Landmark Kyoto treaty in operation

The world is heating up at a tremendous pace by the holing up of the ozone layer and the warming of the atmosphere and the seas. Whereas the average global temperatures rose by 0.6 C during 1900 to 1990, wreaking havoc with climatic cycles over time, these are even more dreadfully now projected to rise by 11 C by the middle of the century. Only progressive slashing of green house gases could ensure survival of mankind.

Thirty-four industrialised countries by virtue of their ratifying the Kyoto treaty stand committed to cutting green house emissions by 5.2 percent before 2012, but they will be meeting targets set on the basis of their 1990 levels. So, the slash in emissions in real terms would work out to less than 5.2 percent eventually. Yet, this does not detract from the fact that they have taken the first step forward. As for the developing countries, significantly including China and India, the two fastest growing economies in the world today, they will be asked to make commitments in the next phase of Kyoto negotiations beginning later this year.

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With the US and Australia opting out of the treaty -- the latter country would be the worst hit by sea surges -- despite their accounting for nearly a third of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions, the Kyoto Protocol is off to a wobbly start. But the detractors must know that economic advancement cannot be sustained; in fact, it might be foredoomed to reverses, if cooperation in matters of environment, a patently trans-border phenomenon, is not forged on a truly global scale. Exclusionary policies have no place there.