ABSTRACT

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted by a majority of the world’s nations at the Third Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997, sets specific targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases. Currently, the United States is proposing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012 and achieve further reductions below 1990 levels during the following fiveyear period. Many approaches can be used to achieve these targets, including improving energy efficiency and switching to fuels with lower carbon content (U.S. Office of Technology Assessment). Another possibility, which is given explicit recognition in the Kyoto Protocol and the U.S. Climate Change Action Plan (Clinton and Gore), is to offset emissions of C02 by planting trees.