Kristen,
You are right.
If there is indeed a human caused climate problem, there is not much we alone, in the good old USA, can do about it ourselves.
As an example:
...Major emitters like the United States, China, and India aren't part of the agreement (Kyoto
)-- and many signers won't meet their targets.
(
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5024016)
We've all heard of the Stone Age, the Bronze Age etc. We live in the Petroleum Age and it will end sooner or later. America helped pioneer this Age and it has made our lives much better. Many countries understandably want to emulate our standard of living; and they could if it doesn't crash our climate. It's going to get interesting.
I don't support the Kyoto Treaty the way it was written either. Bush was right in not signing it. It wouldn't even do any good if we were the only nation to abide by it, not anymore.
Of note: Many or most of the polluting interests in China, India etc are not owned by people that live in the country. The populace is already reacting to bad air. But look how hard it has been for us, in a freer society of people, to enforce any standards and fight corporate propoganda. Sometimes the people are their own worst enemy, "when good men do nothing".
...