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Greenhouse Gas Reductions

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There is a consensus among researchers throughout the world that the buildup of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" in the atmosphere is already starting to disrupt the earth's ecosystem and climate patterns, with some projecting a global warming of about 4 degrees Fahrenheit and a sea level rise of about 1 foot by the year 2100. Greenhouse gases consist of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydroflurocarbons, and other gases.

BACKGROUND

In 1992, prompted by the growing body of scientific evidence suggesting action was needed to slow global warming, the United States, along with roughly 150 other nations, signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Senate ratified the Climate Convention on October 15, 1992, making the U.S. the fourth country to do so. The Convention has subsequently been ratified by 165 countries.

The Climate Treaty was the most important accomplishment in Rio. Earth Summit II, started on June 23rd, 1997 in New York City, provided an opportunity to review progress five years after the Rio meeting. President Clinton addressed this special session of the UN General Assembly on June 26th, 1997.

The climate treaty called upon industrialized nations -- the ones historically and presently responsible for the majority of the world's greenhouse gas emissions -- to voluntarily return their emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. See Climate Challenge Program. It appeared that most major industrialized nations would not be able to meet this target; including the U.S., the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for approximately 22 percent of all global emissions.

Global warming is a global problem, but the U.S. role is pivotal. While nations like China and India will eventually have to curtail their rate of emissions, it must be recognized that current annual emission levels in these countries are just 0.7 and 0.3 tons of CO2 per person, respectively, compared to over 5 tons per person in the United States.

For more information see: Natural Resource Defense Council

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