U.S., Australia Pushed To Ink Kyoto Pact

Officials, Environmentalists Seek Reduction In Greenhouse Gas Emissions After Global Warming Report

(CBS/AP)  Officials and environmentalists pressed the United States and Australia to sign the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and urged other governments to cut pollution after a U.N. report warned of catastrophic global warming.

Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Saeed said rising oceans could devastate low-lying countries like his coral island nation, which is three feet above sea level in the Indian Ocean.

"If the sea level rises permanently, it will submerge the whole country forever," Saeed said.

Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar predicted that the sea will swallow about 2,000 of his country's estimated 18,000 islands within three decades.

"Developing countries must make binding commitments to cut emissions by 40 to 60 percent," he said in the capital, Jakarta, where torrential rain has caused massive flooding in the past few days.

"And we in Indonesia must guard against the burning of our forests and better monitor our industries," he said.

South Africa's Environmental Affairs Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk described the report as "a wake-up call to the world's largest emitter, the United States."

The United States and Australia are the only industrialized countries that have refused to commit to Kyoto emission targets for reducing heat-trapping greenhouse gas pollution.

But U.S. President George W. Bush's administration and Australian Prime Minister John Howard stood fast against mandatory targets despite the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, reporting Friday that there is a 90 percent certainty that human activity has caused escalating temperatures, glacial melting and rising oceans.

U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman warned of possible "unintended consequences" — including job losses — if the government puts caps on carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.

Bodman said technological advancements will cut emissions, promote conservation and hasten the development of non-fossil fuels.

But Democrats newly in control of the U.S. Congress said Mr. Bush's administration should do more to combat global warming.

At the United Nations, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the head of the Senate Environment Committee, said the president should show "real leadership" on the issue by convening "a summit at the White House of the 12 largest global-warming emitters."

The U.S. each year contributes about a quarter of the world's greenhouse gases, though the share from China, India and other developing countries is growing.

There was no immediate reaction to the IPCC report from China, which is expected to surpass the U.S. as the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter in the next decade.

In India — another country of more 1 billion people that faces the challenge of how to develop economically without ruining its environment — an official said the climate change panel is "a network of scientists" who cannot set policy.

"This is a group of climate experts attempting to reach a scientific consensus. It doesn't commit governments to any course of action," said Pradipto Ghosh of India's Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Australian leader Howard dismissed the Kyoto pact and renewable energy sources like wind or solar power as ways to fight climate change, arguing that Australia must take the unpopular step of introducing nuclear power.

"Let's be realistic. You can only run power stations in a modern Western economy on fossil fuel, or, in time, nuclear power," Howard told reporters Saturday.

Opposition leader Kevin Rudd, who will take his center-left Labor Party into elections later this year, said Australia has to sign the Kyoto deal, use renewable energy sources more and create a national strategy to reduce electricity consumption.

A Japanese newspaper editorial criticized developing economies for failing to share the responsibility of reducing greenhouse gases.

"Although countries like China and India are major polluters, they are not obliged to cut emissions just because they are still developing," the Mainichi Shimbun said. "But those countries, as major polluters, have a global responsibility to cut down."

The landmark IPCC report, from the world's leading climate scientists and government officials, said global warming is "unequivocal," "very likely" man-made and will "continue for centuries" — findings bleaker than its last report in 2001.

[olgreyghost]

starlight88:

Even The Report says we can't stop it or slow it so what we must concentrate on is how to survive GW. The predictions are a bit exagerated for dramatic purposes and GW might turn out to be good for mankind (i.e. more crop production as plants "breathe" CO2, respond better to warmer temperatures, and the melting ice caps can lead to more moisture in our atmosphere which falls as rain). So prepare to move to higher ground and look into natural methods of cooling your local environment (home, workplace, etc.) would be a place to start. Look for advancements in alternate energy (non-fossil fuel) sources but don't rush to invest in one yet as the technology is in its infancy and not as energy-efficient as current fossil fuel-based technology. And don't immediately dismiss fossil fuel - we'll need this energy to develop the next.

[starlight88-2009]

What a shame the comments here have turned into a nationalistic pissing match. The focus of the discussion has been totally lost.

The US has it's problems, just as I'm sure Australia must. However, Australia has always stood by us in wars and in peace.

It is time to stand together again and get back on topic. How can we slow Global Warming?

P.S. I don't know a single American friend of mine who doesn't want to visit Australia. We all wish it just wasn't so expensive to get there.

Best Wishes

[olgreyghost]

rheola:

Your language, not you personally, has been offensive and the inferance, er...inference about the Third World was in YOUR reading of my post, not in my writing of it. But you have been personally attacked in a virulent manner by others for which I will not apologize (that's their job to do on their own time) so I can understand you're being testy.

If you understand liberty and holding it to the highest standard against government suppression and oppression of it, then you can understand why many Americans, who are not necessarily wasteful or heavy polluters because that takes a lot of money to do so, are suspect of science and other reasons to turn over more of our natural rights to the government to control. We have a big enough problem with the people here who give away their rights and those of others so that they can have the illusion of security (government can never secure anything short of throwing someone into solitary confinement and that has no certainty to it).

