PARIS -- This is a season of renewed hope and concern for the fate of the Earth's climates. Five thousand delegates from government and civil society gathered last week at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention in Buenos Aires, only weeks after Russia ratified the Kyoto Protocol.
The protocol -- long suspected of being moribund -- will enter into force in mid-February. Although it marks only a small step toward curbing the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases, it is a giant leap if the situation of only a few weeks ago is considered.
Recent weeks have also seen some very disturbing findings in the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report, commissioned by the Arctic Council. The Arctic region has experienced dramatic warming over the past 50 years, with winter temperatures increasing by as much as 3 to 4 C.