The future of the world's climate change treaty is being debated by up to 10,000 delegates from 189 nations at a UN conference which opened in Canada today.
The United States and Australia have rejected the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by developed countries. They have described it as a strait-jacket threatening economic growth.
However, Britain's leading scientist has warned that spiralling pollution poses a threat just as catastrophic as weapons of mass destruction.
Most scientists believe we face more storms, droughts and rising sea levels because world temperatures are rising due to the burning of fossil fuels such as petrol, oil and coal.
The Kyoto Protocol was designed to reduce harmful heat-trapping gasses, like carbon dioxide. The treaty runs out in 2012.
The protocol only became operational earlier this year, when the Russian Federation signed up and enough countries were involved to make it legally binding.
However, the US and Australia argue the protocol hurts economic development by placing financial penalties on people who fail to reduce carbon dioxide.
The aim of the conference is to get emerging economic powerhouses like China and India to cut emissions and insure the US and Australia will come onboard.
