Debate of the Day 7: Should the US have signed the Kyoto Protocol?

Given Dana1981's post yesterday about Bush's "plan" to address global warming, did the US make a mistake by not signing the Kyoto Protocol?

According to a press release 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 limitation represents a 29% cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions of six greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons - averaged over the period of 2008-2012. National limitations 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.

Hehe this is an easy one.  Abso-friggin'-lutely!  Can't totally blame Bush on this one though - Clinton and Gore should have done a lot more to get Congress to ratify it when they signed it in 1997, and Congress should have done so.  In fact, I think every senator voted against it.

Of course, at the time the scientific evidence supporting man-made global warming wasn't as strong as it was today, but I certainly think it was strong enough to ratify Kyoto anyway.  The concerns were that

1. It would constrain US economic growth.
2. It gave countries like China and India a 'pass' not to reduce their emissions.

I don't think #1 is necessarily true, if we were smart about it.  In order to reduce emissions, you need to invest in alternative energy, build new infrastructure, which creates new jobs, etc.

#2 is a lame excuse because we got rich by emitting greenhouse gases, so I don't blame developing countries for wanting developed countries to lead the way in reducing emissions.  Obviously China and India will have to follow suit in the near future, but we need to lead the way.

about #1.. not exactly true...BUT in Bush's admin is was certainly true. The oil hog he is, he has no intention of enhancing green technology, business. He just wanted to go swimming in black gold.

States are encouraging it more so than ever. The Feds will follow.

Like Clinton said in his Global Initiative, we need to centralize it.