Climate Talks Head - US "Off The Hook:" - No US Action Before 2009

[hatrack]

LONDON - Washington is having an easy ride in UN talks to curb greenhouse gas emissions and the world may have to wait until after 2008 for greater US involvement, the chair of a main UN climate group said.

The United States, the world's biggest polluter, pulled out of the UN's Kyoto Protocol in 2001, saying it would cost US jobs and wrongly excluded developing nations. But Washington can still attend talks about extending the treaty after 2012.

"The United States is having an easy ride. I am concerned about the situation," said Michael Zammit Cutajar, appointed this month to head UN talks to extend the treaty beyond 2012. He said Washington was "off the hook" by being able to monitor meetings but not having to undertake any commitments.

Any chance of getting a commitment from Washington was unlikely before President George W. Bush stepped down in January 2009, he added. "What happens in the United States is the big question. Post-2008 is the year you have to look at."

EDIT

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/36591/story.htm

[opihimoimoi]

1. History will confirm Bush is committed to the destruction of the Fragile

Earth through :::

1, Ignorance

2, Intentional Policies

3, Greed/selfishness

4, etc.

[htuttle]

2. "Off the Hook"

Tell that to the former citizens of New Orleans, and soon to many others on all the other coasts.

[redqueen]

3. better title: "useless to expect the US to give a damn until bush is gone"

[heartofthesiskiyou]

4. In the mean time

The Gore team will work on the real cancer. Our brothers and sisters that have been propagandized by neocomm money, media and madness. We are all brothers and sisters you know. Even our poor unfortunate repukes that have been the targets of the vile.

Sure they didn't merely let corpmunists into the pulpit, they ran out and held the door of the church open and invited them in. We are all brothers and sisters. They need our help more then any. They didn't know there was a Rovian wedgie coming at them.