Why do you think the United States signed but did not ratify the Kyoto Accords?

Question

First of all, what IS the Kyoto Accords? I'm confused....

Answer 1

Because they did nothing to address the two biggest polluters on the planet, China and India.

Answer 2

The Kyoto accords need to be ratified by congress, a simple Presidential signature will not put the US under obligation. As you know, with congress split so evenly, nothing gets done. So far, 174 countries have ratified the accords, 137 of them have no obligation other than monitoring emissions.
The accords place the larger portion of the obligation to reduce greenhouse gases on the United States while other "developing" countries have little to no obligation. Some of these "developing countries are currently the largest contributors to greenhouse gases, most notably China and India.
The United States on the other hand, has implemented many laws which will reduce greenhouse gases to the levels required by Kyoto, so we meet the goals we just don't agree to them.
Google "Kyoto Accords" and you will have access to more information.

Answer 3

The Senate voted 95-0 NOT to debate the Kyoto accords. It had nothing to do with Bush. It had nothing to do with Republican or Democrats. It had to do with the Kyoto Accords being a bad deal for America, period.

Read that again, before you blame Bush. President Clinton didn't even sign the accords - he left that to Vice President Gore. And Gore's signature on the document makes it worth about as much as toilet paper (the industrial kind you find at rest stops - not the good kind you buy for your home).

When the Senate votes 95-0 against something, you can't go blaming the Democrats or the Republicans. NOT ONE STOOD UP FOR IT!

Answer 4

The Kyoto Protocol is a set of rules established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1997. They divide the countries of the world into Annex 1 countries (the developed, major greenhouse gas emitters) and non-Annex 1 countries (developing nations).

Annex 1 countries, of which the United States is one, were required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to 5% below 1990 levels by the 2008-2012 period. All countries who go over this amount would be penalized and have to pay fines related to how much over their limit they had gone. A cap-and-trade system was established, meaning that countries could receive credits for emission reduction, which could in turn be sold to countries who could not meet their commitment.

The United States, then and until 2007 the single largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, signed the treaty but did not ratify. (The United States remains by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases per-capita, but as of 2007, less than China nationally)

The main explanation for this is that the United States wanted to support the protocol, but did not want to be held to its penalties. This meant that corporations in the US could continue increasing their output of greenhouse gases, and not experience the potential costs of reducing their output.

While there are costs related to the establishment of lower emission practices by companies in the United States, the costs related to continued climate change are likely to be completely disastrous.

Answer 5

As I recall, Clinton was President when the Kyoto Accords were signed, but when Bush came into office he didn't feel like following them, so he didn't.

Answer 6

Because Bush wanted to keep his friends in the oil industry happy.

Answer 7

Because George Bush doesn't believe in it. He thinks Businesses will "clean up their act" voluntarily...

Answer 8

They're just protocols that would kill our economy. Period.

Answer 9

regime change

Answer 10

because we don't want to upset our corporations.