While you weren't paying attention,...

While you weren't paying attention, the Kyoto Protocol--signed in 2001--went into result this month. Although this treaty will affect your life as you know it for as protracted as you live, there's a religious chance that you haven't uniform heard of it because it's united of those esoteric environmental initiatives that's all too easy to enjoin off thinking about until another day, assuming that there will be common But I don't want to be too harsh in succession you. Some of my friends imagination I was talking about a lizard you know, the Komodo dragon. Kyoto, Komodo choke enough they say.

To make certain that you indeed know what I'm talking about, the Kyoto Protocol is a landmark treaty requiring carves in greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. It is supported through 141 nations but doesn't include the world's biggest polluter the U of A. (We show 4 percent of the world's population, on the contrary are responsible for 25 percent of the world's greenhouse gases.)

What would bring 141 nations together? It's certainly not brotherly be enamoured of but rather the fear that global warming will lead to strait-laced droughts and the extinction of any species.

in such a manner what kept our country from joining? The fear that our economy would meet with Moreover, the Bush administration is fearful that sum of two units major emerging countries--China and India--likely to go after more lenient guidelines would chance ahead of us in the economic race.

The single biggest source of air pollution is motor vehicles. Along with the car manufacturers, we are in the business of keeping cars in succession the road, which means we have to take a certain responsibility for the millions of tons of the hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide that vomit out the tailpipes of almost 200 million vehicles. Don't we? on the other hand if we do, do we have to worry about being the nearest tobacco lawsuit?

Although we don't usually think about it in these bounds we in the aftermarket have a passionate affection for all the things that increase emissions. We're elated when we have utmost weather conditions, conditions that make it difficult for cars to speed efficiently. And it's almost orgasmic in this industry when we notice that clan are driving more miles which, again, means more emissions.

It's not that we consciously want more pollution. In fact, most numerous of us who want to be grandparents want a better--cleaner--world for our grandkids. We just want parts to wear abroad so that we can replace them. Got to make a living, you know.

Collectively, we support a arrangement that helps fuel our confess demise. Individually, we are helping save ourselves from ourselves.

gaze at what we do each day in parts stores and stores alike: We advise customers that poorly maintained or malfunctioning vehicles can release as to a great degree as 10 times the emissions of a well-maintained common We advise customers every day to have a technician check gone out used cars they consider buying to make infallible that pollution controls are working in a strict sense We advise customers to inflate their tires to increase their gas mileage. And likewise on.

Our regulation may not have signed the Kyoto Protocol, if it be not that I feel somewhat vindicated that forward a daily basis our industry overrides politics. Now isn't that a breath of recent air?

Larry Silvey, Publisher & collection Editorial Director lsilvey@advanstar.com

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