UAE Beats Americans' Environmental Harm

[jpak]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2007/jan/15/011508610.html

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - When it comes to squandering the earth's natural resources, residents of this desert land of chilled swimming pools, monster 4x4s and air-conditioned malls are on a par with even the ravenous consumption of Americans, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

The average person in the Emirates puts more demand on the global ecosystem than any other, giving the country the world's largest per-capita "ecological footprint," WWF data shows. The United States runs second.

But the oil-rich Emirates is considered a developing country, and even as a signatory to the United Nations' Kyoto protocol on global warming, is not required to cut emissions. The United States is no longer bound by Kyoto, which the Bush administration rejected after taking office in 2001.

Even so, the Emirates government has been embarrassed by the WWF report, which it says is flawed. The federal environment agency is devising strategies to cut emissions, including a public campaign that may offer economic incentives to those who turn down their air conditioning, Saad al-Numairy, an adviser to agency, said Monday.

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[maxsolomon]

1. we have taught them well

that is one tacky-ass "country":

[Porcupine]

3. I can't wait till that thing sinks......

below sea level due to the emissions that funded it's creation. It's an incredible example of the largess of hubris that's causing climate change.

[TupperHappy]

2. A bit misleading

"The United States is no longer bound by Kyoto, which the Bush administration rejected after taking office in 2001."

Umm, the United States never was bound by Kyoto, because it was never ratified. Back in 1999. Pres. Clinton never submitted it to the Senate, based on a 95-0 resolution by the Senate saying it would never ratify Kyoto as it was presently written.