Led by the mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels (picture), 151 American mayors have promised they will fulfill the objectives established by the Kyoto Protocol, reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases 7% in their cities until year 2012. These mayors have opposed the federal policy after analyzing the scientific consensus which has long before confirmed the link between climatic changes and the human activity. In fact, George Bush did not ratify the treaty on July 2001 and provoked a profound stupefaction in the international community. The mayors’ initiative as such is laudable but scientists agree its impact would only be symbolic. It is actually aimed at drawing the American public opinion attention away from the real world ecological challenge: the evident crisis of energy resources.