SANTA BARBARA PROTOCOL TO BE INCLUDED AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE KYOTO PROTOCOL TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE The Parties to this Protocol, Being Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, hereinafter referred to as "the Convention," In pursuit of the ultimate objective of establishing an environmental protocol that promotes sustainable development, Acknowledging that change in the Earth's climate and its adverse effects are a common concern of humankind, Concerned that human activities have been substantially increasing the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, that these increases enhance the natural greenhouse effect, and that this will result on average in an additional warming of the Earth's surface and atmosphere and may adversely affect natural ecosystems and humankind, Aware of the limited resources of non-renewable energy, and the likelihood of international conflict arising from the dependence of energy between nations, Aware of the role and importance of terrestrial and marine ecosystems of sinks and reservoirs in absorbing greenhouse gases emitted by human activities, Propose this amendment to the Kyoto protocol as a global effort--under the lead of capable “A1” nations with substantive support from “A2” nations and able support of “B” --to stabilize climate change with wide ranging programs that require active cooperation and sustained effort at global, regional, national, and local levels. Have agreed to amend the Kyoto protocol as follows: Article 1 – Definitions For the purposes of this amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, the definitions contained in Article 1 of the Convention and in Article 1 of the Kyoto Protocol shall apply. In addition, the following extended definitions and abridged scientific explanations shall serve as reference to this amendment: Aftermarket Emissions-Reduction Devices: certain add-on components to be added onto already manufactured vehicles designed to reduce emissions. Alternative Energy: Any form of energy creation that is not primarily fossil fuel-based. (Includes Nuclear Power). Alternative Fuel Research: Market research on new technologies that would provide alternatives to fossil fuel-based energies. Anthropogenic Carbon Sink: A carbon sink that is enhanced by human interference; examples of this include cultivated forests or a marine ecosystems nurtured beyond natural potentials Biodiesel: Any liquid biofuel suitable as a diesel fuel substitute or diesel fuel additive or extender. Biodiesel fuels are typically made from oils such as soybeans, rapeseed, or sunflowers, or from animal tallow. Biodiesel can also be made from hydrocarbons derived from agricultural products such as rice hulls. Capacity Building: The development and/or strengthening of human resources and institutional capacities so that technology transfer can be both possible and effective. Carbon Sinks: Ecosystems that act as carbon reservoirs and can reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere; part of the carbon cycle Carbon Unit: A unit which is allotted to signatory nations and can be bought and sold on an open carbon market; 1 carbon unit is equal to 1 ton of CO2 or GHG equivalent Catalytic Converter: An anti-pollution device located between a vehicle's engine and tailpipe. Catalytic converters work by facilitating chemical reactions that convert exhaust pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides to normal atmospheric gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water. Category A1 countries: Signatory countries whose annual GDP per capita exceeds US$17,000. Category A2 countries: Signatory countries that emit over 2% of the total global emissions but whose annual GDP per capita is less than US$17,000. Category B countries: All other signatory nations that are not classified as A1 or A2. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): Either a bilateral effort between category A1 or A2 countries and a category B country, in which the category A1 (or A2) country receives carbon credits equal to the potential carbon saved, or a unilateral effort by a category B country in which it receives carbon credits equal to potential carbon saved, which it can sell on the market. CO2 equivalent: Used to quantify the global warming potential (GWP) of a gas or particulate relative to that of CO2. The CO2 equivalent is calculated by multiplying the quantity of a gas by its GWP. Diesel Combustion Engine: a type of internal-combustion engine in which atomized fuel oil is sprayed into the cylinder and ignited by compression alone. Efficiency: the ratio of output to input in a system. Emissions Sequestered: This refers to the amount of carbon that a sink can remove from the atmosphere Ethanol: An alternative fuel; a liquid alcohol fuel with vapor heavier than air; produced from agricultural products such as corn, grain and sugar cane. Filter: device that removes something from whatever passes through it. Free Transportation Passes: Token to allow persons free access to public transport system. Fuel Additives: Additives to fuel that improve performance and/or distribution. Fuel Line: A hose that carries fuel from the fuel