SIR944 -- China and India are not "major" countries?
I agree with Aurel -- there have been reputable studies showing that the climate is warming, and the question is -- is mankind behind it. I haven't seen proof of that; but I've seen a lot of bs that assumes that as true.
There is quite a bit of peer-reviewed info out there showing that the Earth was a warmer place than it is now back in the mid 1800's -- well before the industrial revolution could've had any measurable impact. When Mt. St. Helens blew back in the early 80's, it put more CO and CO2 into the air than man has in his entire existence. These things just happen, and its a form of hubris to believe man is causing it; and supreme hubris by those who then claim to champion the environment.
Having said all that, I believe there is merit in reducing emissions and employing the best available technology to be "clean." Which is, more-or-less, the US' position. The US Senate unanimously rejected Kyoto (98-0) under Clinton. This does not, as it's too often snidely presented, mean that the US is pro-emissions or uncaring about the environment. Anybody that's had to deal with a DEC or the EPA can attest to that. However, the approach Kyoto is taking to "solve" what not everybody agrees is susceptible to solution can cripple economies. Given the state of ind. dev. in western Europe, there are disproportionately microscopic oppotunity costs to Europe, opposed to huge costs to the US and other large, growing economies.
Kyoto is flawed; deeply flawed and the US and many knowledgable scientists have recognized this. It is not the be-all solution that Eurocrats would have us believe. Just because the herd (who stands the least to lose, and many developing countries, who are not going to be restricted under Kyoto and stand to benefit by hobbling larger economies) continues to extol Kyoto's hollow virtues doesn't make it so. Jeez, guys, you're bright, skeptical people; how have you swallowed this Kyoto fairytale so easily?
Keep up the skepticism, Serge!
JP