The Copenhagen Question

摘要

Rio de Janeiro, Kyoto, Bali-it sounds like the itinerary for a five-star world tour. But, in fact, each stop represents a major milestone on the United Nations (U.N.) 20-year expedition toward stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions at a level that should prevent anthropogenic (man-made) interference with the earth's climate system.rnThe next stop on that high-stakes journey is Copenhagen. In December, representatives from most of the countries on the planet will gather there for the 15th annual Congress of the Parties, or COP 15, as the U.N.-sponsored meeting is widely known. Each of the 192 participating countries is a signatory to the U.N.'s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an agreement in principle, which emerged from its 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and which limits the world's aggregate greenhouse gas emissions.