tank to the engine. Fossil Fuel: A naturally occurring carbon or hydrocarbon fuel such as coal, natural gas and oil, formed by the decomposition of pre-historic organisms. GDP per Capita: Total gross domestic product of a country divided by the total population Grandfathering: An industry term refering to using historic emissions levels as a current level or standard Global Warming Potential (GWP): Ameasure of the relative contribution of a greenhouse gas to radiative forcing High Technology: Technology involved in the creation of energy; this includes technology that makes the creation of energy from a given source more efficient. Hydrocarbon (HC) : An organic chemical compound consisting only of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the gaseous, liquid or solid phase. Hydrogen Fuel Cell: A fuel cell technology that uses hydrogen as fuel and emits no greenhouse gases; the byproduct of fuel cell combustion is water. Ignition: The condition that occurs when a fusion reaction continues to produce energy without further external heating. Methanol: A light, volatile alcohol (CH3OH) eligible for motor gasoline blending. Mobile Emissions Sources: Vehicles Found on Roads and Highways. Nitrous Oxide: Gas found in the atmosphere that contributes to the greenhouse effect. Sources for nitrous oxide include: land-use conversion; fossil fuel combustion; biomass burning; and soil fertilization. Chemical formula for nitrous oxide is N2O. Overpopulation: excessive population of an area to the point of overcrowding, depleting natural resources, inducing famine and/or environmental deterioration. Particulate: A very small solid suspended in air or water which can vary widely in size, shape, density, and electrical charge. Petroleum: A broadly defined class of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures. Included are crude oil, lease condensate, unfinished oils, refined products obtained from the processing of crude oil, and natural gas plant liquids. Petroleum Combustion Engine: Combustion engines use the pressure created by the expansion of the gases from fossil fuels to do mechanical work. Population Assistance: any funding or aid to help developing countries curb their population Renewable Energy: Any energy resource that is naturally regenerated over a short time-scale and derived directly from the sun, indirectly from the sun or from other natural movements and mechanisms of the environment. Retrofitting: Adding or making adjustments to already existing vehicles. Selective Catalytic Reduction Systems: Filtration systems retrofitted on to older vehicles Sulfur Dioxide: A criteria air pollutant (what is that ?). Sulfur dioxide is a gas produced by burning coal, most notably in power plants. Some industrial processes, such as production of paper and smelting of metals, produce sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is closely related to sulfuric acid, a strong acid. Sulfur dioxide plays an important role in the production of acid rain. Tax Break: A tax deduction that is granted in order to encourage a particular type of commercial activity. Tax Credit: A direct dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax allowed for expenses such as low emissions vehicles. Transportation: Facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods which produces greenhouse gas emission. Tropospheric Ozone: Ground level manifestation of the O3 molecule, a toxin. Unit Allocation: This refers to the number of units a country is initially granted. Unit allocation is grandfathered according to 2000 levels Unleaded Petroleum: Gas that has not been treated with a lead compound. Vehicle: A conveyance that transports people or objects and emits greenhouse gas. Vehicular Emissions: Substances produced in the combustion reactions of diesel and petroleum or other fuels which feed global warming or become aerosols and contribute to air pollution. Vehicular Emissions Standards: Rules to which manufacturers must comply regulating amount of greenhouse gas emitted by vehicles. Article 2 – Principles Henceforth, the following principles shall be adhered to by all signatory nations: Sustainable Development: The Parties have a right to, and should, promote sustainable development. The philosophy to provide for today without compromising the ability of future generations to provide for themselves shall be held in the highest regard. Policies and measures to protect the climate system against human-induced change should be appropriate for the specific conditions of each Party and should be integrated with national development programs (i.e.- renewable energy sources), taking into account that economic development is essential for adopting measures to address climate change. Precautionary Principle: Signatory Nations should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing such measures, taking into account that policies and measures to deal with climate change should be cost-effective so as to ensure national benefits at the lowest possible cost. To achieve this, such policies and measures should take into account different socio-economic contexts, be comprehensive, cover all relevant sources, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases and adaptation, and comprise all economic sectors. Efforts to address climate change may be carried out cooperatively by all international agencies and national branches of government. Common, but Differentiated Responsibilities: • Category A1 nations should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind in an equitable way which reflects their current status as a world leaders. As a developed country, the need to take the lead in addressing climate change and the adverse effects thereof shall be recognized. • The specific needs and special circumstances of developing country Parties (i.e.