Why didn't the United States ratify the Kyoto Agreement?

Question

I researching climate change efforts internationally and I stumbled upon the Kyoto Agreement which almost all countries have signed and ratified but the U.S., although they signed the agreement have not ratified it. Why?

Answer 1

That's simple the big polluters have a lot of $$$ and they fill the campaign coffers of the candidates election and re-election campaign. They expect results with that cash. The accords also took place just as the most polluter friendly regime took office. They are all from the energy sector...Mary

Answer 2

With China and India being developing nations they are only required to report their emissions.   But these two countries (each with a population of over a billion people) are among the world's top polluters.  However, since the United States is a developed country, it would cost us quite a bit to meet the Kyoto requirements.  It's all about money.  The more money you have, the more you want.  

Answer 3

"that almost all countries ...." refers to the countries that participated in drafting the agreement.

The agreement excludes the most major countries that pollute, China,India,,,other developing nations,.

Compared to what they contribute to pollution we could shut down everything and turn off our cars and not make a significant dent in the problem.

So the botten line is economic.We should not have to strangle ourselves so other can keep on polluting.

Answer 4

Because it would destroy the economy. Roll back emissions output to 1990 levels, come on, that would mean eliminating all national growth since 1990, all the new homes, and new cars, and factories, jobs, power plants.

Plus China and India the worlds fastest growing countries with huge carbon outputs are exempt, now how stupid is that.

Now if the world was really going to be destroyed by the warming global, don't you think every country would be included, and they would be lowering carbon output no matter what the cost?