Here is what I can tell you about my first country. Germany is located in Central Europe. It has a population of 83,422,299 as of July 2006. It has the largest economy in Europe and the second largest population. The three most serious issues in the environment are: emissions from coal burning industries, water pollution in the Baltic Sea and a way to get rid of nuclear waste from the nuclear power plants. All of these have to do with global warming, one connects with the other.
In 2005 Sigmar Gabriel the Environmental Minister stated that Germany needs a plan for global warming. He suggested Germany come up with a plan to deal with climate change. The Federal Environmental Agency presented a plan where the agency could look at the research available and begin to figure out more efficient ways of using renewable energy sources.
Germany also participated in the Kyoto Conference. In simple terms the Kyoto Protocol is an agreement or treaty made between nations to cut down greenhouse gases by 5% of their 1990 figures. The first conference was held on December 11, 1997 in Kyoto, Japan sponsored by the United Nations. There were 160 countries involved in this conference. Since then 168 countries have signed the agreement. The Kyoto Conference is important because it is proof we cannot solve the problems ourselves and the countries that are the richest must help the countries that are struggling. As of yet the United States and Australia have not signed this treaty. Germany has signed this treaty.
Germany is also a member of the European Union and the Union has asked Germany to be the leader in reducing greenhouses gasses. My Mom is German and she told me that Germans will be more than happy to take buses and use public transportation to help the planet but everyone of the twenty seven EU members should do this too. The problem is; other countries look to Germany for guidance and to make an effort to cut greenhouse gases. This will be difficult for Germany because of the auto industry is a major part of the economy and probably most impacted by cutting greenhouse gases. The European Union wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020. Germany agrees this is a number one priority.
One small thing the German Environmental Ministry is trying to do is to calculate how much greenhouse gases are emitted by its employees. Once they figure out how much their employees produce in greenhouse gases they will try to figure a way to have zero greenhouse emissions. Hopefully, after other agencies in Germany see this is not going to affect the way the work they will follow this example too. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel who is also the Chair of the European Union is pushing for all of Europe to set strict guidelines and come up with alternatives to fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Europe is responsible for 15% of the total CO2 emissions world wide. This why other industrial countries must make the same commitment Germany and the European Union are willing to make to help save the planet.
