Closing the lid on greenhouse gas
In June 1992 the United States participated in the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro and joined other nations in signing the International Convention on Climate Change. Under the Convention, developed nations agreed to draft action plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions which are harmful to the environment and may cause global warming. In October 1993, the Clinton administration led participating nations by releasing its Climate Change Action Plan prior to ratification of the convention. The plan articulates the U.S. pledge to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. Projects suggest that without the Climate Change Action Plan, net emissions of these gases in the United States will increase by about 7 percent - reaching dangerous levels - between 1900 and 2000. Environmental onlookers were initially skeptical about the United States ability to achieve these ambitious goals. In part, the skepticism centered on the fact that the U.S. Climate Change Action Plan, unlike the traditional, command-and-control programs of the past, was founded on the belief that voluntary programs could achieve results by enlisting the creative resources of the business community. Furthermore, the U.S. plan reflects the belief that various levels of government can work cooperatively with citizens, businesses, and industry to achieve results.
- OSTI ID:
- 227043
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951173--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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