Ever since the threat of global warming seared its way into public consciousness during the record-breaking heat wave of 1988, environmentalists have been pushing governments to take action. Auto engines, power plants and landfills spew out carbon dioxide, methane and other heat-trapping gases by the ton. Left unchecked, many scientists believe, the buildup in the atmosphere could create the greenhouse effect, boosting temperatures and changing weather patterns in unpredictable, probably destructive ways. At last year's Rio Earth Summit, world leaders agreed that emissions of greenhouse gases should be curbed, but at the insistence of the U.S., the resulting treaty contained no...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
