U.S. Rejects EU Targets On Climate Change
The United States rejects the European Union's all-encompassing target on reduction of carbon emissions, President Bush's environmental adviser said Tuesday.
James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said the United States is not against setting goals but prefers to focus them on specific sectors, such as reducing dependence on gasoline and cleaner coal. "The U.S. has different sets of targets," he said.
Germany, which holds the European Union and Group of 8 presidencies, is proposing a so-called "two-degree" target, whereby global temperatures would be allowed to increase no more than 2 degrees Celsius — the equivalent of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit — before being brought back down. Practically, experts have said that means a global reduction in emissions of 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
Connaughton, who is on a one-week bipartisan trip to Europe with members of the House of Representatives, said the U.S. favors "setting targets in the context of national circumstances."
But despite the disagreements, Connaughton said the G-8 meeting, which brings together the leaders of Germany, the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Japan, could still result in a productive conclusion.
"Let the G-8 process run its course," he said. "Give the leaders a chance."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who opposes President Bush on climate policy, urged international cooperation in tackling climate change.
Pelosi, on a separate trip to Berlin, hailed Chancellor Angela Merkel's "extraordinary leadership" in fighting climate change and agreed "that these solutions must be multilateral."
"We are trying to preserve the planet, which many in our country, including I, believe is God's creation, and we have a responsibility to preserve it," Pelosi said, speaking alongside the German leader after a meeting at the chancellery.
The California Democrat said faith-based organizations could play a role in battling climate change. The United States needed "the spirit of science to show us the way and faith-based organizations to help mobilize to preserve the planet," Pelosi said.
Merkel, who will host the summit of leaders from the G-8 in Heiligendamm, was diplomatic as she met with Pelosi and her bipartisan congressional delegation. The German leader said she was delighted there was "a bipartisan movement in the U.S. Congress that pays great importance to the issue of energy."
Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has been more blunt, voicing regret after he met Pelosi on Monday at the difficulty of achieving "concrete results" with the Bush administration.
"I think that what we could achieve is at least a mandate for negotiations — a clear mandate — for the climate conference" later this year in Bali, Indonesia, which is set to consider future action against global warming, Gabriel told ARD television.
"The United States is rejecting that as well, so far," he said, but "if we could achieve that, then I think Heiligendamm would have achieved a breakthrough."
The U.S. has not ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol limiting emissions; President Clinton never submitted it to the Senate. President Bush, who has also declined to submit it for Senate confirmation, has argued that Kyoto would harm the U.S. economy and unfairly excludes developing countries such as China and India from obligations.
Pelosi has disagreed with that decision on Kyoto, but has said she wants to work with the Bush administration rather than provoke it. On the way to Europe, her delegation stopped in Greenland and saw the effects of global warming firsthand, she said.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said the United States is not against setting goals but prefers to focus them on specific sectors, such as reducing dependence on gasoline and cleaner coal. "The U.S. has different sets of targets," he said.
Germany, which holds the European Union and Group of 8 presidencies, is proposing a so-called "two-degree" target, whereby global temperatures would be allowed to increase no more than 2 degrees Celsius — the equivalent of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit — before being brought back down. Practically, experts have said that means a global reduction in emissions of 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
Connaughton, who is on a one-week bipartisan trip to Europe with members of the House of Representatives, said the U.S. favors "setting targets in the context of national circumstances."
But despite the disagreements, Connaughton said the G-8 meeting, which brings together the leaders of Germany, the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Japan, could still result in a productive conclusion.
"Let the G-8 process run its course," he said. "Give the leaders a chance."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who opposes President Bush on climate policy, urged international cooperation in tackling climate change.
Pelosi, on a separate trip to Berlin, hailed Chancellor Angela Merkel's "extraordinary leadership" in fighting climate change and agreed "that these solutions must be multilateral."
"We are trying to preserve the planet, which many in our country, including I, believe is God's creation, and we have a responsibility to preserve it," Pelosi said, speaking alongside the German leader after a meeting at the chancellery.
