As the leaders of the G8 summit meet this week, one of the continuing policy divides between Blair and Bush is the Kyoto Protocol and whether or not the United States (and other industrialized nations) should be held accountable for the amount of polluting gases they emit.
Shortly after Bush took office in 2001 he withdrew the United States from Kyoto Protocol developed by the Clinton administration. Blair has been urging Bush to accept the Protocol and make the reduction of global warming a priority. Most large nations have accepted the Protocol and recognize the need to curb production of harmful gasses and pollutants.
China, however, is a nation that is exempt from the Protocol due to it's strive for economic development. Whether or not this is an acceptable excuse remains debateable (of course).
To read more on the topic go to http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/07/06/MNG6UDJJL01.DTL.
P.S. Here's a shout out to Molly for reading my blog! :)
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4 comments:
U.S. presses G-8 nations to trim African poverty relief, AIDS goals
What do you think? I'm a little disappointed.
oh, also, I can't believe we are thinking our "economy" is more important than the future of our planet. I mean, our planet, once it is gone, it is gone. Economies bounce back...it seems very short-sighted and very self-serving for this generation.
Shruti, I agree. It makes me sick to think that the growth of our economy is more important than the future health and stability of our planet environment.
I'm no economist and don't claim to have any knowledge of the way economies work, but I personally think that the increase in environmental awareness could create much opportunity in our economy! Sooner or later, we'll have to REALLY strive for renewable energy sources, and this could have the potential to create jobs and shift current economic trends for the better. Moreover, if we can develop more evironmentally-friendly energy sources for a cheaper cost, many industries will reap the benefits, thus creating a beneficial ripple effect on the national and global fronts.
Shruti, I couldn't get your article link to work. I'd be interested in reading it, though, if you can re-post it.
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