At 07:41 PM 11/21/00 EST, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>Anyone up for the Kyoto discussion?
>
>Li-

You mean can we put more life back into the Kyoto Protocol Agreement to
reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions? 

I wonder what Shaw would say about the issue? 

Recently the Honda Corporation developed a commercial, for sale, robot that
can turn lights on and off. Will this reduce GHG emissions on a small scale
or add to a large problem later? Can we as private citizens help nations
make the transition to a world economy that does not waste so much energy?
It is hard for myself to imagine a better future without collective private
action that addresses the luxury consumption of fossil fuels, deforestation,
and habitat distruction. 

Should investors focus on investments now which are capable of reducing
consumption of fossil fuels as part of the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol? 

My answer is yes, the signatory nations should be implementing policy
instruments that will affect real change. One way to do this is to use
economic incentives for private citizens to reduce their own consumption of
fossil fuels. Can nations get their elected representatives to discuss,
debate and ultimately enact beneficial policies that will do the job much
more quickly than 'best of intentions' and 'promises' of the past. Currently
only a few nations have met their own stated goals of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. Canada for instance is being criticized for lack of
compliance in terms of forest clearing. 

Some solutions are investments in 'mass public transit', 'energy
efficiency', imposition of 'luxury consumption taxes', development of
'substitute materials that replace wood products', protection of 'old growth
forests', & development of 'geothermal energy', 

Other policies may be  instituted by large corporations and these policies
may consist in reduction of the work week to four days, longer hours during
those work days working [from 8 to 9 hours], greater  development of  energy
sources like wind for businesses [Body Shop International is developing it's
own wind farms], more 'reuse, recycling, and reduction' of potential wastes,
etc. 

It seems to me that the Kyoto Protocol is doomed to failure as long as
nations avoid their responsibilities to facilitate gradual positive change
through incentives [eg. policy instruments, expenditures in R&D, etc.]. 

How do we as private citizens put life into it...?

>In a message dated 11/21/00 10:39:34 PM !!!First Boot!!!, 
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
>> Life may apparently be, or be evidenced by, any moral virtue which for the
>>  moment [is] under consideration. 
                              



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