US Reps. At COP-10 Dismiss Kyoto, Block Linkage Of Climate, Disasters

[hatrack]

The US has been defending its decision not to take part in the Kyoto Protocol, just two months before the international agreement to cut greenhouse gases comes into force. Senior US negotiator Harlan Watson attacked the treaty as being politically motivated rather than based on science.

Speaking to reporters at the UN climate change convention in Buenos Aires, he suggested European countries were in no position to lecture the Americans about cutting emissions. If the State Department official responsible for representing his government at these events likes to be popular, he is clearly in the wrong job.

EDIT

The US is keen to emphasise the large amount of government money going into research into technologies such as hydrogen fuel and new forms of nuclear power, which could decrease reliance on fossil fuels such as oil and coal in future. But Dr Watson admitted that even with proposals to reduce the "carbon intensity" of the US - that is, the amount of carbon dioxide produced for each dollar of the economy - his country is projected to emit about 15% more greenhouse gas in 2012 than in 1990, compared with a reduction of 7% signed up to by the Clinton administration in 1997.

EDIT

The criticism of the US at this conference goes beyond its refusal to ratify Kyoto. Dr Watson angered many countries and environmental groups by trying to block discussion of the link between climate change and worldwide efforts to improve international disaster relief. The suspicion of green groups is that the US is fearful of admitting there is a link between industrial emissions and the damage caused by floods, storms and droughts."

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4077137.stm

[papau]

1. They also say climate warming is good! - and not man made!

They are interesting people.

:-(

[blindpig]

4. and these are interesting times we live in

Personally, I'm ready for some boredom. The only question I have is whether they actually believe the crap they spew. I suspect not. Nihlist and evil get my vote.

[phantom power]

2. "politically motivated"? What the fuck does that even mean??

And "lecturing"??? One group of countries wants to *do* something about their emissions, and another country wants to say "la!la!la!la! I'm not listening!!" And that's "lecturing?"

Our attitude toward international efforts to control greenhouse emissions is an embarrassment. To say nothing of dangerous.

I really hope people just quit inviting us to these events. We're like the immature kid in the back of the classroom who disrupts the rest of the class. At this point, it would be much more productive to just kick us out.

[xchrom]

3. do they look for ways to make us all look

like assholes?