Environmentalists hopeful after US Democratic victory

[jpak]

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=289381&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/

Environmentalists on Wednesday hailed Democratic victories in United States congressional elections as a possible harbinger of change in the global-warming policies of the world's top polluters.

But they said there was little chance the legislative power shift from Tuesday's polls would alter US President George Bush's opposition to binding caps on greenhouse-gas emissions enshrined in the Kyoto Protocol.

Still, gathered in the Kenyan capital for a key United Nations climate-change conference, delegates and observers said Republican losses could help the environment and might force an easing in Bush's tough stance on other, related matters.

"This is good news for climate," said WWF climate-change director Hans Verholme, adding quickly he did not think the results could force a change in the administration's vehement opposition to the Kyoto Protocol.

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