Greenpeace to Putin: The World Can't Wait - Ratify Kyoto Now

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