- Category A2 countries), especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, and of those Parties, especially developing country Parties, that would have to bear a disproportionate or abnormal burden under the Convention, should be given full consideration while the need to recognize that, in their stage of development, these nations contribute significantly to global GHG emissions shall be considered. Sovereignty Principle: While recognizing this principle, all nations reserve the independent right to make the ultimate decision in the usage and worth of their capital/resources pursuant to their own environmental, economic, medical, governmental, and developmental policies and future. Duty to Cooperate: Signatory nations will recognize the fact that international cooperation is imperative to reaching the ultimate goal of reducing global GHG emission levels for the sustainable advancement of the Earth; Cooperation efforts will include participation in the carbon trade and in Clean Development Mechanisms, adhering to the principles regarding alternative energy, vehicle emissions and technology transfers, meeting the requirements of the PRB to educate and slow the population growth rate, and complying to all financial matters outlined by this protocol. When economic hardship is a factor in compliance with this principle, let it be known that further international cooperation efforts may become necessary to ensure the carrying out of the stated principles. Guardians of the Earth: It will be recognized by all nations that we together are the rulers of all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; Parties to this protocol will work towards the conservation of the natural resources in their said territories; It shall be known that the importance of this principle lies in the fact that degradation of natural ecosystems will lead to fluctuations in the carbon cycle and hence adverse effects to global warming; The economic implications this may bestow upon nations will be recognized and minimized, while the protection of the biodiversity of a country will be of utmost priority. Article 3 – Amendment The Parties recognizing that: 1) Anthropogenic GHG emissions have the largest human-induced impact on climate at this time; 2) The global reductions in GHG emissions required to fully abate its detrimental impacts will have a high cost, will require sacrifice and the fellowship of mankind in a manner never achieved before, and will take time to be effective; Propose an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol that endorses an active reduction of the main emissions defined in Article 1 of the Kyoto Protocol leading to global warming (positive radiative forcing) by all Parties, while acknowledging the difference between and within the Parties that are still developing and those that are developed. The terms of commitment in this amendment are relative to each Party's individual needs, abilities and willingness to cooperate. Through this amendment the Parties commit to a strategy whereby each participating Party focuses on limiting emissions that lead to a positive radiative forcing and therefore, shall. a) On signing of the agreement, implement a carbon emission credit trading strategy (as is described in Article 4), b) Promote the development of a technology sharing and transfer program involving cooperative partnerships between nations through which carbon credits can be earned through the exchange of clean development mechanisms (CDM’s) that verifiably reduced emissions/potential emissions in a Category A2 or B country (as described in article 5), c) Develop a strategy that promotes a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy that reflects the abilities of the Parties (as described in article 6). d) Develop and implement an integrated transportation emission limitation strategy that will lead to the stabilization and eventual reduction of GHG emissions and other pollutants from transportation globally (as described in article 7), e) Acknowledging the importance of population growth as a factor in greenhouse gas emissions, promote the stabilization of population through a centralized committee to distribute funds from Category A1 to Category A2 and B countries (as described in article 8). Article 4 - GHG Emissions Trading The Parties of this protocol agree to use emissions trading as a method of attaining global goals of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Category A1 nations signatory to this protocol agree to: 1) Reduce Greenhouse gas emission levels to 10% below 1990 levels, 2) Stabilize emissions within 3 years of the signing of this