For those who don't know, the Kyoto Treaty is a binding agreement initially adopted on December 11, 1997 for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The treaty was an addition to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, how about that for an acronym!). The UNFCCC is a broader international environmental treaty who's goal is to achieve "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."
A total of 191 nations/states have already signed and ratified the protocol, so who's the only signatory still holding out? None other than the United States. Although this may make us seem like the bad guys, there are reasons why the treaty failed several times to find ratification by the U.S. Senate and Clinton Administration in 1997 then again in 2001 by the Bush Administration. The primary reason for our nation's historical lack of support for Kyoto is the fact that it would likely harm the American economy and workforce. Signing the treaty would potentially cause a large loss of jobs and would increase our dependence on foreign oil. Also, the treaty's loose restrictions placed on two of the biggest developing countries China and India, didn't resound well with our governmental decision makers.
So we continue to make the right move by not signing, correct? Well, not necessarily. By being one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases, the Kyoto Treaty loses substantial power and meaningfulness without our support. Because of this, the U.S. has received plenty of open criticism from other world leaders saying we have failed in the areas of international cooperation and environmental ethics. It is true that the possible effects to our economy are quite devastating but the truth of the matter is that these effects have not been fully proven.
I believe that if we were to finally sign the Kyoto Treaty, the worldwide effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions would be immediately kick-started. The technological capabilities of the United States are incredibly immense and I believe, upon signing, we would have the leading role placed directly upon our shoulders. This pressure is a lot to deal with, and with the possibility of losing jobs for American people hanging in the forefront it's a responsibility that's tough to decide whether to take on or not.
It is interesting to see the international pressure placed on the United States to adopt the Kyoto Protocol. I would imagine that the emission levels from Brazil, India, China, and other developing nations are substantial enough that these countries would be priorities for emission control as well. While these nations do not have the option to reduce their emissions from a developmental standpoint like the United States does, they should still be a major target for emissions standards treaties.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The international pressure for the United States to sign is astounding. I do agree though that without us signing the Treaty doesn't have much meaning. If we were to then the effort to decrease emissions will be put forth and the earth might stop changing its climate. I find that America is sometimes the trendsetter. If we do this then other countries who haven't thought about this will surely follow.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments guys I agree with both of you. I think the rest of the world looks to the United States as a leading nation and every decision we make is closely scrutinized. It is certainly true that several developing nations are producing very large amounts of emissions and that because they aren't as strong and stable as America they aren't expected to adhere to quite as strict a level of standards. If we take the lead however, and begin a major effort to reduce our emissions, I believe the rest of the world will follow.
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