After-hours deal reached at climate talks

[babylonsister]

After-hours deal at climate talks

Dimas Ardian / Bloomberg News
Environmental activists dressed as polar bears protest near the site of the United Nations climate talks in Nusa Dua, Indonesia.

In a late Bali breakthrough, an accord is reached to guide countries toward a new global warming treaty.
By Alan Zarembo and Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
December 15, 2007


NUSA DUA, INDONESIA -- After two weeks of often rancorous negotiations and a last-minute effort by the United States to turn back a compromise from developing countries, the United Nations climate talks here ended today with the unanimous adoption of an agreement charting the course for negotiations on a new global warming treaty.

The treaty, which will be hammered out over the next two years, will succeed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, set to expire in 2012.

Despite the document's adoption, however, it was clear that the most contentious issue of the talks -- setting hard emissions caps for individual countries -- would simply be pushed into the future in anticipation of the election of a new U.S. president who might be more amenable to restrictions.

The Bush administration has steadfastly refused to accept any mandatory restrictions on emissions, saying that they would stifle the U.S. economy.

Delegates thought they had overcome Washington's objections and reached a final agreement in an extended session that pushed a day past the official end of the summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.

But reflecting the disarray in the international community about how to halt rising global temperatures, their hopes were dashed when India objected that the document did not require industrialized nations to help developing countries control their emissions with technology and funding.

The United States had been portrayed as the stubborn villain of the meeting all week. Blame for the final dispute was also laid at America's doorstep.

"You can't expect us to have national mitigating actions without technology support from outside, without financing from outside and without capacity building from outside," said Kapil Sibal, head of the Indian delegation.

He blamed the United States, specifically, for trying to block any obligation to help developing countries. "They don't want to give us any technology support," he said.

more...

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-sci-bali15dec15,1,4495783.story?page=1&coll=la-headlines-frontpage&ctrack=9&cset=true

[spanone]

1. this administration shames all americans

[peacebird]

2. The United States WAS the stubborn villain, and deserved the blame laid at its doorstep.

The article says "The United States had been portrayed as the stubborn villain" :eyes:

How about calling a spade a spade Mr Zarembo and Mr Maugh? The US repeatedly blocked attempts for real action, and tried to sabotage the proceedings with its own meeting instead.

:wtf:

we can't get rid of these evil scum soon enough....

I don't think the world will forgive us for many decades, if ever.

[lonestarnot]

3. Neither will the walruses.