US Reiterates Opposition To Kyoto After Putin Agrees - Deutsche Welle

[hatrack]

EDIT

The State Department had no comment on the decision by the Russian cabinet Thursday to submit the document to the Duma for approval, but said Washington remained committed in its own way to battling climate change.

"The United States' position on the Kyoto Protocol has not changed," spokesman Richard Boucher said. "We thought at this point it wasn't the right thing for the United States, but it's up to other nations to independently evaluate whether ratification is in their national interest."

EDIT

Without the United States on board, the overall reduction in emissions is likely to be only 0.6 percent if Kyoto is honored, well below the initial target of 5.2 percent, according to the US-based environment group World Resources Institute. Washington has opted instead for its own efforts to curtail global warming, which include domestic initiatives to move to alternative energy sources and international programs to boost research and cooperation on combating climate change.

EDIT

Boucher (photo) noted that despite its rejection of the Kyoto Protocol, the Bush administration was still an active participant on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto's parent organization. "President Bush has reaffirmed our commitment to that treaty and we are carrying out climate change initiatives," he told reporters. "We're working on all these efforts with other partners in both the developed and developing world in order to make our own contribution to preventing climate change."

EDIT

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1344414,00.html

[cprise]

1. And Kerry is silent on this??

"The United States' position on the Kyoto Protocol has not changed," spokesman Richard Boucher said.

[blindpig]

2. wait until the next debate

If he doesn't make use of this when "debating" the environment I'll be very disappointed. It's a big stick that begs to be wrapped around bu$h's head.

[Viking12]

3. Actually Kerry brought it up in Thursday's debate

it was a passing reference but Kerry bashed chimpy's ignorant unwillingness to participate in Kyoto talks. I wish the foreign policy debate would've engaged the question more directly but that was the moderators fault, not Kerry's.