On climate change, US vies to come in from the cold

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States appears to have crept in from the cold on the climate change debate but still opposes the sort of painful action that scientists say is needed to avert a potential disaster.

President George W. Bush intends to address a September 27-28 gathering of 16 nations in Washington on how best to combat global warming, which he now accepts to be a "serious challenge."

But while Europe and the scientific community push for new binding targets to reduce greenhouse gases, Bush's approach emphasizes technological change and voluntary action by governments and companies.

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However, some suspect Bush of pursuing a public-relations exercise on climate change as the clock winds down on his presidency.

National Environmental Trust president Phil Clapp said the sort of voluntary regime favored by Bush had been discredited in the 1990s.

"The president is recycling a 15-year-old approach on global warming that was invented by his father's administration and trying to call it new," he said.

Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g6udiC7HhYgT51fVqcwpVAtJ_gIg

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Just going through the motions to keep our trading partners happy.

More empty words from the Empty Office.