so now Putin is backing away from Kyoto ?

[im4edwards]

what did George put in Vlad's barbeque sauce ? He's making cracks that a little global warming might help with the need for heavy furry coats.

PURE speculation from reading the story is that he might have made some sort of deal to ease the pain of lost sales of Kyoto "good" points and get us closer together on... ahem... "other" issues.

More of the same I guess.

http://my.netscape.com/corewidgets/news/story.psp?cat=50600&id=200309291247000222621

[cspiguy]

1. probably doesn't get as much of the Kyoto booty as China.

Third rate "developing" (=failing) nations expecting a big windfall from looting "developed" (=anyone with $$$) nations. All for a scheme that pollutes just as much but lets the needy trade their way out of their sins. Lousy plan. Just tell every country to STOP IT! Dammit!.

[im4edwards]

3. The article said Russia was looking to sell 8 billion

and I didn't think this made any sense. IF you want to clean things up just do it. Making it a blackmail game makes no sense at all.

[hatrack]

2. He's probably slow-walking it in hopes of a bigger payoff for adoption

That would be my guess, given Russia's strapped finances and the scale of the post-Soviet industrial collapse that makes their status as a carbon-credit seller so potentially lucrative.

[papau]

4. Putin Casts Doubt on Kyoto Protocol

Putin Casts Doubt on Kyoto Protocol


http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3205879,00.html

Putin Casts Doubt on Kyoto Protocol

Monday September 29, 2003 3:59 PM
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin on Monday cast doubt over the fate of the Kyoto Protocol, which needs Russian ratification to take effect, saying that his country is still undecided and pointing at theories that claim Russia could even benefit from global warming.
Speaking on the first day of the U.N. World Climate Change Conference in the Russian capital, Putin offered no indication as to when his government might make up its mind about the landmark pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To go into effect, the 1997 protocol must be ratified by no fewer than 55 countries, accounting for at least 55 percent of global emissions in 1990. After the United States rejected the treaty, the minimum can be reached only with Russia's ratification.

``The government is thoroughly considering and studying this issue, studying the entire complex of difficult problems linked with it,'' Putin said. ``The decision will be made after this work has been completed, and of course it will take into account the national interests of the Russian Federation.'' Pressed by some of the conference's delegates for a commitment to ratification, Putin responded ambiguously, citing domestic critics of the Kyoto pact who theorized that Russia could even profit from global warming. He added, however, that Russia may see some adverse effects too.<snip>
Putin's ambitious goal of doubling Russia's gross domestic product by 2010 might come into conflict with the Kyoto Protocol, requiring Russia to launch a costly overhaul of its industries in order to cut emissions and thereby slowing down economic growth. Putin said Monday that the interests of all countries must be taken into account in setting pollution limits, which he said should not strangle economic development. Putin's comments marked a backward move from Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov's pledge a year ago that Russia would ratify the Kyoto Protocol in the ``very near future.'' But it was not entirely unexpected. The government must submit ratification documents to parliament, and officials had already said that the legislature was not likely to review the issue before the Dec. 7 parliamentary elections. <snip>