Global warming - let's settle this once and for all!

[Rodion Romanovich]

A lot of countries want a per capita regulation, is it surprising then that the Us refuses to take part ? It's one of the thinnest populated countries in the world.

True, it's hard to tell which system should be used

Hard to say, cuurent theory seems to involve a 'turning' point at which the climate of earth will inreversibily change about 100 years in the future. What will happen after the turning point seems to be pretty unclear, although it probably isn't good.

Any link?

The last point is at least 50years into the future, even by optimistic estimates our oil supplies won't let us rely on fossil fuels that long in the same way we do now.

Yes. The key is whether we'll keep using the coal or not. The oil will probably run out much faster than the coal. There's not too much oil, but there's too much coal. If we use it all up things will look really bad.

That's assuming it ever gets to be 'too late'.

Of course

Funny thin is, it isn't Kyoto that is driving the market away from 'polluting' tech. It's the volatility of the oil price, the high energy prices and, for countries, the need to have some control over the energy market themselves.

Exactly, Kyoto isn't the solution, merely a first attempt at something. I have higher hopes for any treaties that may come in the future.

Claimed...

Actually, quite a few scientists argued that that would be the case, including several economists. The strange thing is that the EU gives support to coal industry in Germany and Poland. That support money should have been invested in solar energy instead, or another promising energy type: fossile fuels with greenhouse gas capture. These mechanisms involve capturing the emissions below earth's surface. There's a risk of leakage which may become dangerous, but it's quite good as it simulates the coal being bound in the earth again. Lack of binding in the earth is one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect.

Currently, for households in belgium, the payback term for photovoltaic cells if they weren't subsidized would be 60 years (assuming stable energy prices). Photovoltaic cells last about 30years...

This is why more science is needed. According to most scientists, it isn't impossible to improve the solar cell qualiy and cost efficiency enough.

Alternative energy isn't magic, it has its own specific costs and disadvantages.

Indeed. Wind power and water power is for instance quite ridiculous, and actually harms nature more than some fossile fuels, while providing less energy.

The oil industry, rich and powerful as it may be, isn't the only thing keeping us using oil. Oil and gas have simply been the most practical and cost-efficient source of energy in the last 50years (along with nuclear power).

That's correct. The oil isn't the main problem, but the coal is. When oil runs out, people will most likely switch to coal unless there's non-natural, i.e. law-based, restrictions added. It's quite sad that oil is used for energy btw, when it's useful for asphalt, lubricants, creation of plastic etc.