Post Kyoto Talks Underway - But with trouble

Talks are underway in Argentina to help include the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, USA, who emits nearly 21% of the world's greenhouse gases, agree on a commitment beyond 2012 to cut greenhouse emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol reached an agreement in 1997 to use a "top down approach" in which the committee would set mandatory targets on dozens of nations to cut down on the amount of greenhouse gases by 2012. Over 200 countries are now engaging in talks for a post Kyoto agreement which will reduce gases way beyond 2012.

The Kyoto pact, which comes into affect this coming January, seeks to control emissions of six gases which harm the Earth's atmosphere. The most produced harmful gas is Carbon dioxide which is a product of automobile exhaust, coal and oil burning power plants and other fossil fuel burning sources.

President Bush, who denounced the Kyoto pact in 2001, stated the agreement would damage the US economy and complained of exemptions. He believes that a "bottom up approach" would work better for the United States.

A Greenpeace climate expert, Bill Hare, was saddened by the US approach stating "Bottom-up is a euphemism for not doing much at all beyond what would normally happen."