Greenpeace sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin
today, urging him to take action to solve global warming by
ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. ÝActivists displayed a cauldron
ìboiling” a model of the earth and carried banners in both English
and Russian in front of the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C.
President Putin is scheduled to meet with President Bush at Camp
David for the next two days and is expected to discuss
international agreements like the Kyoto Protocol. If Russia
ratifies the agreement, it will tip the scales and make the Kyoto
Protocol international law.
“Bush will likely continue to bully Russia to walk away from the
global warming treaty, but President Putin must stand strong.,”
said Kert Davies, Research Director at Greenpeace.
“The whole world is already seeing the dangerous effects of
global warming. The majority of nation’s not only support the Kyoto
protocol but will applaud Russia if it decides to ratify it. Upon
taking office, President Bush, heavily influenced by U.S. oil
interests, decided to withdraw the United States from the Kyoto
Protocol negotiations. The rest of the world however, disregarded
the Bush Administration’s attempts to stall the treaty. Currently,
117 countries have ratified the Protocol. In order for the treaty
to become law, a majority of parties, representing a majority of
global emissions must ratify. With the EU, Japan, Canada and others
on board, only Russia is needed to exceed the required
threshold.
Making the Kyoto Protocol international law is an essential
first step in the effort to curb global warming. It is the only
international agreement aimed at limiting global warming pollution
as well as the basis for increasingly effective international
action to solve global warming in the coming decades. Putin could
announce Russia’s intention to ratify as early as next week, when
Moscow hosts the World Climate Change Conference.
“President Putin has the chance to make environmental history by
acting now to ratify the Kyoto Protocol,” continued Davies, “Bush
has walked away from his global responsibilities on this issue. “We
hope that Putin, in contrast, will prove the better statesmen and
will ignore pressure from the Bush Administration and do what’s
needed to solve global warming
before it’s too late.”
Greenpeace has been campaigning
internationally for full ratification of the Kyoto Protocol to
protect the environment. Greenpeace has more than 40 offices around
the world and seeks to expose global environmental problems and to
promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful
future
