Climate Talks Stall Hours Before Adjournment - AFP

[hatrack]

"Talks on measures to reduce harmful greenhouse gases were stalled early Friday, just hours before a UN conference on the implementation of Kyoto accords was scheduled to close, diplomats said. A 20-nation working group created to sort out differences mainly between European nations and the United States adjourned at 0400 GMT without reaching agreement.

The European Union wants talks to start next year on strengthening the international fight against climate change over the next decade.

It is calling for several informal meetings next year that would include the United States.

But the US representative at the conference, Paula Dobriansky, indicated Washington was only prepared to hold one meeting early in 2005 that would be an "exchange of information" on the environment policies of different countries."

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/2004/041217092519.qfq9iupp.html

[rfkrfk]

1. Europeans should tell deadbeat US to shove it....n/t

[phantom power]

2. I agree. The difficulty is that we're such a big part of the problem,

they must feel it's important to get us on board.

But they need to realise that the current U.S. administration doesn't give a shit, and isn't going to, ever. If they want to make any progress in the next four years, it's going to have to be without our participation.

That's a huge embarrassment, and it will reduce the amount of progress, but I think it's so important to make any kind of progress, that they find a way to do something without us.

[rfkrfk]

3. The EU has a bigger problem than the US

The EU has a bigger problem than the non-participation
of certain non-participants....
.
{projections]
Spain, Italy will ignore Kyoto I, won't join Kyoto II,
Germany, iffy for meeting reduction target,
Seems like the UK is looking for an excuse,
No country, to my knowledge, has passed
Kyoto enacting laws.
.
These conferences need to be more than
just beat up on shrub.

[hatrack]

4. They might be more useful if we didn't keep blocking new measures

The Buenos Aires conference wrapped up with the US blocking any attempts by the parties to do anything next year but hold one "informal" conference in May for vaguely described "discussions" on technology.

If this continues, all future COP meetings are going to be nothing but "beating up on shrub".

[rfkrfk]

5. How does the US block anything ?

Under the 'UNFCCC' framework convention,
the US is one vote, out of about two hundred.
The US is not engaged in the Kyoto Protocol.
.
I urge the EU to ignore shrub's 'rope-a-dope' gibberish,
and just go do it.
You have to start, somewhere.

[NNadir]

6. One hates to wish bad on one's own country, but the rest of the world

needs to demonstrate to the Americans that actions have consequences.

The United States is a huge debtor nation - an Argentina waiting to happen. The world can force us to become responsible world citizens if and only if - like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz clicking the heels of the ruby slippers - the world recognizes it's power.

We are weak and have very, very, very weak, cowardly and incompetent leadership placed in power by a tiny majority of doped up, unthinking people. We can be whipped into shape quickly by decisive and courageous leaders abroad, should such leaders emerge.

Global climate change is a problem that transcends loyalty to national states which, when measured on a either a historical or geological scale, are at best transitory. The world needs to exercise all available power to straighten us out, because we are fast becoming criminal, like those with addicitions often do.