Madam Chair and hon members, the scientific evidence for global warming and its effects continue to mount. It is an unfortunate fact that outside of the scientific community, in the mainstream media and in politics especially, there are still those who want to present global warming as just one theory, or even completely dismissing it. This sort of thinking is driven by the short-term and narrow-minded obsession with the pursuit of consumption of resources and energy.
What the world attempted at Kyoto is to acknowledge the long-term consequences of emissions and thus pursue a path of sustainable development. Unfortunately, from the outset, Kyoto was dogged by the disappointment that the biggest polluter, the United States, would not submit to the global long-term view, and chose instead its narrow self- interest.
The emissions debate has further been set back by the preposterousness of trading emissions. On paper, the idea seemed good, but in practice it does not discourage emissions pollution, and only ensures that the pollution ghettos will eventually develop as the rich and developed ``export'' their pollution. Thank you. [Applause.]