| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Captain Compassion" |
| Date: |
08 Dec 2004 10:52:38 PM |
| Object: |
Britain's secret plan for new global climate pact |
Britain's secret plan for new global climate pact
The Times ^ | December 8, 2004 | Tom Baldwin
TONY BLAIR is seeking to secure George Bush’s backing for a new
international treaty that would end America’s isolation on global
warming, The Times has learnt.
Downing Street last night confirmed that the Prime Minister had held
“lengthy discussions” with Mr Bush about a fresh initiative that would
bypass Washington’s steadfast opposition to the Kyoto Protocol.
The deal, described by one source as “Kyoto-lite”, would involve
scientific agreement on the scale and nature of the threat, as well as
an international programme to develop the technology needed for
renewable energy and the reduction of carbon emissions.
However, disclosure of the proposal came as the Government admitted
that it was on course to miss targets set out in successive Labour
manifestos for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent. Mr
Blair, nonetheless, remains determined that international action on
climate change will be one of the cornerstones of his chairmanship of
the G8 next year.
He believes that the refusal by the US Administration to ratify the
Kyoto Protocol, which is due to come into force in February, has
undermined the pledges of 39 other countries to reduce their output of
carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming.
The Government accepts there is little prospect of America, the
world’s biggest producer of greenhouse gases, agreeing to cut its
emissions. Mr Bush claims that signing up to Kyoto would export US
jobs to China and India, whose rapidly expanding economies are also
contributing to global warming.
Aides acknowledge that a breakthrough on climate change would bolster
the Government’s green credentials before the next election, as well
as provide Mr Blair with tangible proof that his alliance with Mr Bush
on Iraq “has not been a one-way relationship”.
Although the signals from Washington yesterday suggested that the
White House remains deeply sceptical about the initiative, a Downing
Street source said: “There is an awful lot of work going on in the
background on this, it is being given the highest priority.”
The Times has learnt that the Prime Minister had talks in No 10 on
Tuesday last week with John McCain, the influential US Republican
senator, over how to broker an agreement. Stephen Byers, the former
Cabinet minister and a close ally of Mr Blair, has made several trips
to the US for discussions with other leading Republicans such as
Senator Olympia Snowe, his co-chairman on the International Taskforce
on Climate Change. Mr Byers said last night: “We are not in the
business of giving George Bush a fig leaf on this issue. We want
action from the US that makes a real difference.”
Speaking in New York earlier this week, Mr Byers pointed out that
American political opinion was shifting after the hurricane damage
this autumn in Florida and Louisiana which cost billions of dollars in
insurance payouts. “Pressure for (Mr Bush) to act is growing
domestically . . . major companies like Boeing and DuPont are
expressing concern,” he said.
In a speech last autumn Mr Blair described climate change as the
“world’s greatest environmental challenge” and said that an agreement
on the science “would provide the foundation for future action”.
However, environmental groups yesterday scorned Mr Blair’s ability to
provide world leadership on climate change when the Government was
unable to meet its own targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Tony Juniper, the director of Friends of the Earth, said: “Time is
running out. If the Climate Change Programme fails to make significant
cuts in UK greenhouse gas emissions, the Prime Minister’s ability to
persuade other countries to take the issue seriously will be totally
undermined.”
In the Commons, Charles Kennedy said that Mr Blair “talks a good game”
but was failing to deliver. “How do you expect the British public to
have faith in your ambition to lead the industrialised world,
including President Bush, in actually tackling the climate change
issue successfully for once and for all?” he asked.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why would I listen to losers?" -- Arnold Schwarzenegger
"Long term commitment in relationships is only necessary because it takes
so damn long to raise children. Marriage may well be some kind of trick
to keep the males around beyond sexual satiation." -- Captain Compassion
"Progress is the increasing control of the environment by life.
--Will Durant
Joseph R. Darancette
res0mp8t@NOSPAMverizon.net
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| User: "Foxtrot" |
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| Title: Re: Britain's secret plan for new global climate pact |
09 Dec 2004 12:36:08 AM |
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Captain Compassion <res0mp8t@NOSPAMverizon.net> wrote:
Britain's secret plan for new global climate pact
TONY BLAIR is seeking to secure George Bush’s backing for a new
international treaty that would end America’s isolation on global
warming, The Times has learnt.
Downing Street last night confirmed that the Prime Minister had held
“lengthy discussions” with Mr Bush about a fresh initiative that would
bypass Washington’s steadfast opposition to the Kyoto Protocol.
He believes that the refusal by the US Administration to ratify the
Kyoto Protocol, which is due to come into force in February, has
undermined the pledges of 39 other countries to reduce their output of
carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming.
The Government accepts there is little prospect of America, the
world’s biggest producer of greenhouse gases, agreeing to cut its
emissions. Mr Bush claims that signing up to Kyoto would export US
jobs to China and India, whose rapidly expanding economies are also
contributing to global warming.
Bush is right. Kyoto is a job buster, because it holds the
US to tough emission standards, but it gives developing
nations like China, India and Mexico a free pass. So
guess where manufacturing jobs currently in America
will go?
Like every other article on the subject of Kyoto, this one
tries to make Bush look like the lone spoiler, because
it neglects to mention that Kyoto was UNANIMOUSLY
REJECTED in the Senate back when BJ was president.
Bush isn't the only one who believes Kyoto is a job
buster, 95 Senators feel the same way.
The Times has learnt that the Prime Minister had talks in No 10 on
Tuesday last week with John McCain, the influential US Republican
senator, over how to broker an agreement.
WTF business does McCain have discussing our foreign
policy with other countries? That's the job of the executive
branch, *not* the legislative branch.
.
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| User: "news" |
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| Title: Re: Britain's secret plan for new global climate pact |
09 Dec 2004 07:14:42 PM |
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McCain is a deadbeat
"Foxtrot" <foxtrot@null.com> wrote in message
news:fkrfr0dm4t6o9co5ajaehp5q8s4h57epbe@4ax.com...
Captain Compassion <res0mp8t@NOSPAMverizon.net> wrote:
Britain's secret plan for new global climate pact
TONY BLAIR is seeking to secure George Bush's backing for a new
international treaty that would end America's isolation on global
warming, The Times has learnt.
Downing Street last night confirmed that the Prime Minister had held
"lengthy discussions" with Mr Bush about a fresh initiative that would
bypass Washington's steadfast opposition to the Kyoto Protocol.
He believes that the refusal by the US Administration to ratify the
Kyoto Protocol, which is due to come into force in February, has
undermined the pledges of 39 other countries to reduce their output of
carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming.
The Government accepts there is little prospect of America, the
world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases, agreeing to cut its
emissions. Mr Bush claims that signing up to Kyoto would export US
jobs to China and India, whose rapidly expanding economies are also
contributing to global warming.
Bush is right. Kyoto is a job buster, because it holds the
US to tough emission standards, but it gives developing
nations like China, India and Mexico a free pass. So
guess where manufacturing jobs currently in America
will go?
Like every other article on the subject of Kyoto, this one
tries to make Bush look like the lone spoiler, because
it neglects to mention that Kyoto was UNANIMOUSLY
REJECTED in the Senate back when BJ was president.
Bush isn't the only one who believes Kyoto is a job
buster, 95 Senators feel the same way.
The Times has learnt that the Prime Minister had talks in No 10 on
Tuesday last week with John McCain, the influential US Republican
senator, over how to broker an agreement.
WTF business does McCain have discussing our foreign
policy with other countries? That's the job of the executive
branch, *not* the legislative branch.
.
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