Government Actions

In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was submitted to the United Nations. The Protocol “strengthens the Convention (Climate Change) by committing Annex I Parties to individual, legally-binding targets to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Under this Protocol, signatories agreed to collectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 5% less than 1990 levels by 2008-2012.“ However, the United States, China and India are not members of the Kyoto Protocol. These are the three top contributors of greenhouse gas emissions. This is discouraging because the countries because of their large contribution they should be leading the pack in solving or at least pushing to solve the threat of increased temperatures. China and India have said they will not sign the Protocol because America has gained wealth from industry, basically the production of gases, and they will not relinquish for the environments sake. Mainly, these countries are sacrificing health for wealth.