Vice President Al Gore was an architect of the landmark Kyoto Protocol, and in 1997, President Bill Clinton signed the first international pact to halt global warming, caused by greenhouse gases, and the disastrous effects or warming.
Despite promises made in his 2000 campaign, George Bus withdrew US support for the agreement as one of the first acts of his presidency. He dismissed the Kyoto Protocol as too costly for businesses, describing it as "an unrealistic and ever-tightening straitjacket." This, despite the shocking fact that the US produces 25% of greenhouse gases worldwide via manufacturing, our military and gas-powered vehicles.
So the black-gold cowboy who longs to roam without restrictions once again places profits over the health and welfare of humanity and our planet.
The Kyoto Protocol went into effect this week afteer ratification by 141 industrialized countires, including all of Europe. But not the US.
I simplified global warming basics and its destructive effects, and Kyoto Protocol politics here for your reading.
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And this today from the Office of the House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi....
This week, as the Kyoto Protocol goes into effect, the world will take a significant and long-awaited first step toward curbing global warming. But among the 141 participants, there is one glaring absence - the United States.
This Administration has repeatedly defied critical environmental commitments and international cooperation, and its rejection of the Kyoto Protocol is an embarrassing display of both. Despite the overwhelming evidence of global warming, the Bush Administration has ignored the threat and failed to take any meaningful steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
While the President and Republican leadership in Congress dismiss the threat of global warming, many Americans are ready to take up the challenge. We have a responsibility to our children to address this issue today, rather than simply pass it on to future generations.
Read Leader Pelosi's statement.
Learn more about the Administration's record on the environment.
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