By Elisabeth Rosenthal Published: December 11, 2008
POZNAN, Poland: Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts arrived at the United Nations conference here Thursday reassuring delegates from around the world that the United States would take strong measures to combat climate change.
"President Obama will be like night and day compared to President Bush," he said at a news conference, adding that "Congress and the president-elect are committed to movement on mandatory goals as rapidly as possible."
Although the incoming Obama administration has no official representatives at the meeting, where officials are forging a new climate change treaty, the massive glass conference center is crawling with American lawmakers, or at least their staffers, a sign of a transitional and potentially transformative moment in U.S. climate politics.
Over the past two weeks, staff members from more than 50 congressional offices - representing powerful figures like the House speaker, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California; Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee; and Representative Henry Waxman of California, the incoming chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce - have made appearances. The staffers have been so numerous that the delegation representing the Bush administration had to put a sign on its office door: "Executive Branch Personnel Only."
Despite elation at the new U.S. presence, there has been widespread concern among delegates that developed nations would be less willing to make the financial investments in climate change in a time of global recession. In opening the two-day meeting of environment ministers Thursday morning, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon, said there should be "no backsliding on our commitments."
moreBy VANESSA GERA – 3 hours ago
POZNAN, Poland (AP) — Developing countries upbraided rich nations at U.N. climate talks Thursday, saying they were refusing to act boldly enough to stop global warming. Mexico sought to prod others into action by becoming the first developing country to announce a cap on greenhouse gas emissions.
As 145 environment ministers and other leaders gathered for the final phase of the two-week talks, delegates from poor countries made emotional pleas to rich countries to take the lead in cutting the heat-trapping gases that their factories have pumped into the air since the Industrial Revolution.
Countries like the United States, Canada and Japan have resisted deep emissions cuts without similar sacrifice from the developing world. They argue that unilateral action on their part would harm their economies, and would not solve the crisis if industrializing countries like China and India keep spewing out ever more carbon dioxide.
<...>
Former U.S. vice president and Nobel Peace prize laureate Al Gore urged negotiators at the conference to be bold.
"The delegates must free themselves of the old, outdated way of looking at the planet," he said. "Some changes will occur, but the worst of the consequences can be avoided if we act."
Sen. John Kerry said the United States will have a climate policy in place within a year that would allow it to join a worldwide treaty on global warming. Kerry told The Associated Press the key to the treaty is a commitment by all nations, not just industrial countries, to cut emissions.
more
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
