The Kyoto protocol has been adopted by the governments of the various signatory countries as a vital solution to global warming. It aims to reduce man-made emissions of greenhouse gases, which are seen as the main cause of global warming and are present in all productive activities. However, despite enthusiasm for the protocol among environmentalists, politicians and pundits, it is a very risky solution, considering its disastrous economic consequences on our quality of life and the likely insignificance of its impact on the climate.