Managing Carbon from the Bottom Up

摘要

The world needs to get serious about managing the exponential growth of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO_2). However, because uncertainties about climate science provide convenient political cover for economic interests that favor delay, the United States is unlikely to sign any comprehensive international agreement in the near future. Whether Europe and others can muster the political will to unilaterally implement the Kyoto protocol is an open question. Even if they do, the Kyoto agreement is at best a modest first step toward the essential goal of stabilizing atmospheric concentrations. Although they may be prepared to take symbolic steps, China, India, Brazil, and other large industrializing states will certainly not agree to serious constraints on their emissions in the near future. Diplomats will put a good face on things, but for at least the next decade, it is unlikely that all the world's major states will simultaneously agree to a serious program to curtail emissions of CO_2 and other greenhouse gases.