U.S. pushing to weaken G8 climate declaration

This is getting old

Posted by David Roberts at 11:36 PM on 12 May 2007

Read more about: climate | climate change mitigation | international politics | politics | Angela Merkel

Next month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will convene a summit of the G8 countries, which will issue a joint declaration on climate change. Here's how that's going:

A draft proposal dated April 2007 that is being debated in Bonn, Germany, this weekend by senior officials of the Group of Eight includes a pledge to limit the global temperature rise this century to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as an agreement to reduce worldwide greenhouse gas emissions to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

The United States is seeking to strike that section, the documents show.

Oh, and this:

The documents show that American officials are also trying to eliminate draft language that says, "We acknowledge that the U.N. climate process is the appropriate forum for negotiating future global action on climate change." Industrial and developing countries have used the United Nations as the forum for crafting climate agreements for years.

And this:

The U.S. representatives in Bonn ... are trying to soften the message of the 18-page climate change document by deleting sections that would call on the industrialized world to modify activities linked to recent warming. They also proposed striking one of the document's opening phrases, which says, "We underline that tackling climate change is an imperative, not a choice. We firmly agree that resolute and concerted international action is urgently needed in order to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and sustain our common basis of living."

And this:

Bush administration officials are also resisting calls for efficiency targets in the declaration, in particular a sentence that reads, "Therefore we will increase the energy efficiency of our economies so that energy consumption by 2020 will be at least 30 percent lower compared to a business-as-usual scenario."

These are such proud days to be American, no?

For story: U.S. pushing to weaken G8 climate declaration
4 Comments | Post a Comment

"Chill"

Just received "The Chilling Stars" from King County Public Library.

A must, must read for all AGWs.

I guess US policymakers have been reading it and "Unstoppable Global Warming" and have come to their senses.

No need to be bullied by Brie-fed Eurocrats and sore loser Al Gore...

by jabailo at 10:11 AM on 13 May 2007

On foul-tempered guests

Why do the right-wing commenters sound so similar in their basic rhetorical approaches? It's like they all went to the same propaganda-training school.

I assume that the "professionals" are drawing from the best research money can buy, so it may be short-sighted to offer feedback. However, one thing I don't understand about the personally dismissive tone of many wingers (e.g., referring to Al Gore as a "sore loser") is why they think that scores any points.

Do they think anyone who reads a left-leaning blog like Grist will somehow be swayed by rhetoric that engages in snarky personal attacks rather than sticking to the issues?

If not, why is it worth their time to even comment?

by Steven T at 7:10 AM on 14 May 2007

My theory

is that one of the conservative think-tank masterminds was snubbed by a French girl as a teenager, and has harbored a burning grudge against the entire country ever since. He has since used his propagandic powers to generalize this idiosyncratic resentment across the rightwingaverse.

What else explains the bizarre francophobia that emerges at random moments ("brie-eating"? wtf? how is that an insult?) The meeting is being held in Germany, but let's hate on the French anyway, just cuz... um... they're there?

Ah, petite Sophie, tu etait si jolie, mais si cruelle...

by eriqa at 8:34 AM on 14 May 2007

Stephen T:

We've been discussing this in several places, and I think the answer is that the folks you mention are attempting to disrupt the blog and drive readers away, not to persuade them of anything. Some have suggested moderation (letting authors delete useless comments), some insist that everyone should have to wade through all comments.

I suggest that the disruptive comments are like graffiti on a mural---no one would suggest that you shouldn't clean graffiti off a mural because the graffito artist has the same right to express himself as the muralist. What I propose is that Grist offer two versions of the comment threads--a "full" thread with all comments shown just as posted, and a "selected" comments thread that lets the author of the original post block out the graffiti. Readers therefore have complete ability to see the mural with the graffiti if they prefer that, or to see only the comments that the original-post-author thinks advance (or at least do not disrupt) the conversation.

This allows people to post their juvenile insults and comments about oral sex, but also allows others the option of avoiding comments like that.

The 5% Project

by JMG at 10:01 AM on 14 May 2007
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