Why hasn't the US ratified the Kyoto Protocol?

Q: Aren't they the only country not to participate? Is it because Americans are the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases?

A: One of the major reasons that the Bush administration has not signed the Kyoto Protocols after the US helped to draft it is due to the fact that major emitters of greenhouse gases can buy credits from countries that have lower emission rates. That means that smaller countries can sell their "credits" that they have because they are below the line required by the Kyoto Protocol to a country like Canada that produces a lot of carbon gases. Even Russia is far below their level and can make millions of dollars selling off their credits, because the line is based on things like size of land, and Russia is obviously not very populated on a sizable portion of its territory. Most of the provisions of the accords only apply to developed countries, and not to those considered "third-world" or "developing." This is considered unfair, and an unfair burden on the larger countries that have to reduce their greenhouse gas emission to 5.2% lower than their countries emission levels in 1990. Furthermore prior to the Kyoto Protocol being presented to the United States for ratification, the Senate passed a resolution, 95-0, called the Byrd-Hagel Resolution, that clearly said the US shall not sign any agreement that did not have fair guidelines for all countries, regardless of whether or not they were developed or developing. President Bush has said that he also does not like the separation and unfair limits for developing and developed countries, and he is wary of the strains that Kyoto would have on the United States economy. However, his unwillingness to present the Protocol to the Senate for ratification has been construed by the rest of the world and many in this country that believe that he doesn't care for the environment. Whether or not that is true as well one can decide on their own, but publicly he has mentioned the unfair limits and worries about the economy as his reasons for not presenting it for ratification. And while America is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases, President Bush is interested in reducing it, but not through the Kyoto Protocol. Most likely that is something that will be left to the next administration in 2008, but it's another story if the environment can wait that long for the United States to start cleaning up its act.

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