U.S. Resists New Targets for Curbing Emissions

[Sean]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/08/sc...08climate.html

MONTREAL - The Bush administration, facing fresh criticism on several fronts in climate talks here, maintained its opposition on Wednesday not only to new targets for cutting emissions linked to global warming but also to any informal discussions that might even touch on the subject. In an unusually direct rebuke, Prime Minister Paul Martin of Canada singled out the United States at a news conference for not joining international efforts to require curbs on carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases. "To the reticent nations, including the United States, I say this: There is such a thing as a global conscience," Mr. Martin said. "And now is the time to listen to it." Separately, representatives from the Eskimo native culture of the Arctic, which for 5,000 years has used sea ice as a platform for hunting and transportation, announced that they had filed a petition against the United States on Wednesday in the Washington offices of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a body examining claims of rights abuses in the Americas. The petition asserts that unabated American emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are threatening Eskimo traditions and presses the United States to curb the gases. Bush administration officials attending the conference, convened to discuss updates to a set of international agreements including the Kyoto Protocol, said they had not yet seen the petition and so declined to comment. They also rebuffed critics of their stance in the talks, saying the United States was pursuing independent actions to slow growth in emissions and conducting research with other countries on new, less polluting energy technologies. The meeting is the latest in a 17-year string of conferences that produced a 1992 treaty pledging, but not requiring, cuts in greenhouse gases and a 1997 addendum, the Kyoto Protocol, that has binding targets and a 2012 deadline but for only three dozen industrialized countries. The United States is a party to the first pact, the Framework Convention on Climate Change. But President Bush rejected the Kyoto pact, saying that the emissions cuts would harm the economy. The Montreal conference has parallel discussions under way on the two pacts. Parties to Kyoto are required to consider new targets and timetables beyond 2012. The American delegation has insisted repeatedly that there be no new talks to reconsider aspects of the 1992 framework treaty. It is not involved in talks related to the Kyoto treaty because it is not a party to it. At a news conference on Wednesday, Paula J. Dobriansky, under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs and the top American official at the meeting, said the framework treaty allowed countries to pursue independent efforts. "We believe that the best way forward is acknowledging the fact that there are different approaches that have been represented here at this gathering, and one size does not fit all," she said.

[Clarence]

"You know, global warming is a crock. right? I mean, these greenhouse gas nut-jobs are clearly the enemy of the United States." -anonymous retard

[shield772]

We do not wish to be a part of th etreaty because we do not want foreign control of US policies and corporations, we are reducing emissions on our own just fine, and I belive the biggest concern the administration has is that the treaty would require US to finiancialy support and help clean up treaty member nations that couldn't afford it, we have enough US taxpayer dollars going for foreign aid enough is enough.

[pubmanager]

Quote by: shield772 We do not wish to be a part of th etreaty because we do not want foreign control of US policies and corporations, we are reducing emissions on our own just fine, and I belive the biggest concern the administration has is that the treaty would require US to finiancialy support and help clean up treaty member nations that couldn't afford it, we have enough US taxpayer dollars going for foreign aid enough is enough.

NO SHIELD

You don't want to be part of the treaty because Bush's business mates don't like it, it might cost them some money!!!

Bush doesn't even acknowledge that global warming is a) happenening or b) a problem

America is THE WORST OFFENDER!!!!!!!

open your eyes!

http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssue...ming/Kyoto.asp

[RickSp]

Of course the Bush administration's obstinate stupidity is to be expected. After all Ari Fleischer, Bush's old press secretary is on the record claiming that the president thinks that wasting energy is " an American way of life."

What I find interesting about the Montreal Summit is the extent to which the Kyoto framework appear to be falling apart. China and India are producing more green house gasses than had been predicted and even European countries that are growing rapidly are wildly exceeding their Kyoto targets.

Spain’s emissions in 2003 were up by nearly 42 per cent on 1990 levels; Portugal’s by 37 per cent; and Greece’s and Ireland’s by 26 per cent. Canada, whose Prime Minister, Paul Martin, made a rare attack on the US for failing to share "the global conscience", has increased its emissions by more than 24 per cent in that period. Emissions in the US were up by only 13 per cent in that time.

Trail goes cold in search for climate deal

I agree with the concensus that Global Warming is a serious problem. That is becoming obvious. The problem with addressing Global Warming is that the answer is on what to do about it is anything but.

[Apeman81]

Quote by: pubmanager NO SHIELD America is THE WORST OFFENDER!!!!!!! http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssue...ming/Kyoto.asp

Back this up with any evidence!

[RickSp]

U.S. Delegation Walks Out of Climate Talks

The Bush administration was sharply criticized by environmental groups for walking out of a round of informal discussions shortly after midnight that were aimed at finding new ways of curbing gases beyond steps taken so far. The walkout was widely seen here as the capstone of two weeks of American efforts to prevent any fresh initiatives from being discussed. "This shows just how willing the U.S. administration is to walk away from a healthy planet and its responsibilities to its own people," said Jennifer Morgan of the World Wildlife Fund.

The Bush administration wouldn't even participate in "informal discussions ..aimed at finding new ways of curbing gases". Being that obstructionist is simply stupid diplomatically.

[pubmanager]

Quote by: Apeman81 Quote by: pubmanager NO SHIELD America is THE WORST OFFENDER!!!!!!! http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssue...ming/Kyoto.asp Back this up with any evidence!

Did you read the link monkey boy?

[pubmanager]

Try this one

http://earthtrends.wri.org/pdf_libra.../cli1_2005.pdf

Or just google, "worlds biggest polluter"