So Much For Saving The Planet

The Europeans (and their bosom buddies America's Democrats) chastise President Bush to no end for his having rejected Al Gore's one and only legacy - the Kyoto Protocol. Many of us have said, as we listened to all these politicians bloviate about the climatic woe and resulting planetary devastation that Bush is bringing down on Mother Earth singlehandedly, that these people have no more intention of saving the environment than do our Hollywood elite. The latter are just more entertaining to watch.

The Wall Street Journal, in an editorial this morning, provides us with a good dose of reality as the statistics start pouring in with regard to Europe's compliance with the treaty that all the countries that make up the E.U. signed with great ostentation and bluster. Nearly all are failing. Miserably.

Surprise. Surprise.

Green America

The Kyoto environmental protocol committed signatory nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By this standard, Kyoto-loving Europeans are failing. And the U.S. of George Bush, who was heckled globally when he withdrew Bill Clinton's approval of the accord in 2001? Well, it's doing surprisingly well.

Let's go to the latest numbers from the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen. Most European countries have seen an increase in greenhouse gas emissions since signing onto Kyoto with great fanfare in 1997. As the table nearby shows, 13 out of the 15 original signatories from the EU are on track to miss their 2010 treaty targets -- by as much as 33 percentage points, in the case of Spain. (link requires subscription)

Here's my favorite line - as only the Wall Street Journal editorialists can deliver it:

Alas, no one is talking about reducing the amount of hot air produced by politicians. At the U.N.'s environmental summit in Montreal last year, EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas of Greece spoke grandly of Europe's continuing leadership in the reduction of greenhouse gases. Prime Minister Paul Martin of Canada, another Kyoto diehard, chimed in that America lacked a "global conscience." For the record, Greece and Canada saw emissions rise 23% and 24%, respectively, since 1990, far above the U.S. rate.

The self-righteous nonsense that passes for debate at U.N. gabfests isn't news. But it is newsworthy Kyoto's arbitrary targets were mainly cant. Unhampered by Kyoto targets, America's economy is more nimble and can adapt to regulatory demands.

We always knew that Kyoto was bad for the economy. It now turns out that it's bad for the environment as well.

Kyoto is harmful to the environment. Who would have predicted it?

Click on image to enlarge.
Graph courtesy of The Wall Street Journal and the European Environment Agency.