USA

With less than five percent of the world’s population, the United States is responsible for about 25 percent of total global warming pollution. Despite this fact, in 2001 President George W. Bush withdrew the U.S. from the Kyoto process, claiming that the Protocol was unfair to industrialized countries and would hurt the U.S. economy.

Although many industrialized countries are reducing emissions while growing their economies, proving Bush’s assertions are not warranted, his administration has continued to oppose Kyoto and any sort of mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions. As President Bush continues to deny the science of climate change and confuse the U.S. public about its solutions, it seems clear that the President’s decision to withdraw from Kyoto was based largely on his administration’s relationship with the fossil fuel industry rather than on any scientific or economic fact.

Thankfully, Americans are not waiting for the Bush administration to take action and are coming up with creative solutions to reduce global warming pollution throughout the country. From regional cap and trade commitments to increasing renewable energy standards, many states are now participating in a sweeping trend to reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy. And Washington is hearing the message – this year an unprecedented number of bills were introduced in the U.S. Congress that focus on climate change. Even the U.S. Supreme Court is planning to hear a case about whether CO2 should be regulated as a pollutant.

For more information on state and local action in the U.S. read USCAN’s report “Turning the Tide” http://www.usclimatenetwork.org/international-leadership/turningtidehome

Australia

Australia has the highest emissions per capita of any developed country in the world, and is the 17^th largest total greenhouse polluter, even with only 20 million citizens. (link to Pew Centre report, Climate Data: Insights and Observations, December 2004 http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/Climate%20Data%20new%2Epdf)