But the treaty hasn't been submitted to the U.S. Congress yet because of strong opposition. Key members of Congress have indicated that the treaty will be ratified over their dead bodies because they say it would harm the U.S. economy. The Republican-controlled Senate would either vote it down or not let it out of committee. It will take 65 countries to ratify the treaty, but it won't mean much if the U.S. doesn't sign it. The current debate is not over whether the climate is warming.
Most scientists now agree on that.
The debate now centers on questions regarding how quickly and how much the earth is warming. The issue is complex because climate is affected by a mixture of natural events, such as volcanic activity, solar energy fluctuations and changes in oceanic water circulation. Dr. Michael E. Schlesinger, a climatologist at the University of Illinois, says it is particularly important for policy makers and the public not to assume that temperature trends will follow a smooth rise. The array of factors is so complex that temporary fluctuations along an upward trend could create confusion and hamper work that could help solve the problem. Rather than admitting that our increasing use of petroleum products and coal is altering our climate, the companies that are making profits out of fossil fuel and the powerful auto industry are spending millions of dollars in an effort to discredit the IPCC and global warming.