You think
Bush chose '
economy over mankind'? Really?
Look, the economy is what enables so many people to be so productive in this country (and elsewhere). If the Kyoto Protocol were adhered to by the US, the economy would tank OVERNIGHT. It's already a bit fragile. It doesn't need another whack to the jaw.
The document was first signed by Al Gore. He was given NO AUTHORITY to do so on behalf of the United States government. His action was his own, and had no bearing on anything the US government wanted. In fact, the Kyoto Protocol was voted 95-0 AGAINST (that means 95 senators voted against it, and only 5 abstained) in the US Senate. Politicians may be corrupt and seedy, but they are not stupid. They know what would happen if that bill passed. The Dow would fall 20% over one session. People would lose their jobs. That's not losses on paper. That's real people not being able to work and earn money for food and shelter even though they want to. That's real people having to drop out of college because they have to help their parents earn enough money to eat.
But we'd have cleaner air, wouldn't we.
Minimally cleaner, really. It's arguable in the extreme whether C02 could be a significant contributer to global warming, which is unproven and disputed heavily. Hell, the first effects are decades, if not centuries away, and might be rather pathetic when they arrive. We don't even know if the temparature is going to drop or rise. When we get there, we'll deal with it with science that continues to accelarate. Technology is the solution to problems created by technology. Nanotechnology. Advanced biotechnology and chemistry. Our theoretical plans for planetary terraforming will not be theoretical for as long as you think. It can be done here, too.
Slowing down doesn't get us any closer to the solution. Crippling the economies that will create solutions to these possible problems is not the best way to go. Call me crazy.