DEVELOPED
1. many have asked whether developed
nations - which led the industrial
revolution and are responsible for
most of the greenhouse gases now in
the atmosphere - should bear a
greater responsibility for combating
climate change.This debate has been
stimulated in large part by the Kyoto
Protocol
2. which exempted developing
nations such as China and India, from
the same emissions-reductions
obligations as developed countries.
3. The Rio Declaration from The
United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development
states - "In view of the different
contributions to global environmental
degradation, States have common but
differentiated responsibilities. The
developed countries acknowledge the
responsibility that they bear in the
international pursuit of sustainable
development in view of the pressures
their societies place on the global
environment and of the technologies
and financial resources they
command.
"Obligations"/"equality" distract from
solving climate change The idea that
some countries are more responsible than
others to cut emissions and fight global
warming misses the point - global warming
is a collective, global problem that can only
be successfully combated if every country
puts its wits and resources fully behind
resolving the crisis. Developed and
developing countries are equally responsible
to resolve the crisis. Developing nations
should swallow their legitimate frustrations
with developed nations for causing global
warming, and focus their attention on
helping form a collective solution.
DEVELOPING
4. They have contributed least to the
emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs)
but they are most vulnerable to the
effects of climate change.
This is due to their location in some of
the most vulnerable regions of the
world and their low capacities to adapt
to these changes.
5. Climate change does not yet feature
prominently within the environmental or
economic policy agendas of developing
countries.
Yet evidence shows that some of the
most adverse effects of climate change
will be in developing countries, where
populations are most vulnerable and
least likely to easily adapt to climate
change, and that climate change will
affect the potential for development in
these countries.
6. Some synergies already exist between
climate change policies and the
sustainable development agenda in
developing countries, such as energy
efficiency, renewable energy, transport
and sustainable land-use policies.
7. significant trade-offs associated with
deeper levels of mitigation in some
countries, for example where
developing countries are dependent on
indigenous coal and may be required to
switch to cleaner yet more expensive
fuels to limit emissions.
4. Contraction/Convergence
equalizes per capita emissions,
burdens wealthy Contraction and
Convergence is a good proposal for
addressing the imbalance between
per capital emissions around the
world.
It holds developed countries
responsible for cutting their per capita
emissions (contraction) and meeting
developing countries in the middle
(convergence).
Developing countries are fairly
allowed to continue to develop and
increase per capita emissions to a
level equal to developed countries "in
the middle". The obligation, in this
case, falls more heavily on developed
nations to reduce their emissions.
8. Large developing states have
warming-obligation to cut
population Developing nations,
particularly China and India, are
responsible for nearly catastrophic
population growth. This is one of the
greatest risks to global warming, as
developing nations industrialize
and the means to pollute
disseminate rapidly and broadly
across massive populations.
In this regard, developing nations
have, at least, an equal
responsibility to cut their emissions
because of their potential to emit
catastrophic amounts of greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere.
LOWER EMISSION STANDARD
China is worst contributor to climate change; has equal obligations In 2006,
China's CO2 emissions surpassed those of the US by 8%, according to the
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, making it the largest contributor
to global warming. This means that, in the era of knowledge regarding the
effects of greenhouse emissions on global warming, China has at least an equal
responsibility as developed nations to cut emissions.

China is basically "developed", with higher "obligation". While many

presume that China is a "developing" country, many others, particularly in the
much poorer parts of the Third World in South East Asia, consider China to be in
the "developed" category. China was, after, the third largest economy in the
world at the beginning of 2009. As a "developed" nation, China would certainly
have a greater obligation to fight global warming. Emissions exemptions would
violate this obligation.

ANIMAL AGRICULTURE NOTES

Animal Agriculture One of the Largest Contributors to Global Warming,
UN Body Reaffirms
In 2006, the FAO concluded that the livestock sector was one of the top two or
three major contributors to environmental degradation. Seven years later,
this is still the case, with animal agriculture alone representing 14.5 percent of
global, human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, according to the follow-up
report, Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock

Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse emissions,

transportation exhaust accounts for 13%
Animal agriculture consumes anywhere from 34-76 trillion gallons of water
a year
Animal agriculture is responsible for 80%-90% in any given year, of U.S
water consumption
 Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead
zones, water pollution and habitat destruction.
Animal agriculture is responsible for 90% of Amazon rainforest destruction