Kyoto are needed to avoid dangerous climate change. Plans are now being made to replace
the Kyoto Protocol with a more effective treaty in 2012.
The Kyoto Protocol set up a cap-and-trade system. Each participating nation was given a
cap on greenhouse gas emissions that it should not go over. If a nation is likely to go over its
cap, itcan buy credits from a nation that will emitless greenhouses gases than allowedbythe
cap. Cap-and-trade provides a monetary incentive for nations to develop technologies that
will reduce emissions and to conserve energy. Some states and cities within the United States
have begun their own cap-and-trade systems, since they believe that the federal government
is not doing enough to address the problem of climate change.
However it is done, climate scientists and many others agree that greenhouse gas emissions
must be lowered. The easiest and quickest way is to increase energy efficiency. A carbon
tax can be placed on CO 2 emissions to encourage conservation. The tax would be placed on
gasoline, carbon dioxide emitted by factories, and home energy bills to encourage conserva-
tion. For example, when people make a purchase of a new car, they will be more likely to
purchase an energy efficient model. The money from the carbon tax can then be used for
research into alternative energy sources. All plans for a carbon tax allow a tax credit for
people who cannot afford to pay more for energy, so that they do not suffer unfairly.
More energy efficient vehicles and appliances can be developed. Some, like hybrid cars are
currently available. Agricultural practices that lessen the amount of methane produced can
be used.
Beyond increasing efficiency, new technologies can be developed. Alternative energy sources,
likesolarandwindcanbedevelopedandexpanded.Biofuelscanreplacegasolineinvehicles,
but they must be developed sensibly (Figure22.15). So far much of the biofuel is produced
from crops like corn. But when food crops are used for fuel, the price of food goes up. Also
modern agriculture is extremely reliant on fossil fuels for pesticides, fertilizers and the work
of farming. This means that not much energy is gained from using a biofuel over using the
fossilfuelsdirectly. Morepromisingcropsforbiofuelsarenowbeingresearched. Surprisingly,
algae is being investigated as a source of fuel! The algae can be grown in areas that are not
useful for agriculture, and it also contains much more useable oil than crops like corn.
Greenhouse gases can also be removed from the atmosphere after they are emitted.Carbon
sequestrationoccurs when carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere. Carbon is
sequestered naturally in forests, but unfortunately, more forest land is currently being lost
than gained. Another idea is to artificially sequester carbon. For example, carbon can be
captured from the emissions from gasification plants. That carbon is then stored under-
ground in salt layers or coal seams, which keeps it out of the atmosphere. While some small
sequestration projects are underway, no large-scale sequestration has yet been attempted.
While it is a promising new technology, carbon sequestration is also untested and may not
prove to be significant in fighting global warming.
Just as individuals can diminish other types of air pollution, people can fight global warming
by conserving energy. Also, people can become involved in local, regional and national efforts