Something To Say To The Greens

I keep getting emails from people on the subject of global warming, wanting me to sign petitions to make Australia sign the Kyoto Protocol. I'm sick of tyipng out my standard response, so i'm going to post it here, then simply redirect the ignorant.

Put simply, for the sake of the planet neither the US nor Australia should sign the Kyoto Protocol until everyone else has first. And before people start accusing me of killing panda bears, i'll explain why.

Australia and Uhmurka are first world countries. Both have very CO2 efficient production methods already thanks to 20 years of environmental watchdogging. The only way that Australia and Uhmurka can further reduce their CO2 output is to reduce their fossil fuel usage.

This seems like a good thing, but in the global oil market the resulting contraction in demand will lead to a lower price for fossil fuels. Again, you say, where's the problem?

The problem is that a lower fuel price will cause other nations, particularly those of the third world, to increase their usage. These industries are very much less 'clean' than those of the US and Australia. They produce, per litre of oil, far more pollutants. For every litre of oil that Australia and Uhmurka no longer use, there will be a per capita INCREASE in emitted pollutants.

In short, if Australia and the US sign the Kyoto Protocol, net world pollution will rise. It is imperative that the countries of the third world and their emergent economies are made to control their emissions first. Only then can Australia and the US sign the Kyoto Protocol without making things worse.