The United States cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 percent in 2006 in the fight against global warming, the first decrease since 2001, the Energy Department said Wednesday.
BUTÂÂ
U.S. emissions of 7.08 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2006 marked a 15.1 percent gain from 1990, the baseline year for the Kyoto Protocol global pact to combat climate change.Developed nations that signed the pact have to reduce their emissions at least 5 percent under their 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The United States is not part of the framework. ÂÂ
So, AP . . . how’d the developed nations that are signatories do?  Hmmm?ÂÂ
Wow! We actually cut emissions? Surprisingly, I’m surprised.
I too am interested in the Kyoto signatories emissions performance.
OK, I really don’t pay attention to this Kyoto thing, what with it being stupid and all, but what was the reason to use 1990 as the base year? Wasn’t that a cheat with the communist collapse around then? If Mexico goes belly up and drops output by 30% or so, do we get that 30% credit?
I haven’t cut all of my emissions, but I did recently cut one.
I am eating oats and hay in a bid to protest the Kyoto Treaty. Please don’t light any matches around me.
Kyoto, Shmyoto. Welcome to ther new age religion of choice. And don’t you dare question any of this!
Al Gore – Downes Syndromer of the year.
“what was the reason to use 1990 as the base year? Wasn’t that a cheat with the communist collapse around then?”
Pretty much. It gives Eastern Europe an excuse to properly industrialize and still meet their quotas, which are all from the last year of communist land-raping. And if you figure how much the U.S. Economy has grown since 1990, and how much the European one has, it all becomes staggeringly clear.
To be fair, when the IPCC was formed, they had to chose some sort of baseline and 1990 was very recent. So, it was arbitrary, but not unrealistic.