United States of America

THE UNITED STATES of America is the worlds largest industrialized country and emitter of carbon dioxide. It is therefore widely regarded as the most significant contributor to global warming and climate change. U.S. climate change policies have never remained consistent, as they have tended to shift in accordance with the presidential administration in office. The current administration, led by George W. Bush, has come under particular scrutiny from the media, the scientific community, the general public, and other countries for its climate change policies.

The focus on climate change in the United States became particularly acute in the late 1980s and evolved out of concern about the growing damage to the ozone layer. For two decades, that problem had occupied the attention of scientists and policymakers. ...