Kyoto all Over Again? US Obstructive Force at Climate Talks

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/12/05-2


Protesters demand immediate international action on climate on Saturday. (Mohammed Dabbous/Reuters)

World leaders have agreed on one thing at COP18—so called developing countries will suffer the most extreme effects of climate change; however, the world's richest nations continued on Wednesday to refuse to help prepare these nations for their current and imminent disasters and, more pointedly, to help curb global warming greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable energy development.

With two days of negotiations left at the climate conference in Doha, the European Union and the United States refused to contribute to "climate funding" for developing nations, confirming fears that wealthy nations would create another cog in the machine for drastically needed global progress on the climate change front.

On the docket at this year's talks has been the bolstering of such climate funds that are designed to help other countries develop sustainable energy as well as combat the current and future effects of climate change. In response, the U.S., who refused to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol and has consistently registered as one of the world's worst greenhouse gas emitters, said it was already "doing what we agreed to do," as the EU said it could not afford to help.

Meanwhile, pledges from far less affluent countries began to trickle in.

[CRH]

1. US BAU ...n/t

[Amonester]

2. Where has all 'our' snow gone? (Canada, 40 miles North of NY/VT's border)

I remember in this 'time-of-the-year' and every year, in the seventies....

We had snow up to our ankles, when not up to our knees already, every single year in early December.

Now? Every single year: nothing. The only trace of snow (like half an inch) we had last week, lasted for a day.

Something is WRONG. VERY wrong.

[Iterate]

3. Evidently, they still believe they'll win World War Warm.

I'm counting four blocs this time rather than just two. I wonder what the prize is?

[pscot]

4. No doubt poor nations will suffer

but rich nations have more to lose.

[joshcryer]

5. The US is about to make bank with shale oil.

There's no way the US is going to do squat about it.