AFL-CIO Opposition to Kyoto Reaffirmed

At the ARCC meeting in Washington, D.C. in March, ARCC union representatives noted that the AFL-CIO Executive Council has reaffirmed its opposition to the Kyoto Protocol. The union representatives asked that the reaffirmation be reprinted in ARCC News.

The Clinton Administration has signed the Protocol, but fortunately for America, the Senate will not ratify the Protocol as currently written.

ARCC supports rational incentives to reduce greenhouse gases, such as tax breaks to install the newest clean technologies. And why not invest U.S. tax dollars in research and development for cleaner cars and industry instead of investing U.S. jobs and profits in China, India and other developing nations? [An editorial on Labor's opposition to the Kyoto Protocol, authored by President Boyd Young of the United Paperworkers International Union, was published in ARCC News in December 1997.]

"...The Kyoto Protocol, if ratified by the U.S. Senate or implemented through regulatory processes, could have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy and American workers. This would significantly alter the current mix of generating sources by reducing the consumption of domestic coal and increasing the consumption of foreign gas, thereby increasing electricity prices. In addition, implementation would significantly raise the cost of all forms of energy, affecting workers in manufacturing, transportation, construction and service industries, as well as those involved in energy production and distribution. Economic forecasts have shown that more than one million American jobs are at risk, energy prices could increase significantly, and the United States will have created an additional incentive for American companies to locate offshore."

"...Discussions regarding the Kyoto Protocol or global warming must include the utilization of all technologies that can reduce the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere, for example: clean coal technology, natural gas innovations, hydro, nuclear, oil, wind, solar and geothermal. The AFL-CIO reaffirms its opposition to the Kyoto Protocol."

- "U.S. Energy Policy", AFL-CIO Executive Council Statement, February 17, 1999