The following graph appeared in TIME, November 3, 1997:
The President has proposed to decrease CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2010. This means reducing CO2 emissions in the year 2010 by some 300 million tons of carbon (or 1.1 billion tons of CO2).
Remember the calculation on Exam #2, where we showed that a decrease of 150 million tons of carbon per year can be achieved if the average mileage of U.S. automobiles is raised from 20 mpg to 40 mpg. The calculation is as follows, based on the assumption that we travel a total of 2.2 trillion miles/yr and knowing (from elementary chemistry) that 0.01 tons of CO2 are produced for every gallon of gasoline consumed.
If another 150 million tons of carbon emissions is reduced by U.S. electric utilities (or if these emissions are traded with a country, such as Russia, whose emissions are much lower), the goal set by the President can be achieved.
So it is technically feasible to fulfill this commitment, not by eliminating CO2 once it is produced but by not producing it in the first place, that is, by increasing the efficiency of energy use.
It remains to be seen whether the commitment made by the President will withstand the political scrutiny both abroad and on Capitol Hill.
Well, on December 10, 1997 the Kyoto Protocol has been signed by delegates of some 160 nations. Here are its key provisions.