The Kyoto Protocol aims to reduce emissions in industrialized countries to five percent below 1990 levels by 2012, however no evidence indicates that this goal will be reached. As a consequence, we will again exceed the Earth s assimilative capacity for greenhouse gases and humankind will push the climate closer to major, irreversible tipping points. Currently, Earth s ability to assimilate greenhouse gases is declining while greenhouse gas emissions are increasing. Climate change is becoming out of humankind s control. Although science may be full of uncertainty, if continuing _business as usual is likely to have catastrophic effects on the biosphere, precautionary measures are justified, even if scientific uncertainty still exists in these areas.