Europe furious at US climate call

[babylonsister]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/540776fa-1068-11dc-96d3-000b5df10621.html

Europe furious at US climate call

By Fiona Harvey in London, Hugh Williamson in Berlin and George Parker in Brussels

Published: June 1 2007 19:52 | Last updated: June 1 2007 19:52

Germany and the European Commission reacted angrily to President George W. Bush’s apparent change of heart on climate change on Friday, setting the stage for a stormy G8 summit of rich industrialised countries next week.

A spokesman for Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor and current G8 president, said Germany’s stance that climate talks should take place within the United Nations was “non-negotiable”. Stavros Dimas, the EU environment commissioner, dismissed the proposals for climate talks as vague and “the classic US line”.

Mr Bush on Thursday appeared to suggest a parallel process to the UN, by which the world’s 15 biggest emitters of greenhouse gases would within 18 months “establish a new framework on greenhouse gases when the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012” and “set a long-term global goal on reducing emissions”.

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[PA Democrat]

1. Uh-oh. No back rub for Merkel on this trip.

Seriously though, did Bush think the rest of th world would fall for his BS?

[ginnyinWI]

2. we could have predicted he's screw it up

"Does not work well with others." grade: F

I remember somewhere seeing a story about how when * would play ball in school, and he was losing, he'd just change the rules.

[phantom power]

3. This is all kabuki.

Their leaders talked and talked and talked. But nothing could stem the avalanche. Their world crumbled.
--Mad Max