Why was the U.S. so reluctant to ratify the Kyoto Accord about the protection of environment?
A [Elliot Diringer]: Two reasons are most often cited: the potential impact on the U.S. economy, and the fact that Kyoto does not limit emissions from large developed countries such as China and India. I think the real reason is that Americans had not yet become attuned to the reality of global warming and there was insufficient political support for strong action to address it. That has now changed. Americans are very concerned and many political leaders, including the three remaining candidates for President, are responding. Q [Chat Participant – Marthe GNAYORO, ABIDJAN COTE D’IVOIRE, AFRIQUE]: Please, what is the consequences of climate change? A [Elliot Diringer]: One of the best sources of information on potential climate impacts in different parts of the world is the report of Working Group 2 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The summary can be found at: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg2/ar4-wg2-spm.pdf. An interactive map of climate impacts using I
