China and US held secret talks on climate change deal

[steven johnson]

Source: Guardian

A high-powered group of senior Republicans and Democrats led two missions to China in the final months of the Bush administration for secret backchannel negotiations aimed at securing a deal on joint US-Chinese action on climate change, the Guardian has learned.

The initiative, involving John Holdren, now the White House science adviser, and others who went on to positions in Barack Obama's administration, produced a draft agreement in March, barely two months after the Democrat assumed the presidency.

"My sense is that we are now working towards something in the fall," said Bill Chandler, director of the energy and climate programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the driving force behind the talks. "It will be serious. It will be substantive, and it will happen."

Chandler said he and Holdren drew up a three-point memo which envisaged:

•Using existing technologies to produce a 20% cut in carbon emissions by 2010.

• Co-operating on new technology including carbon capture and storage and fuel efficiency for cars.

• The US and China signing up to a global climate change deal in Copenhagen.




Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/18/secret-us-china-emissions-talks

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It looks like there are back channel negotiations going on with the other largest polluter in the world, China.

[endless october]

1. the only negotiations going on with China

involve shipping the rest of our manufacturing sector there in exchange for them buying more of our debt.

[skoalyman]

2. absolutely

:cry:

[Deja Q]

4. Proof?

[SpartanDem]

3. This holds huge potential

a deal with China would dramatic impact on future greenhouse gas emissions

[amandabeech]

5. This deal is likely to result in China getting access to advanced technology

through "partnerships."

The technology will pop up in another Chinese firm who will then make a lot of money on it.

Meanwhile, there will be few jobs in the U.S. building the equipment, since it will all be built in China and exported.

The Chinese are not known for making agreements that benefit both parties, and I don't think that this one will be the exception.

Green jobs, my ass.

[ohio2007]

6. 100 Chinese coal miners die every month to fuel the coal fired power plants thirst

They build a coal powered electric generating plant every three week.

Wonder if they remember the sweet air smell during the olympics?

I'm guessing its all a smog to them by now