the 2016 United States election, every Republican

presidential candidate questioned or denied climate
change, and opposed US government initiatives to
address it.
 Bias: a tendency toward a particular perspective or
point of view that prevents objective assessment of a
topic.

 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
has summarized the latest scientific research on climate
change.
 To avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change,
we should aim to limit increase in global temperature to
2 °C. This requires limiting greenhouse gas
concentrations to 450 ppm.
 Industrialized nations will have to cut their greenhouse
gas emissions at least 80% by 2050 to meet the limit of
450 ppm.
 In 2002, the Canadian government joined the Kyoto
Protocol, agreeing to reduce emissions by 6% of 1990
levels. Since then, our emissions have continued to
increase, and Canada did not meet its 2012 targets and
had to withdraw.
 In 2016, Canada was amongst 195 nations that signed
the Paris Climate Accord, which sought to limit
temperature increase to below 2 °C.
 Criticisms of the Paris Climate Accord include that it
isn’t enough to mitigate the effects of climate change
and also that fact that there is no enforcement policy.