The reset idea isn’t limited to international and domestic policy; it includes environmental issues. We asked Vladimir Chouprov, a Russian Greenpeace officer and specialist in energy problems, about global warming, Arctic regional issues, and the possibility of collaboration between Russian and American scientists.

Similarities

“Russia and the United States don’t collaborate directly on environmental issues. Yet, they have the same problems and goals. Specifically, both countries must deal with the problem of waste created in the production of nuclear energy. One common environmental goal for Russia and the United States is to find sustainable alternative energy sources.

“The United States is trying to solve the problem of energy conservation with the help of the Waxman-Markey Bill, which requires entities to pay for their C02 emissions instead of reducing them. The current situation in Russia is similar. One of the main topics of Russian-American environmental collaboration concerns the problem of international nuclear burial sites on Russian territory. These burial sites are still not effective, but potential sites have been chosen. There are government lobbies supporting the idea of transporting nuclear waste to Russia.”

Demilitarized Arctic

“There is an ongoing battle for the energy resources of the Arctic, although the solution seems obvious and simple. It would be wise for our countries just to agree that the Arctic be treated as a demilitarized territory and that it be closed to commercial development, instead of fighting for oil and gas resources. It would be the best solution to avoid military confrontation, but unfortunately, it seems unlikely.”

Copenhagen agreement

“The U.S. refused to ratify the Kyoto protocol, and it seems that the American administration has no intention of ever signing it. While the U.S. is a member of the International Convention on Climate Change, it is a very declarative body and doesn’t act like its member countries have any environmental obligations. Now the United Nations is discussing the next agreement, which will be signed in Copenhagen and would replace the Kyoto protocol. The American administration would like the new agreement to determine a set reduction for CO2 emissions. Russians and Americans agree on that point. If the new agreement does not offer a set reduction, the U.S. will block all the efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions, and also our chances to survive in future.”

Global Warming

“What we can see in Moscow leads us to believe, anecdotally, that global warming does, in fact, exist. It is especially noticeable in the northern part of Russia… Although, some scientists claim that this global warming is just a stage of a climate cycle and that by 2015 the process will go the other way around, it is foolish to bet our future on scientists who are hardly credible. As they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Фото: www.greenpeace.org ( http://www.greenpeace.org/russia/ru/photosvideos/photos/1428251)