Fifteen months ago, U.S. negotiators were booed at at Bali, Indonesia, that U.S. when they threatened to veto an accord laying down a two-year negotiating process to replace the Kyoto Protocol. Yesterday, the U.S.A was applauded at a 175-nation U.N. meeting in Bonn as Todd Stern pledged to “make up for lost time” in reaching a global agreement on climate change.
Although America itself cannot provide the solution to global warming, Stern acknowledged that there can be no solution without America. Indeed, President Obama has set aside $80 billion in his economic stimulus package for green energy and he has promised $150 billion for research over 10 years. He wants to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by about 16 percent from current levels to take them back to 1990 levels by 2020 and to 80 percent below by 2050.
Todd Stern also praised efforts by countries like China to reign in their carbon emissions, but said global warming “requires a global response” and that rapidly developing economies like China “must join together” with the industrial world to solve the problem. (AP)
Great news! Now the US team will get invited to the dinners and parties by the euros in place of having to sit at the hotel.
The NGO’s will even talk to them – just to try to get their hand out first though.
Wait until you see the global response – China, India and others will just find a new excuse and do very little except talk.
Climate change is real but until some action other than meetings happen I don’t have much hope for real progress.
Put a tax (enforced) on CO2 worldwide and then watch change take place.
Great news! Now the US team will get invited to the dinners and parties by the euros in place of having to sit at the hotel.
The NGO’s will even talk to them – just to try to get their hand out first though.
Wait until you see the global response – China, India and others will just find a new excuse and do very little except talk.
Climate change is real but until some action other than meetings happen I don’t have much hope for real progress.
Put a tax (enforced) on CO2 worldwide and then watch change take place.
You raise an interesting point, Russ. There has been so much talk of imposing taxes… especially when it comes to issues like taxing imports that have produced emissions in foreign countries…but yet, very little action!
You raise an interesting point, Russ. There has been so much talk of imposing taxes… especially when it comes to issues like taxing imports that have produced emissions in foreign countries…but yet, very little action!