First, we should begin by asking what is magical about Kyoto in 1997. It is very clear that the reduction or the elimination of the use of coal is high on the agenda of those pushing for a Kyoto agreement. In the United States in the 1970s we survived two energy crises. At some point there might be a viable and economical replacement for carbon-based fuels on the scale needed, but that day has not arrived yet. In my view, the conservation of precious natural resources is a worthy goal in and of itself.
All natural resources are precious.
But industrial and economic development is not inherently evil. It has made life less nasty, brutish and short. Growth must be sustainable, but it must also be growth. I remember predictions in the 1960s that we were headed for another Ice Age. I have also studied enough history to be aware of the period known as the Little Ice Age.