EU agrees on carbon dioxide cuts (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

European Union leaders at a climate change summit in Brussels have agreed to slash carbon dioxide emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by the year 2020.

But a consensus on a binding target for the use of renewable fuels, like wind and solar power, has yet to be reached.

German Chancellor and EU President Angela Merkel said she was hopeful an agreement could still be struck.

The European Commission wants countries to pledge, among other things, to boost the use of renewable fuels by 20%.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6432829.stm

France & Germany can't agree on the role of nuclear power, but otherwise they seem to be approaching concensus that it's time to commit to concrete targets.

[Eugene]

1. EU summit draft backs binding renewables target - Reuters

EU summit draft backs binding renewables target

By Ingrid Melander and Paul Taylor

16 minutes ago

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A draft final statement at a European Union summit on Friday
set a binding target of 20 percent of renewable sources in EU energy consumption
by 2020 in an ambitious strategy to fight climate change.

The compromise circulated by EU president Germany offered flexibility on how the
27 member states contribute to the common pan-European goal for renewables
such as solar, wind and hydro-electric power.

The wording appeared aimed to win over states reliant on nuclear energy, led by
France, or coal, such as Poland, or small countries with few energy resources,
such as Cyprus and Malta, by adding references to the national energy mix.

"Differentiated national overall targets" for renewables should be set "with due
regard to a fair and adequate allocation taking account of different national
starting points," it said.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070309/wl_nm/energy_eu_draft_dc

[razzleberry]

2. a smokescreen, intended to deceive

main purpose, to distract attention from
the EU's failure to impliment the
Kyoto Protocol

[Porcupine]

3. Is a return to equlibrium ever proposed?

Or are we just all going to pretend that slowing the rate at wich we convert the climate to Venus is OK?