agreement, and then reduce emission levels by 1% annually until targets are reached; 3) Trade carbon units exclusively with signatory nations; 4) Use the purchase and sale of carbon units to remain in accordance with target emission levels as outlined in 1); 5) Pay a 2% tax on the market price per unit of carbon traded as the buyer of emission units 6) Provide annual emission reports to UN committee. Category A2 nations signatory of this protocol agree to: 1) Enter into the emissions trading market upon reaching either of the two criteria i) GDP per capita greater than $17,000 as of 2004 using 4% inflation, ii) or upon emitting at or above 10T of Greenhouse Gas emissions per person 2) Reduce Greenhouse gas emission levels to 10% below 1990 levels, 3) Stabilize emissions within 5 years of the signing of this agreement, and then reduce emission levels by 0.5% annually until targets are reached; 4) Trade carbon units exclusively with complying nations, 5) Use the purchase and sale of units to remain in balance with target emission levels; 6) Be charged a 2% tax on the market price per unit of carbon traded; 7) Provide annual emission reports to UN committee. All Category B nations signatory to this agreement agree to: 1) Participate in the market in two possible ways: a. Through clean development mechanisms from categories A1 and A2 in which case these countries will receive units for amount of emission reduced in that country b. Through clean development mechanisms from categories A1 and A2 with B in which case the A1 and A2 countries will receive 80% of units for amount of emission reduced in the B country an the B country will receive 20% c. By initiating internal CDM such as anthropogenic carbon sink enhancements, the category B nations will receive the units which they can then sell on the open market; 2) Enter into the emissions trading market upon reaching either of the two criteria i) GDP per capita greater than $17,000 as of 2004 using 4% inflation, ii) and upon emitting at or above 2% of global Greenhouse Gas emissions; 3) At time of entrance into the market, receive emission units equal to that of countries that had similar emission levels upon entering the market. The nations signatory of this protocol shall agree to abide by these guidelines and rules for the implementation of the emissions trading market: 1) A UN committee will be established by the signatory nations to oversee the emissions trading market with the following responsibilities: a) Measure global GHG emissions, through variable spot check, scientific emission level data obtained by UN committee scientists; b) Audit emissions reports from member countries; c) Provide nations the equipment and technical support to measure GHG emissions in those nations lacking that ability; d) Conduct random verification of emission reports; e) Re-assess emission targets every 5 years; f) Broker trading on the international emission trading market; g) Collect 2% tax per unit on all emissions trading; h) Use funds generated from tax to operate the UN committee and will be subject to the committee’s management; i) Enforce penalties on non-complying nations of the amount over their target level plus a 1% penalty tax. j) Hold signatory nations legally responsible for meeting penalties and review each penalty case by the UN committee for possible solutions. 2) Allocation of emission trading units: a) 1 unit = 1 ton CO2 emissions, 1 unit = .2 tons CH4 emissions, 1 unit = .01 tons NO2 emissions; b) Units will be allocated according to 2005 levels to all A1 and A2 countries. c) All nations can gain emission units through Clean Development Mechanisms where A2 and B category nations reduce greenhouse gas emissions through aid or technology transfer from other nations; d) Once measurements of carbon sinks can be accurately quantified, nations that have growth in anthropogenic sinks will receive unit equal to the amount of emissions sequestered. e) Additional units equal to 5% of the sum of all 2005 allocations will be distributed initially to encourage trading and immediate establishment of a viable carbon market. These additional units will be allocated to A1, A2 and B countries on the basis of total emissions. Countries will receive a portion of these additional units that is inversely proportional to their contribution to the total global emissions. Article 5 - Technology Transfer The Parties signatory to this protocol agree that the transfer of technologies is necessary for uniform environmental monitoring and global greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Technology transfer represents a way to promote the widespread development of high and low (e.g., projects classified as energy and other technologies) sustainable technologies that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and related impacts. The nations signatory to this protocol consent to abide by the following guidelines for the design and implementation of the technology transfer system: 1) A technology transfer action sub-committee of the general governing body will be established to provide a management framework for addressing technology transfer issues under this protocol. 