1999 had a few surprises, for those who noticed despite the millennium pending. It became the International Year of Older Persons. The world population exceeded 6 billion people. These two events signaled more people were living for longer and causing more carbon. The world hoped the Kyoto Accord would reverse the result. However, two years later in 2001 America had a new president. The George W Bush energy policy declared there was insufficient scientific support for the accord and terminated America’s participation.
Why the George W Bush Energy Policy Followed that Line
The new president was a wealthy man who made his money from oil investment. The Western U.S. was in the midst of an energy crisis in 2001. There was a shortage of supply caused by new plants coming on line late, and market manipulations were causing high energy prices. Moreover, the new President felt Kyoto had a bias against America.
He was concerned about what he perceived to be “the incomplete state of scientific knowledge of the causes of, and solutions to, global climate change. And the lack of commercially available technologies for removing and storing carbon dioxide.” Moreover, 80% of the world’s nations, including China, Russia, India, and Brazil enjoyed exemption from the agreement. The George W Bush energy policy took the line that implementing Kyoto would wreck the U.S. economy.
The Immediate Fallout from The U.S. Leaving Kyoto
World interest in collectively reversing the causes of global warming waned. George Bush unveiled an alternative strategy to reduce greenhouse gases, although he made no promises to cut emissions.
He claimed his policy would, “put America on a path towards stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere in the long run, while sustaining the economic growth needed to finance our investment in a new, cleaner energy structure.” The world was less than impressed by his unilateral approach.
Sixteen years later, his top advisors told the New York Times they regretted the move, “not so much because of the merits of the decision, but because of the way we handled it”. From the Presidents perspective, Kyoto was “a job killer that sacrificed American sovereignty”, and he had a job to do.
Related
Climate Change Part 21: Kyoto – a Tide Half Taken
Climate Change Part 20: The IPCC’s Second Assessment
Preview Image: George W. Bush Signing as Presidential Candidate in 2001
