White House Council of Economic Advisers

In December 1997, over 150 countries negotiated the Kyoto Protocol, a United Nations treaty intended to combat global warming. If ratified, the treaty would require the United States to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. In the following viewpoint, former president Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers argues that the United States should support the treaty because it is a necessary response to the risks posed by global warming and can be implemented at a modest cost. Although President George W. Bush withdrew U.S. support for the treaty after taking office in January 2001, environmentalists continue to advocate its ratification.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What are the three basic kinds of flexibility provisions included in the Kyoto Protocol, according...