U.S. Controls Emissions Better than Kyoto

Not surprisingly the free market controls carbon dioxide emissions better than an international treaty. Th e CO2-reduction records of the United States and the signatories of the Kyoto Protocol are proof.

Between 2000 and 2005 the CO2 emissions of the EU-15 increased 3.8 while the U.S.’s emissions went up 2.5.

During the same period the U.S.’s economy grew 40 faster than the EU-15’s and the U.S. population grew twice as fast. U.S. CO2 emissions fell 1.8 from 2005 to 2006—and all greenhouse gas emissions dropped 1.5— while the U.S. economy grew 2.9.

Clearly the U.S. is onto something controlling its emissions while also growing its population and economy.

The international climate change bandwagon has yet to off er a plan for battling emissions anywhere close to as good as the U.S.’s strategy of unleashing market forces to control emissions and investing in clean-energy technologies with a focus on long-term emissions control as opposed to unrealistic short-term strategies.

Market forces off er better incentives to use energy more efficiently than multilateral mandates and the former don’t cost hundreds billions of dollars
for minimal environmental benefits.

The Kyoto Protocol is estimated to delay the impacts of global warming by seven days at the end of the century at a cost of about $180 billion per year if every signatory meets its emissions targets. However the EU Japan and Canada are failing to meet their goals.

According to the European Environmental Agency 13 countries of the EU-15 have increased emissions over the last 16 years. Until now Sweden and the UK have been thought to be the exceptions. However recent data reveals Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions increased almost 20 over the past 20 years after counting emissions from shipping aviation and the carbon content of imports all of which the United Nations does not count when calculating emissions.

According to the Sierra Club of Canada Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions are up 24 since 1990 while the U.S.’s emissions are up only 14. Japan is one of the worst-performing Kyoto signatories with emissions still rising in 2007.

Delegates traveling to Bali Indonesia for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change pumped over 40000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere more emissions than 20000 mid-sized cars produce in an entire year. The irony is that the topic of the 10000-attendee gathering was particularly focused on how to follow the failing Kyoto Protocol with a plan for even more drastic CO2 cuts. The biggest aim was to get the United States and China to sign on to whatever GDP- and employment crippling CO2 plan the international coalition comes up with. If the goal is to curb emissions over the long-term then countries should follow the example of the U.S. in letting competition and the free market lead the way to success.