Envirotruth Online Petition Urges Russia to Reject Kyoto

Published February 1, 2004

Envirotruth, sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research, is circulating an online petition urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to reject the Kyoto Protocol.

At the World Climate Change Conference held in Moscow from September 29 to October 3, 2003, climate scientists spoke out about the fundamental scientific shortcomings of the Kyoto Protocol. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government officials are listening carefully to those scientists and have decided not to ratify Kyoto until they have had a chance to examine the full range of the treaty’s implications: its economics, politics, and science.

Putin is now being pressured by the European Union and environmental activists to forgo a proper examination of the agreement and to ratify Kyoto quickly. According to Envirotruth, “Those of us who understand the very serious shortcomings in the scientific foundation of the treaty need to express our support for President Putin’s move to delay a ratification decision and encourage him to take whatever time he and his government need to properly examine the science. We need to also express our belief that ratifying the accord would be a significant mistake.”

Notably, even the Chicago Tribune, which usually parrots liberal advocacy groups on global warming, has realized the treaty is fundamentally flawed. According to a January 2 house editorial, “The world’s attempt to curb greenhouse gases–the Kyoto protocol–has been wisely spurned by the United States and may be buried by Russia’s refusal to sign. Early in December, Russian officials sent mixed messages about whether their country would sign the pact, which puts a heavy burden on industrial nations and asks little of developing nations. The U.S. was right to reject the Kyoto protocol …”

Accordingly, Envirotruth is circulating the petition, reprinted on this page, to let Putin know not everyone in the West agrees with the EU and global warming alarmists.

The petition can be viewed and signed online at http://www.envirotruth.org/president_putin/#bottom.


James M. Taylor is managing editor of Environment & Climate News. His email address is [email protected].