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Is it fair for the U.S. to ignore the Kyoto Treaty?
In the past, the United States has decided not to ratify environmental treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol, though other countries with high greenhouse emissions, such as Brazil, China, and India, have signed.
As one of the largest and most industrialized nations in the world, the United States has a wide-reaching effect on the global environment, especially through the pollution its companies emit. Similarly, because of its wealth and economic influence, the United States can significantly hamper or help world-wide environmental clean-up plans.
Activity: Refer to the Extremes section of the Data Tables in the CultureGrams Online World Edition. Note that the United States is one of the top (if not the top) polluters in every section listed.
Have your students talk about why the United States pollutes so much (you might look at major industries, the size of its economy and population, etc.). Compare the levels of pollution to countries with similar economies and/or population sizes.
Talk about whether the students think the actions of the United States are fair to the rest of the world. Discuss options of how the United States might be able to reduce pollution (answers might include recycling, lower factory and car emissions, alternative sources of fuel, etc.). Who might oppose these changes and why?
Compare the benefits and costs of the United States signing an international treaty such as the Kyoto Protocol. Read the General Attitudes section of the U.S. CultureGrams report. Which characteristics might cause people from the United States to resist such international treaties?
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