2) The Parties recognize: i) Signatory participants will be considered as they are classified under the protocol as generally, with Category A1 countries being sources of technology and Category A2 and B countries receiving technology ii) This action will govern technology in relation to other actions of the protocol to assist the Parties in meeting emissions reductions and energy production requirements set forth under the Alternative Energy and Carbon Trading Articles: (1) Carbon trading units equal to the verifiable amount of emissions displaced by a technology transfer (including capacity building) project will be granted to a donor of technology from the available credits of the recipient to support Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs) with an 80/20% partitioning. The carbon trading tax on the sale of credits in the market will not be applied to the exchange of carbon credits for technology. (2) Feedback in the form of reports and reviews on transfer projects will be provided to source countries and potential recipient countries to encourage the dissemination of sustainable technology and information. This action will support mutual development of sustainable technology in source countries to meet renewable energy production requirements under the Renewable Energy Article. iii) The sub-committee will be funded by proceeds from taxes, fines and other revenue collected under the Alternative Article (fines from failing to meet criteria) and Carbon Trading system (taxes and penalties in the carbon trading market). Additional funding will be sought from donations by industry and country participants as they will benefit from technology transfer activities under this protocol. iv) The sub-committee will be comprised of administrative sections with representatives from participating countries under the following: (1) Social and Economic Advisor; (2) Technological Advisor; (3) Environmental Advisor v) The sub-committee will oversee the following: (1) ongoing analysis of potential sustainable development projects; (2) coordination of, facilitation of, and mediation (of negotiations between countries) for technology transfer projects; (3) repositories and sharing of information and technological knowledge; production of feasibility, progress reports and project/site reviews. This is to provide feedback to country and industry participants, and the general governing body of the protocol (4) international and national public awareness campaigns of low technology projects. vi) The sub-committee will implement the followings: (1) outlines for industry participation and capacity building to maintain national sovereignty and intellectual property laws; Capacity building programs funded within individual projects will accompany the transfer and development of both types of technologies as deemed necessary on a per-project basis. (2) consultative services for the recommendation and oversight of expanding and standardizing the use of technology for environmental monitoring and operator training in all nations signatory to this agreement. 3) High technology or energy sector programs will be established that will focus on: i) solar, wind, hydroelectric and biomass for renewable energy production and; ii) fuel switching, clean coal, and improved efficiency technologies for renewable energy production. iii) nuclear energy technology is not considered viable under this agreement. in deference to concerns on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and considering it is non-renewable and nuclear waste is long lived and toxic 4) Low technology programs will be established that will focus on: i) biomass conservation, sustainable commercial production, promotion of energy efficiency and basic sanitation, and coastal adaptation ii) promotion of carbon reducing technologies and practices, and the development and protection of carbon sinks. The sub-committee will seek research into methods of quantifying such carbon reductions to allow grants of carbon units for technology projects not related to energy production. Article 6 - Renewable Energy Sources The Parties to this agreement recognize that the use of fossil fuels for energy generation has a detrimental impact on global climate change, ecosystems and humans. All Parties recognize that developing renewable energy technology is necessary to create electricity without producing GHG and other pollutants in order to ensure that the magnitude of the impacts is kept to a minimum. All Parties in this agreement have the long-term goal to transfer fossil fuel based technology to renewable technology. The Parties to this protocol, in accordance with the capabilities of each party, agree to: I. Mandate the use of renewable energy sources such that: a) Category A1 countries will adhere to the following targets for percentage of total electricity generated from renewable sources: • 2010 – 10% • 2015 – 15% • 2020 – 20% b) Category A2 countries will adhere to the following targets as a percentage of new electricity generation from renewable sources: • 2010 – 10% • 2015 – 15% • 2020 – 20% c) Category B countries will adhere to the following targets as a percentage of new electricity generation from renewable sources: • 2010 – 5% • 2015 – 10% • 2020 – 15% II. Funding for Alternative