US won't speed up emissions cuts: top climate negotiator (Domestic politics will not allow it)

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gJP2lqVLhpEPLc0Spl8dd7OOD6Zw

US won't speed up emissions cuts: top climate negotiator

By Marlowe Hood

PARIS (AFP) — Domestic politics will not allow the United States to deepen it commitment for cutting carbon pollution over the next decade despite growing international pressure, Washington's top climate negotiator said Sunday.

"We are jumping as high as the political system will tolerate," Todd Stern said, rejecting China's call this week for rich nations to slash greenhouse gases by 40 percent before 2020, compared to 1990 levels.

"The 40 percent the Chinese have talked about is not realistic," the US Special Envoy for Climate Change told AFP on the eve of a two-day climate meeting of ministers from the world's most powerful economies.

A summit of Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) members -- which together account for 80 percent of global CO2 emissions -- is scheduled for July in Italy, probably on the heels of a G8 summit there, Stern said.

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[villager]

1. "Domestic politics won't allow us to keep ourselves from going extinct"

"And, of course, humanity's extinction is an easier choice to make than jeopardizing your own political career!"

[Bragi]

3. Pretty much, yeah

I believe it's not totally too late to do much to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, but I have zero confidence that humanity will act to save itself.

What is clear is that our political and economic leaders/structures have no way of acting in a manner to prevent a catastrophe that is 20-30 years distant.

So we're doomed. On the upside, the planet will recover. Humanity just won't be around to be part of it.

This used to upset me. Now I simply accept that I'm now among one of the the last generations of humanity.

- B

[Stellabella]

2. Well, then it's really too late.

Looks like the human race is going to last another 100 years at best, unless something changes radically.