The USA is the world's biggest polluter
The worlds largest polluter, America has recently not backed pollution treaties to reduce car emissions or petrol consumption. The US alone accounted for 36.1% of worldwide greenhouse emissions in 1990 [BBC].
"The US contains 4% of the world's population but produces about 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. By comparison, Britain emits 3% - about the same as India which has 15 times as many people"
Many environmentalists understand that developing countries do not have the technology or means to use the most modern or environmentally friendly industrial equipment. But when such a rich country as the USA fails to take responsibility for its own pollution it really annoys a lot of people worldwide. I have created this essay just to concentrate on the USA and President Bush's effect on the Kyoto Protocol because I receive so many emails from people expressing a hatred of the USA because of these issues.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions of the three biggest polluters: (BBC Display of this information)
| The USA | EU Countries | China | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population of world: | 4.6% | 6.3% | 21% | 31.9% |
| World economy: | 30% | 23% | 3.2% | 56.2% |
| CO2 Emissions: | 24% | 14% | 13% | 51% |
China and the EU, both lesser polluters than the US, have one thing in common: They are both committed to further reducing their rate of emissions. Despite economic growth China has cut emissions by 17% since the mid 1990s. The odd one out is the USA. Immensely richer than China, but with less population than Europe, it emits more harmful chemicals than both of them. In addition, it has so far stubbornly refused to endorse international protocols designed to reduce such emissions. The world looks on flabbergasted as the world's greatest polluter cares not to take care or responsibility in the face of international pressure.
The Kyoto Protocol
In the 1970s the USA was a world leader on serious long-term environmental issues. The USA joined many groups in protecting endangered species, oceans and fisheries. Its honourable and wise actions continued through the 1980s.
"In the mid 1980s the US led efforts to address the problem of the ozone layer. The 1987 Montreal Protocol imposed a stringent ban on the production and use of many substances widely used around the world: deoderants, refrigerants and propellants for aerosol tins. In 1990 the US brokered amendments to the protocol allowing India and China to join. The Protocol has now been ratified by almost every country in the world, and the hole in the ozone layer is closing. American political clout and creativity played a major part in this success."General Sir Hugh Beach GBE KCB MC MA, writing in British Army Review 2005 Summer
In 1990 the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (of which the USA is the largest funder) reported on the problem of global warming, which is by far the most important and serious environmental issue. It was once considered a long-term problem. Now it is upon us.
"In 1997 a protocol was adopted at Kyoto under which countries formally undertook to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by specific percentages of the 1990 levels. Bill Clinton hailed the Protocol as a historic agreement and signed it in November 1998. [But President Bush from 2001 opposed it and acted to] overturn his predecessor's signature of the Protocol, reverse an election pledge to treat carbon dioxide as a pollutant and revert to actions solely driven by domestic economic concerns." [General Sir Hugh Beach]
"The pact requires industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 8% of the 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012...The Japanese cabinet on Tuesday approved documents to ratify the accord after the upper house of parliament voted 229-0 vote in favour of it on Friday"
The Kyoto Protocol is not perfect but no compromise between countries ever is. Its safety precautions against greenhouse gases are no way near enough but it is at least a first step.
2004 Oct: The Kyoto Protocol Becomes International Law
In 2004 September, Russia accepted it [BBC], making the protocol legally binding internationally, amid praise from the UK Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett and the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Russia accounts for 17% of the 1990 levels of global greenhouse emissions, and now in total over 55% of all greenhouse gases are accounted for internationally, which was the original aim. It is fairly obvious to many people that the commercial, money-orientated USA will care more for dollars than for worldwide health, and will probably continue to oppose and hinder the protocol. We can only hope that it caves in, that somehow the rest of the world can get through to the secluded American public and their government be forced to change its stance.
All industrial nations except the USA accept it
73 countries have become signatories to this pact [BBC]. Nearly all countries have ratified the pact including Japan and all 15 European Union states. In 2001 the United States provoked widespread international criticism by rejecting the Kyoto protocol [BBC] as soon as President Bush was inaugurated.
President Bush & Why doesn't the USA support it?
The US refused to sign the treaty, arguing that its economic interests would be threatened [BBC]. The US also opposed the Bonn refinement of Kyoto because of the cost to US business of Kyoto's prescriptions on the reduction of environmentally harmful emissions which contribute to climate change.
"Under the Protocol, the U.S. is supposed to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by seven percent. With four percent of the world's population, the country accounts for about 25 percent of the Earth's greenhouse gas emissions.European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström says 'But this ignorant, short sighted and selfish politician, long since firmly jammed into the pockets of the oil lobby, clearly couldn't care less. The talks in Bonn in July must now concentrate on world action independent of the U.S.' "
Lycos News:(WASHINGTON, DC, March 28, 2001 (ENS) )
US pulls out of Kyoto Protocol"George W Bush has ... walked away from his international obligations, tearing up international treaties like the Kyoto Protocol and ABM treaty, which, however imperfect, have helped bring peace and environmental protection. The least we can say is that he has embarked on a dangerous journey. Why?
