Paralleling Worlds

Marc Davidson wrote a paper in 2005 that compared arguments within the U.S. congress on the previous abolition of slavery and the more recent Kyoto Protocol.  He looked at similarities between the rationals that people have had for slavery and for the emission of greenhouse gases.

"In the case of both slavery and fossil fuel use, there is and was widespread resistance to social

change, unsurprisingly in the light of the cited vested interests at stake. It existed when slavery

was abolished – in the United States sufficient to start a civil war – and it exists today with

respect to cutting consumption of fossil fuels." 

~Marc Davidson, 2008 (pg 70)

Davidson MD. Parallels in reactionary argumentation in the US congressional debates on the abolition of slavery and the Kyoto Protocol. Climatic Change 2008, 86:6782. <http://www.peakoil.nl/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/climagechangeuva.pdf>.

Montreal Protocol vs Kyoto Protocol

            The Montreal Protocol, which was originally established in 1987, was created as a result of the finding of the ozone hole over Antarctica by Rowland and Molina.  They discovered that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were the culprit of the ozone depletion.  The Montreal Protocol was to end the production of substances that deplete ozone, which included the phasing out of CFCs.  In 1990 almost all developed and developing countries came together to join the global treaty of the Montreal Protocol, known formally as the London Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

This treaty has been very effective especially due to the fact that it has instated a ten year phase out of CFCs by developing countries, made possible through the Multilateral Fund by the developed countries with insufficient funds for transitions.  The Montreal Protocol is also trying to phase out and curb more chemicals that are depleting the ozone layer of our atmosphere.  Due to all of these enforcements of the Montreal Protocol, and the fact that it was agreed to by so many countries around the world, by 2009 CFC emissions were almost zero.  CFCs and HFCs, though they deplete the ozone, are also heat trapping pollutants.  The phasing out of these chemicals has led to a greater slowing of climate change.

On the other hand we have the Kyoto Protocol.  While the Montreal Protocol was established to phase out substances that deplete ozone, the Kyoto Protocol was set in place to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, with the exception to ozone depleting substances.  The Kyoto Protocol, established later than the Montreal Protocol, calls for the global reduction of carbon dioxide (CO­₂) emissions, which has been heightened greatly by car exhaust throughout the years.  The reduction of CO₂ has been significantly smaller per year in comparison to how quickly CFCs were phased out.  There have been more controversies between countries, developed and developing, that has slowed the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Solomon, Susan and Chanin, Marie-Lise. 2011. The Antarctic Ozone Hole: A Unique Example of the Science and Policy Interface. Science Diplomacy. 189-195.

Doniger, David. "The world's governments saved the ozone layer. They can save the climate too. | David Doniger - China Dialogue ." China Dialogue - China and the world discuss the Environment . N.p., 11 June 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. <http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5295-The-world-s-governments-saved-the-ozone-layer-They-can-save-the-climate-too->.