What are Fred’s views on global warming? Do you think he has the balls to actually do something about it, even if it meant hurting the economy for a while? Does he realize that by doing so he could actually prevent one of the worlds worst disasters (like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs) from ever happening? If nothing else he could play a part in getting the world to move in the right direction. Will we be able to put off the end of the world long enough to find a permanent solution? That depends on how important it is to our next president and the next one and the next one after that.

The thing is the Kyoto Protocol was an important first step in the right direction that our current president let pass us by. I realize that the treaty would have allowed other countries like India and China to continue on the path to becoming industrialized nations while forcing America to take the lead. That‘s because it would be unfair for these countries to have to participate at this stage in the game. They simply aren‘t ready to make the sacrifices necessary to combat the problem. What people don‘t realize is that countries like these would be expected to make those sacrifices later and would be included in future protocols. The Kyoto Protocol is only the first step. No one said it would be the last. It’s not the “end all, be all” that our president seems to think it is. Just because other countries aren’t expected to do the right thing is no reason for America to turn away from our responsibility and let the world suffer the consequences.

Furthermore, saving the planet doesn’t have to hurt the economy. WWII is a perfect example of what happens when the country focuses on a goal and works together to achieve it. The economy gets better, not worse. To say that the Kyoto Protocol (or some future protocol) is bound to have a negative effect on the economy simply isn’t true. It would force new technologies to emerge while providing new jobs and opportunities for many Americans. The economy might change shape but it’s unlikely to deteriorate that much or for very long. Even if that’s not the case, hard times are a small price to pay when you consider the alternative: life on Earth could literally cease to exist!