The California Democrat said faith-based organizations could play a role in battling climate change. The United States needed "the spirit of science to show us the way and faith-based organizations to help mobilize to preserve the planet," Pelosi said.
Merkel, who will host the summit of leaders from the G-8 in Heiligendamm, was diplomatic as she met with Pelosi and her bipartisan congressional delegation. The German leader said she was delighted there was "a bipartisan movement in the U.S. Congress that pays great importance to the issue of energy."
Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has been more blunt, voicing regret after he met Pelosi on Monday at the difficulty of achieving "concrete results" with the Bush administration.
"I think that what we could achieve is at least a mandate for negotiations — a clear mandate — for the climate conference" later this year in Bali, Indonesia, which is set to consider future action against global warming, Gabriel told ARD television.
"The United States is rejecting that as well, so far," he said, but "if we could achieve that, then I think Heiligendamm would have achieved a breakthrough."
The U.S. has not ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol limiting emissions; President Clinton never submitted it to the Senate. President Bush, who has also declined to submit it for Senate confirmation, has argued that Kyoto would harm the U.S. economy and unfairly excludes developing countries such as China and India from obligations.
Pelosi has disagreed with that decision on Kyoto, but has said she wants to work with the Bush administration rather than provoke it. On the way to Europe, her delegation stopped in Greenland and saw the effects of global warming firsthand, she said.
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Yeah, it's called protecting the oil industry and all the Bush Cheney family friends. With gas at record highs, and oil companies making record profits, you must be kidding to think that Bush is going to sign anything that will cut into their profits. Why, they put him in office!!
The National Academy of Sciences did a survey of every Scientific, Peer-Reviewed, Global Warming Study done in the last ten years.
Every one of these studies agreed on three fundamental facts:
1) GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL
2) GLOBAL WARMING IS CAUSED BY MAN
3) GLOBAL WARMING WILL BE DEVISTATING TO ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET
The SCIENTIFIC debate ended long ago.
The POLITICAL debate rages on because the fossil-fuels industry (Exxon-Mobile) is poring millions into a disinformation campaign.
Who did the study?
Exxon Mobil? The Cato Institute? George Bush's dog?
http://www.burnhamshops.com/gw/TheGreatGlobalWarmin.flv
The National Academy of Sciences did a survey of every Scientific, Peer-Reviewed, Global Warming Study done in the last ten years.
Every one of these studies agreed on three fundamental facts:
1) GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL
2) GLOBAL WARMING IS CAUSED BY MAN
3) GLOBAL WARMING WILL BE DEVISTATING TO ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET
The SCIENTIFIC debate ended long ago.
The POLITICAL debate rages on because the fossil-fuels industry (Exxon-Mobile) is poring millions into a disinformation campaign.
Climate research bodes badly for drought
Scientists say new research proves the Indian Ocean has significantly warmed and there will be less rain across southern Australia.
The CSIRO research has found a rise of 2 degrees Celsius in the Indian Ocean over the past 40 years.
It confirms long-held beliefs of general warming but for the first time in exact detail.
The researchers say the temperature change cannot be explained by natural variability and is linked to the heating up of the atmosphere.
Chief researcher Dr Gael Alory says the rising temperature of ocean currents means fewer storms along the Australian coast.
"There will be less rainfall on the continent," he said.
"The rainfall will move more south to just the ocean and that means less rainfall."
He says Western Australia's south-west will be hardest hit by the change in climate.
The research was carried out by following the trade routes of ships and measuring temperatures down to 800 metres.
Yeah, like spewing 5 times more CO2 into the atmosphere so the very wealthy can make even more money while the rest of America and the world's poor die from thirst, disaster, and starvation. It's the same pattern as with Katrina. Bush never cared one bit for those caught in that hell-hole, and only acted when public anger reached a dangerous point. It sickens me that the majority of America voted for a man who has no sense of morality or empathy. He cares nothing about America. And that is why he does nothing to help Americans, just helps his loyal cronies.
Winston Churchill once said
"You can always rely on America doing the right thing, after they have tried everything else"