The US and Global Warming

The US Still Refuses to Ratify the Kyoto Protocol, so Our Greenhouse Gases Emissions Will Continue to Increase!

The US climate negotiator defends the US stand on the global warming emissions and says the US is unlikely to change its policy. Most countries are under the regulations of the Kyoto Protocol, but the US has refused to ratify this amendment. The reason is because the US is doing better at limiting the growth of the global warming emissions than some of the other countries that are regulated by the Kyoto Protocol. Thomas Watson, the chief US climate negotiator, has even said some of the countries regulated by the Kyoto Protocol are seeing the emissions increase again.

The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment, which is governed by the global legislation under the United Nations, on climate change that allocates set targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases to the nations whom sign it. For those countries that sign and ratify this amendment, they are committed to reduce carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases. If a country does by chance maintain or increase in any of the above emissions, then that country must engage in emissions trading. As of right now over 160 countries are signatories of the Kyoto Protocol.

Details of the Kyoto Protocol agreement from the United Nations Environment Programme:

“The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990 (but note that, compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this target represents a 29% cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions of six greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs – calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-2012. National targets range from 8% reductions for the European Union and some others to 7% for the US, 6% for Japan, 0% for Russia, and permitted increases of 8% for Australia and 10% for Iceland.”