re: #261 albusteve

world wide, govt sanctioned enforcement of our habits (what?, 6b people?) for a century or more is just ridiculously impractical…I hate to tell you this but that is pure fantasy…the international community cannot even stop Somalian piracy…hahaha!

There is no language in the Kyoto Protocol regarding the design of enforcement of people’s habits. The primary function of it is for the reduction of 6 greenhouse gases:

Carbon dioxide (C02)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N20)
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

The governing body to meet these goals are set within the nations themselves and not from outside nations or any other international governing bodes such as the UN. In other words, the USA would be free to attain the reduction in any manner possible through either private or public measures. The signatories have mechanisms available to reach the set reduction goals.

The Kyoto mechanisms

Under the Treaty, countries must meet their targets primarily through national measures. However, the Kyoto Protocol offers them an additional means of meeting their targets by way of three market-based mechanisms.

Enforcement is actually rather week and come in the form of economic remediation:

Enforcement

If the enforcement branch determines that an annex I country is not in compliance with its emissions limitation, then that country is required to make up the difference plus an additional 30%. In addition, that country will be suspended from making transfers under an emissions trading program.

Again, there is no international (United Nations) design or technological standards to attain the reduction in the 6 greenhouse gases. The means to the end is left to us.