>>>That's not the point. Kyoto is targets. If the U.S. can meet, in fact exceed, those target without spending themselves into submission, then how does signing on to Kyoto bankrupt you? Where in Kyoto does it say, "You must spend billions of dollars"? Kyoto says, "You must meet these targets". The fact that apparently the U.S. can better those targets without spending billions baffles me if they say they can't even meet them without wrecking the economy. The logic of this doesn't bother you at all?
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>>The money, resources and effort it would've required to attempt to achieve the targets can be better appropriated toward looking at other technologies, alternative fuels, fuel cells, etc. The requirements of Kyoto would've put such a burden on our energy companies to meet the targets that it would've ended up costing the entire economy as those costs are passed on. It was decided that it would be better to invest further money in research and development rather than attempt to meet some arbitrary targets that may or may not even help in the long run.
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>That sounds like you're saying that the Kyoto targets could not be met. In that case, John's comment, that started all this, that the U.S. can do better than Kyoto doesn't make any sense. Clearly, the U.S. is not planning to meet the Kyoto targets, and certainly is not going to do better.

The Kyoto targets cannot be met. I will not speak for John but the way I see the US doing better is through the development of better technologies through expanded research. Kyoto mandated changes immediately which requires the use of existing technologies which are quite expensive and not effective enough to meet the targets.

>I was never arguing about the decision to opt out of Kyoto. I was only questioning the statement that the U.S. cannot agree to Kyoto because of damage to the economy, but don't worry, the U.S. will do better than Kyoto.

I believe that over the long haul the US will do much better than Kyoto. The targets of Kyoto were not attainable as is being shown by the signataries.

The US has made great technological advancements through a combination of government regulation and private research. Fuel effiency, cleaner coal fired plants, increased solar, wind and hydro power, smog reduction. If the US had continued to develop its nuclear technology we'd be even further along.