Opinion: The world does not wait on the U.S.--Kyoto enacted

11/13/04This week 190 countries are making history in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After years of delay and debate, the Kyoto Protocol will finally be enacted. Kyoto, the world's first treaty requiring signatories to cut emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming, was negotiated in 1997. Ratification of the treaty was put on hold after the United States, under the leadership of President George Bush, walked away from the convention citing flaws in its approach to cutting carbon dioxide emissions. The president believes that Kyoto is short sighted and has instead focused on a long-term effort to find new ways to produce energy without harmful emissions.

This week's enactment of Kyoto was made possible after Russia decided to ratify the treaty last month after years of indecision. Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes that the treaty will help strengthen economic ties with Western Europe. Russia also stands to profit from the treaty's trading mechanism which allows countries that cannot meet emissions standards immediately to purchase surplus emissions credits from other countries.

Once again, the United States has decided to stand alone while the world works together for a good cause. Last week the nonpartisan National Commission on Energy Policy issued a report addressing and making suggestions on several aspects of the United States energy policy. The report offers incentives and regulations for carbon-producing industries that will hopefully stimulate movement on the national energy policy.
If enacted properly, the president's plan would reduce carbon emissions and help to clean American skies, but it would do little to solve the worldwide problem of global warming. Only collective actions on environmental issues, like the ones being made under Kyoto, will provide sufficient solutions. In the conservative mind of President Bush, international agreements only limit the United States and impose unwanted regulation.

But isn't that what good world citizenship mis all about?

What the president fails to realize is that agreements like Kyoto lessen the burden on the United States by allowing other countries to share the responsibility of carbon emission reduction. He also misses the connection between signing onto international agreements and strengthening ties with allies, which were severely weakened following the United States' unilateral invasion of Iraq.

Now the peoples of the world will move forward with Kyoto and without the United States, a sign that they may no longer be willing to wait for the United States to catch up on issues of top priority such as security, the environment, economic aid, etc. And why should they? President Bush has now thumbed his nose at several international agreements meant to improve environmental and human conditions throughout the world - Kyoto, UN Aids Fund, terrorism, etc.

Perhaps, the world is learning that it can function without the United States....