Green House Effect

Science says that the average temperature on earth has been rising rapidly. And it says this is the result of growing concentrations of 'greenhouse gases' that are emitted whenever any fuel is burnt to produce energy. Science also says that if something is not done immediately to stop the increase in the concentrations of these gases, there will be catastrophic consequences in the next few decades. Glaciers will melt, sea levels will rise, low-lying areas will be submerged, crops will be damaged, extreme weather events like cyclones and storms will become more frequent. In short, the world will become a difficult place to live in and millions of people may lose their lives.
What's the solution?
Since the problem has been caused by excess GHGs, the solution is to reduce the emission of GHGs.
Simple, isn't it?
Not quite. Industries have to operate, vehicles have to run and people have to use appliances. Developing countries like India need more and more energy to power their industries and increase other economic activities. Developed countries might not need to increase their energy consumption now but their current consumption is already very high. It's a vicious cycle. Development needs more industries and machines, but these lead to increased emissions.
Is there a golden mean?
A middle path has to be found so that emissions can be reduced but not at the cost of development. Excess consumption and wastage of energy has to be prevented. More efficient technologies have to be found. If possible, ways have to be devised to absorb GHGs so that they don't accumulate in the atmosphere. Nature offers such a solution in trees, which absorb carbon dioxide and are therefore very good carbon sinks and are good for reducing GHG concentrations.
So what will the Copenhagen meet do about the problem?
It is expected to come up with an agreement that will make it legally binding for rich and developed countries to reduce their GHG emissions by specific amounts by a certain date, possibly 2020. In fact, such an international agreement already exists. It is called the Kyoto Protocol that makes it mandatory for a group of rich countries to reduce their collective emissions by 5.2 per cent from their 1990 levels by 2012. The Copenhagen meet is expected to fix bigger targets on these countries for a period beyond 2012 and till 2020.
Why should the rich pay more?
Well, it's only fair since they created the problem in the first place. More than 80 per cent of the accumulated GHGs in atmosphere have been emitted by these countries since they were the first ones to industrialise. They continue to emit more: a handful of about 30 rich countries account for nearly half the global emissions. Their average per capita emission is more than twice the world average and at least ten times more than that of India. A lot of it results from wasteful and luxurious consumption of energy.