Furthermore, international agreement is important, but is not enough to change the habits and demands of the global population. It is the end-users of energy, the citizens of each country, who behaviorally induce most emissions. Through the use of gasoline, the burning of farmland, and the raising of cattle, human beings are indirectly emitting large amounts of GHGs every day. An effective environmental treaty must not only change the behavior of signatory governments, but also encourage behavioral changes on the part of the global community.

Cooper’s answer to these two problems is attractively simple: rather than pay large sums to reduce emissions, national governments should establish a tax on emissions. An emissions tax would generate revenue for countries that could potentially replace the revenue from taxes like the income tax or the payroll tax. If these taxes were replaced by a carbon tax, citizens would ultimately be paying the same amount in taxes and would not have to carry a higher financial post-tax burden. Furthermore, a tax on carbon emissions would provide a financial incentive for individual people to emit less on a grassroots level and become more efficient. Consequently, people would save more energy, switch to more fuel efficient cars, and invest in renewable energy sources. This fiscal alternative allows for energy efficiency, reduced emissions, and overall lower ultimate costs to society.

The Kyoto Protocol effectively signaled to the world that climate change must be addressed seriously through international action. It is time for the world to take the international action itself more seriously. The international community needs to critically assess global climate change and draft an agreement that is cost-effective, realistic, and fair. It is time to cool down the climate debate before the political climate, and quite possibly the global climate, begin to overheat.