Energy a) Governments and multi-lateral agencies will provide low interest loans for research and development projects in renewable energy technology; b) Tax breaks are encouraged to increase private investment in renewable energy sources; i) Tax incentives will be unique to each country or state’s economy. ii) Tax incentives are encouraged for grid and non-grid connections. c) Rebates on purchases of renewable energy sources at the residential, commercial and industrial level are recommended to encourage private sector investment. i) Rebates will be designed around each country or states economy ii) Rebates will be available for grid and non-grid connections III. Reporting and Monitoring An independent committee will be formed and funded from funds created from taxing carbon trading.mIts role will to be monitor, regulate and enforce the targets proposed above. 1) Each country will provide an annual report on current and future (how much in advance?) status of renewable energy within their country to the independent committee. i) Reports will be open to review and audit by an independent committee (which one?). ii) Errors in reporting will be punished first with an official warning; failure to correct the error within 1 calendar year will result in Carbon fines. iii) Results of reports will be published in a league table highlighting progress, negative trends and best performance. IV. Enforcement a) Carbon credits will be deducted for failure to meet targets – number of credits to be decided by carbon trading committee. An amount equal to the difference between target renewable energy percentage and actual renewable energy percentage will be applied to total greenhouse gases emitted from energy production of violating country and that amount of units will be deducted form violating country carbon allocation. b) If deduction creates excess carbon units they will be allocated to the countries who outperform their target levels. V. Collaboration Parties will be encouraged to: • Attend an annual international conference on renewable energy to promote cooperation, ideas and review targets of the protocol; (the review of the targets is only encouraged? How about planning it in advance?). • Support and promote education regarding the importance of renewable energy in climate change to engage public interest; • Share renewable technologies in accordance with technology transfer article Article 7 - Transportation The Parties of this protocol, acknowledging evidence that up to 15% of anthropogenic emissions worldwide are produced by the transportation sector, with 80% of this figure due to mobile emissions sources, and that complexities exist therein including global dependence on petroleum and the spectrum of vehicular emissions standards and programs now extant in the various nations party to this protocol, do now assent to the following steps to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from transportation: I. To Establish Standards for New Vehicles To be achieved by the year 2020, with each substandard participatory nation required to reduce the gap between current national standards and the goal to reduce all emissions listed below, or just CO2? by 20% in the first five years, 30% in the second five years, and the final 50% to be completed within or before the final 5 years of the term of this program. 1. Carbon emissions from petroleum combustion engines: 2.1 g/km. 2. Hydrocarbon and nitrous oxide emissions from petroleum combustion engines: 0.5 g/km. 3. Carbon emissions from diesel combustion engines: 1.0 g/km. 4. Particulate emissions from diesel combustion engines: 0.08 g/km. 5. Hydrocarbon and nitrous oxide emissions from diesel combustion engines: 0.7 g/km. 6. Sulfur dioxide content in both petroleum and diesel combustion engines: 50 ppm. 7. Tropospheric ozone: 0.08 ppm over an 8 hour period in large cities with heavy traffic. II. To Initiate Action Pertaining to Already Manufactured Vehicles: Due to the proportion of pollution produced by vehicles of older manufacture compared to new, it is necessary to impose these requirements, also to be approached in the same percentages and 10 year increments: Aftermarket emissions-reduction devices such as fuel additives, devices for the fuel line and ignition of a vehicle and selective catalytic reduction systems are to be retrofitted to those vehicles outside current standards of emission in any nation to bring the vehicle up to at least half the efficiency mandated in current standards; in nations where there are no current standards for vehicular emissions this step may be deferred until the first 5 year period is achieved, at which point the standards imposed to achieve that compliance will be used as the baseline for comparison. III. To Establish an Enforcement Mechanism Annual reports of emissions standards and levels will be presented at meetings of the Committee of Environmentally Sound Transportation (a UN sub-committee), which will be composed of two members of each party. The board will review the reports given by each nation and ascertain degree of compliance; reports will also be randomly subject to a complete audit. Any nation which fails to achieve promised levels of emissions, or is found to