The answer is corporate payback. This has been the defining trait of President Bush's administration. His election was a straightforward capitalist venture for the energy corporations. Oil, gas, coal and nuclear companies are the power behind Bush; together, they donated more than $50 million dollars to put him in the White House. As soon as he was elected, it was payback time and Bush declared the Kyoto Protocol on reducing carbon-dioxide emissions dead and buried.
The message was: 'US corporations have the right to pollute the entire planet. The people and the environment don't matter.'"
President Bush on the Kyoto Protocol said that "This is the American position because its right for America" and, just to make the point clear, he added:
"We will not do anything that harms our economy, because first things first are the people who live in America"Why do people hate America? by Sarder & Davies p81
The attitude speaks for itself; America is a dangerous and irresponsible country as long it materialistically maintains that its own selfish wellbeing is more important than any long-term world wide problems, even where it is the USA itself that causes those problems! With 36% of the worlds' greenhouse emissions and 25% of the whole worlds carbon dioxide's emissions, the USA appears to take responsibility for 0% of the consequences as long their bank balance is not affected.
There are people in the US government who wish take measures to reduce US pollution. In 2003 October an amendment to an inactive US global warming bill was backed by Republican John McCain and Democrat Joe Lieberman, which would have required power stations to reduce their emissions to the same levels that they were in 2000, three years ago, by 2010. This would be woefully inadequate, and "Senator McCain told the Senate that it was "a very minimal proposal" that should be the first step" [BBC]. Despite it being way below the minimum required, it was still voted out 55-43. "However, opponents of the bill backed the White House view that it would increase household energy bills and hamper job creation"[BBC].
Pollution & Cars
The USA has the biggest cars and the biggest roads relative to all other countries. This is an incomprehensible phenomenon to the rest of the world, where car mass and petrol consumption are immediately equated with pollution and irresponsibility.
It is understandable that cars are a more relevant form of travel in North America, where public transport struggles to cover the larger distances, and there is frequently little other choice. But the world's richest nation is not setting a good example. In Europe, awareness is raised by most governments of the pollution and side effects of combustion fuels, and heavy taxes are imposed on these in order to fund public transport, anti pollution solutions and alternative fuel methods such as LPG and electric powered cars. Can the USA's government really continue to embrace its version of democracy and capitalism at the expensive of every human on the planet? The American Government under President G. Bush was almost put in power purely by money from large oil companies, but something needs to change.
The world sees our curbing of pollutant emissions essential and necessary that we do this. The USA seems to think that as it is impractical and costly it isn't going to do it! We must curb pollution... it doesn't matter how costly or expensive this is. It must be done. The world sees America's reluctance with disgust and horror.
Household waste: USA's good example
The USA has some environmental issues sorted, such as household waste disposal. During the 1970s and 1980s the USA made itself indispensable in the campaigns to ban the release of "ozone" gases; thanks to its help the hole in the ozone layer is slowly closing, at last.
Methyl Bromide
An agricultural pesticide, this chemical is agreed to be completely eliminated in accordance with international agreement on account of its dangerous affects on the Ozone layer which protects us from the sun's radiation. But, despite the success that both underdeveloped and the most advanced countries have had in eliminating its use, the USA wants to increase its own usage of it for commercial farming:
"The US team at the Nairobi conference said its farmers needed methyl bromide, but other delegates disagreed.Developed nations have already cut their use of the chemical by 70%, pledging to phase it out by 2005. [...] But the US asked to be allowed to increase methyl bromide use in 2005 rather than eliminating it. [...] US farmers argue there is no effective alternative.
But David Doniger of the environmental group the Natural Resources Defence Council, who was at the talks, said the US government gave in to the demands of business. "The Bush administration is tilted way over towards the polluters and caters to their wish-list of regulatory weakenings," Mr Doniger said. [...]
US negotiators said they remained committed to the protocol. But the head of their delegation admitted there would now be pressure inside the US simply to ignore its obligations on methyl bromide. Environmental groups are concerned that if the US does not abide by the Montreal Protocol, some poorer countries will also decide to ignore it.
Although the damage to the ozone layer is continuing, scientists say the protocol is having an effect and should eventually return the atmospheric layer to health later this century - but only if nations stay committed to the cause. "
The scientific community and the responsible educated world all agree that short term economic interests are not as important as maintaining the viability of life on Earth. The USA commercialist government, however, disagrees, and appears to think that as long as the US economy is bolstered at all costs, the Ozone layer won't matter. Agriculture in other developed countries get around the use of this chemical by using cleaner ones and better practices, and the USA government should be pressurizing its own agriculture to do the same.
USA needs to do more
The USA polices the world's military nations, keeping check on their weaponry and intentions. It does not do the same with matters of global health or pollution. The USA is by far the world's biggest polluter and is also the country that is seen as least active in fighting world pollution. Failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol is a serious mistake and much of the world is left in shock and horror that the USA ignores these issues.
There is hope, by 2002 Jun 03 the US Government has acknowledged for the first time that man-made pollution is largely to blame for global warming [BBC].
Conclusion: Not a people's government
A democratic government's function is to protect people, its citizens, and the citizens of the world. In capitalist countries it is the Government's job to keep commercialism in check and protect people from the inequality, oppression and money-orientated practices of big business.
Some people have been forced to wonder if the American government can still be considered to be working for interests of people anywhere in the world, or if it is indeed simply the world's largest corporation.