Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 11:08:30 -0800
Reply-To: Sierra Club News Releases
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Sender: Sierra Club News Releases
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From: Beck Hauger <rebecca.hauger@sfsierra.sierraclub.org>
Subject: SIERRA CLUB LAMBASTES UNITED STATES POSITION AT GLOBAL WARMI
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2000
CONTACT:
Sanjay Ranchod in The Hague, 6 123 09231
Dan Becker in Washington, 202 547 1141
Ann Mesnikoff in Washington, 202 547 1826
SIERRA CLUB LAMBASTES UNITED STATES POSITION AT GLOBAL WARMING SUMMIT
Focus on "Emissions Trading" Undermines Real Progress
WASHINGTON -- As negotiations accelerate on how to cut the pollution that feeds
global warming, the world's biggest polluter-the United States-is fighting to
weaken the effort.
Representatives from 170 nations are currently meeting in The Hague, The
Netherlands to finish writing the rules to implement the Kyoto Protocol to stem
global warming. Instead of working with other nations to reduce the pollution
that causes global warming, the United States is pushing an "emissions trading"
scheme that will substitute delay for action.
"The United States' push to weaken the Kyoto agreement is turning it into The
Emperor's New Treaty," said Daniel Becker, director of the Sierra Club's Global
Warming and Energy Program. "Some claim to see a rich tapestry of action where
none exists. But if you examine the United States proposal you will find it has
lost its environmental integrity."
"It's our responsibility as the world's biggest source of global warming
pollution to take the lead in cutting this pollution," added Carl Pope, the
Sierra Club's Executive Director. "Unfortunately, America is shirking its
responsibilities by pushing a risky system to trade pollution instead of
reducing it."
Past experience with pollution trading schemes points out a host of problems.
Pollution trading:
encourages creative accounting instead of real reductions;
rewards polluters and undermine technological innovation;
allows wealthy nations, which created most of the pollution, to continue
polluting while foisting responsibility onto developing nations; and
creates deals which are hard to monitor and impossible to enforce.
Another proposed variation on emissions trading is to allow industrialized
countries to pollute more at home if they plant trees. While sustainable
management of forests and land use will be an important part of curbing global
climate change, allowing industrialized countries to receive emissions credits
by protecting tracts of forest land or planting a forest of saplings in
developing countries will not solve problems. Tree swapping merely moves carbon
dioxide, the key global warming gas, from one place to another, instead of
actually reducing it.
" Instead of producing cleaner cars, the US proposal would allow polluters to
plant forests of saplings abroad," continued Becker. "The US is pushing a bogus
'emissions trading' scheme that substitutes delay for action."
The Sierra Club promotes making our cars, SUVs and power plants more efficient
and cleaner. Fuel efficiency is the biggest single step for reducing the
pollution that causes global warming.
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