After Greenland Climate Meeting, Ministers Agree To (You'll LOVE This) . .

[hatrack]

Stop criticizing the US and Australia!

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Representatives of 23 nations deeply split about how to combat global warming ended talks in Greenland on Friday with a plea from the host to stop years of squabbling and take urgent action. "The blaming game has to stop," Denmark's Environment Minister Connie Hedegaard, said in a statement after the four-day meeting she chaired in Ilulissat, north of the Arctic Circle. "Instead of blaming other countries for the lack of action, all governments should present credible visions on how they could make their own fair contribution to combating global climate change."

Representatives at the talks toured a fast-receding glacier. Areas of summer melt in Greenland have expanded sharply in recent years. Many scientists say that a build-up of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels burned in cars, factories and power plants is contributing to what could become catastrophic global warming.

Representatives of nations including the United States, Japan, China, India, Mexico and the European Union were at the informal talks hoping to smooth policy splits after Washington pulled out of the United Nations' Kyoto protocol in 2001. Exact details of the talks were kept confidential.

Denmark, which owns Greenland, called the talks to find a way out of the deadlock. "There is a growing consensus on the need for action now," Hedegaard said. "Several ministers underlined how their countries are already experiencing severe economic, social and environmental consequences of climate change."

EDIT

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2005-08-19T150359Z_01_EIC954144_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-ENVIRONMENT-GREENLAND-DC.XML

[phantom power]

1. In a way, they're right.

It's clearly useless to expect anything from Bush or the current crop of Congressmen.

If anybody wants to start making progress now, they're going to have to do it without the cooperation of the US. It's stupid, and it's unfair, but it's a fact.

[wli]

2. details kept confidential?

The crisis must be worse than we're allowed to hear about.

[hatrack]

3. I wondered about that too

Not that I don't trust my government or anything like that . . . :sarcasm:

[Double T]

4. Looks like the Mayans were correct.......

and the entire world has discovered that they can no longer count on the USA when it comes to the environment, conservation and the preservation of our planet.