ABSTRACT
The US has generally been a reluctant member of the international community in the climate change discussions, as carbon targets were viewed as being detrimental to their economy. 1 And even when they did participate, the Americans were viewed as a disruptive force in the discussions. 2 The traditional blocking mechanism was put forth by the government; more research on the science and economics of climate change was needed before any legally binding decisions could be considered. The “paralysis-by-analysis” strategy on climate change by American administrations has worked for three decades (and we are now into a fourth). 3
