This is an article from the UK times that I think givees an interesting insight into the CO2 rules. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,630-845898,00.html However, governments have failed to see the natural consequence of penalising certain forms of power generation. The first effect will be a scramble to dump coal in favour of gas. The Kyoto Protocol was nothing less than an international agreement to kill off the coal industry — burning coal produces more than twice as much CO2 as is produced by using natural gas. Germany faces a double financial burden — the cost of converting its coal generators to gas and financial support for its redundant miners. CO2 reduction has the effect of reducing coal usage and increasing oil and gas usage. So if the USA were to adopt the Kyoto Protocol, it would make the USA MORE dependent on foreign oil.
The US could easily get the Oil and Gas from Alaska if the feds ignore what the Alaskans are proposing and looked for cheaper ways of bringing it down. Germany, if I'm not mistaken, is supposed to have some rather large quantities of hydro power.
Shame there's no other sources of energy, besides those three, that we could be developing and innovating. That's 'it'll make us more dependent on foreign oil' stance is just a very poor rationale for keeping the status quo, which is untenable.