The National Center for Public Policy Research is circulating this petition seeking signatures for a petition asking Russian President Putin not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Dear President Putin,
I am writing to support your decision to delay ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. In particular, I encourage your government to carefully examine the climate science upon which the treaty is supposedly based, before making a ratification decision. By doing so, I am convinced that you will agree with the many leading climate scientists who have convincingly revealed that the scientific foundation of the Kyoto Accord is too weak to warrant its implementation at this time.
The funds needed to enable severe greenhouse gas controls would be far better spent on real and better-understood environmental problems, not to mention society’s other urgent concerns. Contrary to the assertions of alarmists, it is highly improbable that human activity will cause catastrophic global warming. While working to reduce air and water pollution remains important, the Kyoto Accord does not address these phenomena, focusing instead on the erroneous belief that humans can somehow “stop climate change.” It is obviously not worth restricting Russia’s growth to “solve” such an improbable threat.
Your country now has the opportunity to demonstrate how environmental policy decisions should be made, namely through correct application of the latest environmental science, balanced with a thorough appreciation of the relevant economic and societal factors. The governments of the European Union, Japan, and Canada did not base their ratification decisions on a proper assessment of these factors. In Canada, for example, no public hearings were held on the science of Kyoto and the issue was mostly ignored in the pre-ratification debates.
However, in the United States, extensive, well-publicized science consultations with leading non-governmental climate scientists did take place and, largely as a result of this, the U.S. continues to remain outside of the Kyoto process. I believe the same will happen in Russia as you examine the fundamental science foundation of the protocol and so, echoing the sentiments of the many scientists who spoke out at the recent climate change conference in Moscow, I urge you to reject the Kyoto Accord.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
