Activity 10:

 Is anybody doing anything?    There is growing awareness of global warming and climate change, and a greater consensus amongst scientists, politicians and the general public that we do need to act soon. There have been several world conferences on these issues , for example at Rio, Kyoto, and more recently in Copenhagen, and while these conferences ended without concrete agreements -  a source of great frustration and disappointment to scientists and activists – they have nevertheless moved the debate on.  There are now many local, national and international initiatives to cut carbon dioxide emissions, for example,  recycling of waste, the development of sustainable housing, alternatives to fossil fuel generated energy, the creation of eco towns, and campaigns to encourage individuals to use energy responsibly.

While it is too early to tell whether these initiatives will impact on global warming, there are some encouraging signs.  Since the 1990s both Poland and Germany have been actively trying to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through a  mixture of legislation, waste management and recycling, and figures suggest that this has worked