08 May 2002 Kyoto Treaty Language Attached to Senate Energy Bill, by Gretchen Randall

BACKGROUND: Before passing its energy bill, the Senate attached an amendment setting up a greenhouse gas database. Participating companies would voluntarily report their reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. If, after five years, less than 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are being reported as determined by the Director of the Office of National Climate Change Policy, participation becomes mandatory. Failure to comply with the mandatory reporting could result in fines up to $25,000 per day.

TEN SECOND RESPONSE: This so-called “voluntary” database is just a step toward implementing the Kyoto Treaty the President and Senate rejected because it would devastate the U.S. economy and cost American jobs.

THIRTY SECOND RESPONSE: The Kyoto Protocol was a flawed treaty that was rejected by both the Senate and the President because it would have cost thousands of American jobs to solve a problem many scientists doubt exist. Now the Senate is trying to implement many of its costly requirements in a back-door move.

DISCUSSION: According to projections by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), ratification of the Kyoto Protocol would have a devastating effect on the U.S. economy. EIA estimates gasoline prices would rise 14 to 66 cents per gallon by the year 2010, electricity prices would go up 20 to 86% and compliance with the treaty would cost the U.S. economy $400 billion per year.

A study commissioned by six African-American and Hispanic organizations found that the requirements of the treaty would put 864,000 black Americans and 511,000 Hispanics out of work.

The “National Greenhouse Gas Database” is Title XI of the Energy Policy Act of 2002 (H.R.4) and can be accessed at http://thomas.loc.gov.

For more information on global warming, see: “Global Warming: Charges and Responses” at https://nationalcenter.org/Bonn2001.html, “Questions and Answers on Global Warming” at https://nationalcenter.org/KyotoQuestionsAnswers.html or visit our global warming page at https://nationalcenter.org/Kyoto.html.