Scientists walk out in protest at China's intransigence

[cal04]

Some of the world's best-informed climate change scientists walked out of an all-night drafting session of yesterday's report on global warming, as tempers flared.

The protest, which included a prominent US scientist, took place after Chinese diplomats sought to water down a section spelling out the degree of certainty researchers attach to the impact of climate change.

During a fractious night of negotiation, China and Saudi Arabia were identified as the countries which sought most systematically to dilute the text.

Feelings were running high because the summary produced will be read by heads of government, including Tony Blair and Germany's Angela Merkel, according to Hans Verolme, director of WWF's climate change programme. The summary is an unusual hybrid, crafted by scientists but endorsed by diplomats, thereby gaining political, as well as academic, credibility.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2430158.ece

[GliderGuider]

1. I'm surprised at the identification of KSA as one of the culprits.

China I expected. But the Saudis? I understand they don't want people to stop burning oil, but they hardly seem to be one of the big enviro-players. Proxies for the USA perhaps?

[Mnemosyne]

2. needs kicked and rec'd. n/t

:kick:

[Systematic Chaos]

3. K&R #3 n/t

[file83]

4. They might want to add the USA to the list....

our scientists are no longer allowed to SPEAK without permission from our Führer, Bush.