CA Puts the Heat on Global Climate Change

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Description	Early in March international policy makers met in Bonn, Germany, to implement a framework to finalize the Global Climate Change Treaty (GCCT) scheduled to be signed in Kyoto, Japan in December this year. CA Executive Director Fran Smith released a statement recommending open debate and further research before the US commits to the terms of the treaty. "They are marching to a steady drumbeat toward that goal without knowing the answers to critical questions -- whether and to what extent the earth's temperatures are rising, and if and to what extent human activities are contributing to any global climate change," wrote Smith. The GCCT is intended to prevent global warming by establishing strict international controls on carbon dioxide emissions. "People will face tight limits on and higher costs for their energy use, including energy for electricity, refrigeration, and transportation, and lower standards of living," wrote Smith. The scientific community, however, has not reached a consensus that the theory of global warming is a threat at all, much less one that requires drastic action. Some scientists have been critical of the assertion that carbon dioxide produced for human activities is the direct cause of global warming. "In fact, satellite data on temperature changes show a slight cooling trend since 1979," noted Smith. If signed and implemented the GCCT would impact directly on people around the world, Smith added. "What policy makers are ignoring are the probable effects of their hasty actions on people in developed countries -- they will be the ones who bear the costs of tight restrictions, high energy taxes, and higher prices for energy use." While wealthy countries will manage under high costs, people in poorer countries may find the price for energy too high and be forced to go without. "Loss of jobs and lower living standards for many will impact the poor hardest," wrote Smith. GCCT will conduct five more meetings before the end of 1997, including a UN General Assembly review in New York and a G-7 Environmental Summit in Denver both in June. But, cautioned Smith, "before the U.S. commits its citizens to a bleak future through international treaties, there should be open debate and further research, not only on global warming, but on the effect of these policies on consumers."
Created	20 May 2020
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