Kyoto Is a Sham

And the current Popular Science proves it. Many others have said it, and I'll echo it: Kyoto is nothing more than a billy club for less vital economies to use against the United States. Let the USA slip on some emissions reduction schedules, and all hell breaks loose in the media. Let anyone else increase their dependence on the nastiest automobile fuel there is, and it gets a tidy mention on p. 34 of the July 2003 Popular Science, complete with pretty colors and a high-tech color graphic of Europe.

Here are some quick numbers: Between 1992 and 2002, Austria's diesel automobile sales went from 26.3% of all auto sales to 69.6%, the highest percentage of all in 2002, as well as the highest percentage jump (43.3%). Danes and Swiss are now over 6 times more likely to buy diesel cars. Italians are now over 5.5 times more likely (from 7.9% to 43%). Swedes are over 7 times more likely to buy diesel cars, although going from 0.9% to 7% in ten years isn't exactly pushing the issue overall. Ireland's percentage actually decreased one half percent, from 16.5% in 1992 to 16% in 2002. Austrians, Belgians, and Germans all more than doubled their preference for diesel cars over 1992 levels. The adjacent commentary concedes that "U.S. emission laws have been no friend to oil-burners (they put out more soot than gasoline-based engines)..."

Right below this little half-page snippet is a quick review of the new Honda FCX hydrogen fuel-cell car. Yes, there are still problems with fuel-cell technology, but the best way to sort them out is to put it to daily use. Honda has produced five cars for use in Los Angeles, which has some pretty grueling traffic conditions.

What does this mean? It means that Western Europeans are actually increasing their consumer pollution output while researchers are using United States streets to find ways to reduce consumer pollution. I'm sure this little fact will conveniently slip by the anti-American Euro-weenies. Their idea of leading the race isn't by being the fastest; it's by crippling the fastest. It's time to ignore them and their desire to cripple us, and the perfect way to start is by putting the Kyoto Protocol into the shredder.

Posted on Jun 16, 2003 at 1:56:39 PM EDT.