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What Is Being Done? |
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Steps have been taken by those people that believe global warming is a threat to try and stop it or at least reduce its effects on our planet's environment |
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The problem was adressed internationally in 1992 at a meeting in Rio de Janeiro called the Earth Summit. It was at this summit that many countries signed the U.N Framework Convention on Climate Change, a document which set a goal of reducing greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000. Most countries did not meet this goal. |
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Realizing stronger action needed to be taken, the Kyoto Protocol was organized in 1997 in Japan. It instead of setting volentary goals it sets binding targets to get our greenhouse gas emissions 5.2% below what they were in 1990 by the year 2012.The protocol offically took action on Feburary 16, 2005 when over 100 countries ratified it (The U.S and Australia not being one of them). |
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Most states in our country have taken individual action on the matter. All but 14 U.S states have begun "Green Pricing Programs." These programs let customers pay certain a premium on their electric bills in order to have a portion of their power supplied by renewable resources. |
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Individual buisnesses are also taking actions against global warming by setting reduced emission goals for themselves. For example Entergy (yes, the company that owns Vermont Yankee) has set a goal to reduce CO2 emissions to the level that they were at in 2000 by the end of this year. |
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The issue has been brought up in congress by both Democrat and Republican parties. Joseph Liberman (Democrat) and John McKain (Republican) introduced a bill in 2003 that would set a national cap on greenhouse emissions and allow companies to buy and sell emissions credits. Since then U.S Representative Wayne Gilchrest (Republican) and John Olver (Democrat) proposed a companion bill in March 2004. The bill as it is now would by 2010 cap off greenhouse emissions in order to get them down to the level they were at in 2000. While the bill was denied in a 43 to 55 vote, politicians are still trying to pass a bill that will help stop or slow the effects of global warming. |
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