have falsified its report in any way, will answer to the committee for breach of contract. Punishment amounts to an increase in the contribution of the nation to the committee. One thousandth of a percentage of the GDP of each party will be allocated to the committee; this number doubles for each year a country fails to meet standards. Thus by the second year of noncompliance, .004% or four times ordinary fees are being rendered. This will be capped to a maximum of 0.05% GDP. Any money in excess of that needed in order to operate the committee and verify reports is to be reinvested in alternative fuel research, particularly in those nations experiencing trouble complying with the standards in order to assist reduction of emissions. IV. To Evaluate the Methods of Compliance Legislation must be at the discretion of autonomous nations; however, recommendations for reduction of emissions are as follows: 1. Place restrictions on manufacturers limiting emissions in new vehicles, including an infrastructure of incentive and punitive measures such as tax breaks for cooperation and fines or lawsuits for failure to heed national legislation; 2. Encourage alternative fuel use, including hydrogen fuel cells, biodiesel, methanol, ethanol and the more clean and efficient ways in which these can be combined with fossil fuels. 3. Convert to unleaded petroleum in those regions which have not already done so. 4. Explore potential for tax credits to be applied to purchase of alternative fuel (or hybrid) vehicles. 5. Expand public transportation in large cities and provide incentives for its use, including but not limited to free passes for students and workers 6. Impose taxes on individual households with an excessive number of vehicles; use these funds to subsidize the retrofitting of older vehicles with filters or catalytic converters as a method of encouragement. 7. Improve inspection and maintenance of vehicles after manufacture in order to promote increased efficiency and longer life. Article 8 – Population All Parties signatory to this protocol agree that rapid population growth presents a dangerous burden for many countries. Promoting better health and more education are essential for increasing the quality of life in these countries and decreasing the negative impacts upon the environment by controlling population growth. The Parties acknowledge that the most efficient way to ease the burden on countries with rapid population growth are through increased levels of education for women and family planning programs, especially since the education of women and children has been proven to be a highly effective strategy in decreasing fertility rates. All Parties acknowledge that an immediate and concerted effort towards curbing global population growth is necessary and therefore agree to organize, fund, and participate in a Population Review Board aimed at vigorously addressing this urgent population issue. The PRB shall convene once a year and provide an assessment of the various programs every five years starting one year after signing the protocol, at which time participating Parties shall present their budget, objectives of current actions, and proposals for future programs. I. Funding Category A1 Countries agree to donate 0.2% per year of their annual GDP directly to the PRB for an initial period of at least 5 years. Category A2 Countries give 0.1% per year of their annual GDPs and may qualify for aid, and Category B Countries receive aid. If a country’s category status changes, the amount of donated aid changes accordingly. II. Programs The Parties signatory to this agreement agree that basing the disbursement of funds on already existing (but ill-funded) programs (when they exist) represents the most efficient approach at this time to rapidly curbing population. They consequently support the allocation of funds to the followings programs: a. Population Assistance i. Family Planning Clinics with the main goal of teaching about and administering contraceptives ii. Reproductive Health b. Education i. Women and children III. Implementation of Programs a. The focus of the PRB is on providing continued and reliable monetary support to existing programs. Money shall be allotted based on need and the urgency of that need – the most overly populated countries will be given priority, and so on down the scale. b. Only programs that provide population assistance, that further the education of women and children are eligible for funding, prioritized in that order. c. New programs will only be funded when and if there is significant need in a region where no programs exist. Under these circumstances, an International Volunteer Group shall be established to go into these countries to provide population assistance through education and contraceptives, until a permanent facility can be established. IV. Representation on the board a. A1 countries shall have three representatives on the board. b. A2 countries shall have two representatives on the board. c. All B countries shall have one representative on the board. d. The UNFPA shall have three representatives on the board, all Parties acknowledging the need for guidance and mediation in deciding which countries and programs the board shall fund.