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At least 10 good reasons to boycott the U.S.A. > #9 Global warming and the US
Global warming and the US
Global warming, caused by burning fossil fuels, has become the greatest threat to our planet. Despite this, the US refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol for protecting the climate.
The burning of coal, oil and gas, intensive agricultural methods
and forest clear-cutting emit greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere where they trap the sun's heat. This leads to an
increase in the mean global temperature of the Earth as well as changes in
precipitation patterns. Without urgent action extreme weather events such
as floods, droughts and storms will become more frequent, causing catastrophic social, environmental
and economic damage.
Avoiding catastrophic climate change means keeping the temperature increase below 2°C. There will still be significant impacts on ecosystems and many millions of people will be threatened with increased risk of hunger, malaria and flooding and billions with increased risk of water shortage.
Immediate international action must be taken to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, or the world may soon face irreversible global climate damage.
The Kyoto Protocol, the climate treaty finally agreed at Marrakech in November 2001, became a law in February 2005. It demands not only that industrialised countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions during a "first commitment period" by 5.2% until 2012, compared to 1990 levels, but also urges the international community to begin negotiations for a subsequent commitment periods on further steps needed to fight global warming.
A lot more is needed to prevent dangerous climate change, but nevertheless it is the first global treaty to fight global warming and an important foundation to build on. Kyoto now needs to develop and expand rapidly, extending the international emissions trading system and providing more help for developing countries to leapfrog dirty technology.
141 countries have ratified the protocol, including Canada, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia and European Union countries. The EU has been an important supporter of the Kyoto Protocol, negotiating hard to get wavering countries on board.
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The United States, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, decided not to ratify the protocol. With only five percent of the world’s population, the US is responsible for emitting 25 percent of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. |
The prospect of the US staying outside the agreement influenced a number of other countries including Australia, Japan, and Canada to discuss whether they should ratify the agreement, putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage with the USA. While Japan and Canada ultimately decided to ratify the protocol, Australia, the world's second-largest emitter per capita of greenhouse gases, said it would not ratify.
US Boycotts Kyoto - We Boycott US
"The American public can register their opinions at the ballot box, but for the rest of the world, all we can do is register our opinions via the marketplace"
Gerd Leipold, Greenpeace International Director, April 2001
The decision of the Bush government to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol was based on studies about the economic impact of its Kyoto commitments, not on a direct questioning of the science behind climate change.
This decision has important consequences: it reduces the environmental effectiveness of the Protocol; it lowers the incentives to undertake energy-saving R&D, and it increases the bargaining power of permit suppliers, Russia in particular.
Bush's campaign for presidency was backed and financed by major US oil giants, which campaigned against the Protocol and are opposing any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Chief amongst these corporations is the world's biggest oil company, Exxon Mobil.
boycott america: a site focused on climate change
boycottbush.net: Ethical Consumer's (UK) boycott campaign started when the US abandoned plans to implement the Kyoto agreement in 2001
Campaign against Climate Change: a UK campaign
Climate Justice Initiative : A CorpWatch past campaign
Consequences of the US non-participation in the Kyoto Protocol: by Carlo Carraro, University of Venice, to be found on the Center for European Policy Studies' site
CorpWatch: in-depth information on corporate behavior effect on the environment, including climate change
ExxonSecrets.org: How ExxonMobil funds the climate change skeptics (a Greenpeace project)
Exxpose Exxon: US campaign to educate and activate US citizens about ExxonMobil's efforts to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, prevent action on global warming, and encourage USA's oil dependence.
Greenpeace International: Stop climate change campaign
Flamey McGassy: animation by US cartoonist Mark Fiore about climate change
Friends of the Earth Europe: Climate Change: The biggest threat our planet is facing!
Friends of the Earth International: Climate change campaign
Pew Center on Global Climate Change : "Our approach is based on sound science, straight talk, and a belief that we can work together to protect the climate while sustaining economic"
Stop Climate Chaos: UK coalition of organizations
Stop Esso: a Greenpeace campaign
Wikipedia: free encyclopedia's article 'Greenhouse gas'
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