In today’s Journal Times, an article by Dustin Block, points out that Mayor Becker has been honored by the local Sierra Club. The interesting part is the why he is being honored. It seems that Racine’s Mayor has decided to sign an agreement (similar in nature to the Kyoto Protocol) to reduce Racine’s carbon dioxide level 7% below the levels in 1990.

So what does the Mayor have in store for us…making us hold our breath for 2 hours everyday? Mandate that all workers walk to work? Push 7% of the businesses out of Racine to surrounding communities? (Now this idea I’d like! You could send them to Caledonia…oh wait…those damn horse “farmers” won’t let us build!)

Kyoto has some very valid arguments but it should not be to the detriment of the society! If we were to strictly enforce the same environmental standards we use here in the US to the rest of the world there would literally be a halt to advancement in these developing countries.

The US has made quite a few environmental changes in the last 40 years that other countries still have not done (See: Clean Water and Air Act, creation of the EPA, and reductions of auto and factory emissions) and we are not demanding that they follow our lead. But we are singled out because we feel this protocol would unduly affect our society in a negative way. That is why Clinton did not sign it and why Bush still has not.

A bunch of Mayors agreeing to this protocol may be a feel good step but not one that will bring economic prosperity and people to your community.

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