The text of the Kyoto Protocol was finalized in 1997.

In early December of 1997, representatives from more than 170 nations met in Kyoto, Japan, to negotiate a treaty to reduce the levels of human-caused “greenhouse gas” emissions. The gases in question—carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride—are believed by many scientists to be playing a role in the recent increases in the average global temperature. There is no disagreement among scientists that the trend of the increasing temperatures, called “global warming,” is occurring. There is, however, disagreement as to whether the trend is just a natural part of the cooling and warming trends that occur on Earth over time, or whether human industrial activity—specifically, the emissions of these gases—is playing a role. There are many scientists and experts on both sides of the issue, but the assumption at Kyoto was that action should be taken to limit the emissions of these gases. To this end, the conferees, under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, drafted the Kyoto Protocol, which was then submitted to those nations' governments for approval. Many nations did sign on, but the treaty has yet to go into effect, due in large measure to lack of ratification by the United States. The United States Senate saw the treaty as fundamentally flawed and did not ratify it. Among the problems raised were the lack of equality in the degree to which each nation was required to reduce emissions, the costs, the loss of sovereignty and the eventual effectiveness of reaching the protocol’s stated aims through the means it required. The issues of global warming, the “greenhouse effect,” and the Kyoto Protocol continue to be hotly debated today, as matters of domestic, foreign, economic and environmental policy.

Xpeditions
Creative Climates (K–12) is a multi-age activity that has students pretend they are head of a new National Geographic Climate Observation Post, where they must create a Climate Map to illustrate the world's various climate zones. This and other weather-related activities illustrate the world's diverse climate zones and illustrate how climate affects human life.

In Photosynthesis, Trees, and the Greenhouse Effect (6–8), students watch a video about photosynthesis and then transfer their understanding of this topic to a consideration of how trees can help reduce the negative impacts of the greenhouse effect. Students do reading and research on different programs for tree planting and speculate as to how these programs might help reduce or slow down the increase of the greenhouse effect. They conclude by writing paragraphs telling younger students about the benefits of trees and plants.

Climate and CO2: Analyzing Their Relationship (9–12) helps high-school students learn about the greenhouse effect. Students research the Kyoto conference and then write fact-based stories outlining scenarios in a future world climate altered by the greenhouse effect.

Science NetLinks
Ozone Fill-Up (6–12) includes an interview with an environmental chemist who discusses the critical role the ozone layer plays in the environment. A layer of ozone high up in the atmosphere helps block harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth. But in the 1980s, scientists realized that a hole in this protective ozone had formed over Antarctica. This Science Update explores creative ideas for closing the gap.

In the Science Update Soil & Global Warming (6–12), scientist Jim Amonette of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory talks about one of the biggest environmental worries, global warming, which is caused by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

Abrupt Climate Change (9–12) focuses on the current issue of abrupt climate change in order to help students understand the process by which scientific knowledge is developed and refined.