Scientific Literacy: Global Warming: Working Group Procedures

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Working Group Procedures

Goal: At the end of your 60 minute session, the country representatives will bring to the general meeting the compromise proposals you have negotiated.

Recorders (on chart paper):

Record ideas during the discussion
Record key points of the proposal agreed upon
Bring the proposal to the general meeting

Facilitators:

Give all student participants adequate opportunity to express their views.
Adults in the audience may ask questions or give ideas, but should not dominate the discussion.
Adjourn the meeting to hear all proposals and proceed with voting.

Country or Regional Representatives (bring your proposal which includes):

What % emissions cuts below the 1990 levels (if any) do you favor?
By what years should these levels be met?
Should the emissions cuts be voluntary or mandatory?
Do you favor carbon tax? energy tax? emissions credit trading? Why?
What policies can your government take to promote decreased fossil fuel use by industries (power plants, manufacturing, etc.) and individual citizens (cars, appliances, heating, recycling, etc.) so as to meet the proposed emissions reductions.
What kinds of incentives, both positive and negative, can you devise?

Interested Parties:

Anticipate what the country or regional representatives are going to propose.
What kind of policies could you support?
What kind of incentives would motivate you?

Examples of Emission Cuts from Kyoto

The European Union has called for 15% cuts in major greenhouse gases by the year 2010
Japan, aspiring to a central role in consensus building, proposes a 5% reduction average during the years 2008-2012, but would encourage individual countries to establish lower targets.
The United States has proposed that between 2008-2012 the emissions would decrease to 1990 levels which were 7.5%.
The G-77 and China would like emissions reduced to 7.5% by 2005, 15% by 2010 and 35% by 2020.
The Alliance of Small Island States wants a 20% reduction by 2005.

Procedure:

Each country or region representative will state their proposal.
Interested parties will discuss the features of the proposal. You are also expected to explain your views and lobby for them.
Country or region representatives will decide what modifications they are willing to make to their initial proposals.
Facilitators should help committee members determine whether key points are close enough to combine on a joint proposal.
Key points are to be dictated to the recorders to write on chart paper for the whole assembly.
As time allows the committee will collaborate to flesh out plans for implementation. How will governments support this plan?