More than 500 American cities have signed on to voluntarily comply with the Kyoto Protocol, an international set of standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that the U.S. has repeatedly refused to sign.
"New York is among a faction of U.S. cities from Boston to Portland, Ore., that are racing ahead of the federal government in setting carbon emission targets and developing concrete strategies to deal with climate change. Their solutions are already beginning to alter the fabric of life for millions of urban dwellers."
"It is a direct consequence, municipal officials and analysts say, of the growing perception inside city halls that the Bush administration has largely ignored an issue that has reached a tipping point in American culture."
"What started in 2005 with the frustrations of one mayor -- Seattle's Greg Nickels -- over the Bush administration's resistance to the Kyoto Protocol has since grown to become a major nationwide movement. Nickel's 'U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement' now includes 522 mayors representing 65 million Americans who have pledged to meet the Kyoto Protocol's standard of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012."
FULL STORY: Cities Take Lead On Environment As Debate Drags At Federal Level
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