"Ubi Libertas habitat ibi nostra patria est"

[rheola-2009]

Alchemist81

Thank you for your comments, I did not bother to reply in particular to them myself, as I regarded them beneath contempt.
It is my belief that you have every right to not agree with what I say, one of the things that makes our country so great, is that we can do so within the bounds of decency without fear or favour.
It is a sad state of affairs when some persons have to stoop so low, that their only defense is abuse.
My ancestors arrived variously from the first in 1839, a free settler to encounter bay Sth Aust.through to 1861,of which I am justifiably proud, none of them a convict, though that may have not been to bad.

I also wish you all the best

[alchemi81]

Apologies for accidently double-posting.

[alchemi81]

"You lousy descendant of criminals! So who'd your parents kill to get sent to Australia?"

If you are trying to come across as intelligent, or even funny here, you're doing a very poor job. I'm not defending my fellow Australian Rheola's comments in any way, I don't particularly agree with them. I just had to comment on this as I find it incredibly offensive.

You are implying here that the country I call my home, that I love, is a nation full of murderers. To say that somebody's parents murdered to get to Australia is offensive to anybody with half a brain.

My family has lived in Australia since 1850 and no we were not criminals. My ancestors lived in the town of Tipperary, Ireland until a widely known historical event called the Irish Potato Famine (wiki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Potato_Famine),
drove them to migrate, along with about 2 million others.

If you are trying to suggest your country is something to aspire to you are doing a very bad job. I don't aspire to ignorance.

[alchemi81]

"You lousy descendant of criminals! So who'd your parents kill to get sent to Australia?"

If you are trying to come across as intelligent, or even funny here, you're doing a very poor job. I'm not defending my fellow Australian Rheola's comments in any way, I don't particularly agree with them. I just had to comment on this as I find it incredibly offensive.

You are implying here that the country I call my home, that I love, is a nation full of murderers. To say that somebody's parents murdered to get to Australia is offensive to anybody with half a brain.

My family has lived in Australia since 1850 and no we were not criminals. My ancestors lived in the town of Tipperary, Ireland until a widely known historical event called the Irish Potato Famine (wiki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Potato_Famine),
drove them to migrate, along with about 2 million others.

If you are trying to represent your country as being a bastion of democracy you are doing a very bad job.

[rheola-2009]

olgretyghost

Goodness me !!!!!!!!

I fully realize you are a republic, a Republic based on democratic ideals, [no reference intended to your so called Democratic party].
No I have never been to the U.S. but I have many relatives in the north of your country, principally in Michigan. Incidentally they are third generation Americans, They did not migrate from here, the reverse is almost true.
If you find me offensive then I am very sorry, but have a look at the language used in the posts of another person referring to myself, obviously from a very knowledgabe person.
I was not putting words into your mouth/fingers,about the third world country, you did not say such, but the inferance was there. We are a freedom loving people, as you so rightly say, and I feel I am also, even if a little offensive to some peoples idea's.

I also wish you all the best possible

[olgreyghost]

rheola:

We are not a democracy, we're a Republic but as a foreigner you aren't expected to know that. And I don't remember saying that Australia was a third world country. Putting words in my mouth (or in this case, fingers) is unethical. Most of your fellow countrymen that I have worked with in the past struck me to be as liberty-loving as myself and much less offensive than you. You seem to know so much about US. When was the last time you visited and how long where you here?

[rheola-2009]

olgreyghost

I agree strongly with your comment "live free or die" and though I may live in a land foreign to you, I also strongly believe that we have a more democratic society than do you., however I could well be proven wrong on this point, if somebody can show me otherwise
Your statement indicates that you have little understanding of our country or it's people.
We are not a third world country by any standards, except in that we like yourselves are amongst the worst polluters in this world.

[olgreyghost]

rheola:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certian unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

It's not stupidity. It's a freedom issue. Someone who lives in a foreign land might not understand. "Live Free or Die."

And Shrub may be a megalomaniac, but he's not our leader; he's just the president and we're trying to rein the boy in before he gets in any more people hurt...

[rheola-2009]

Re Climate warming.

I am so pleased to see at least one American with his eyes open, no doubt there are others

[starlight88-2009]

We know that 10 of the hottest years on record have been in the last 11 years. We know Glacier National Park will have no more glaciers in just a few more years. We see the ski industry scrambling because the snows are going away. Do you realize
we still do not understand why Gravity works? But, we know it does! Facts speak for themselves.

We also know the oil industry, governments (including Bush) and the media have deliberately lied and suppressed the truth. They have wanted to ignore the problem because of the Billions of dollars to be made.

Frankly, it doesn't matter if man is the cause. Man is a contributor and has control over his contribution. But, when 90% (2,500) of the scientist from over 130 countries agree it has been man made (including US scientist) that's good enough for me. However, it's doesn't matter who caused it ... what matters is can we do anything to slow it? I believe we can, but ONLY if people will pull their heads out of the sand and their #%#@^ and work together.

For me personally, I expect to be dead in 10 years, so it's no biggie. But, I want to know I did everything I could to help those who will be left behind. So, if you have children, (I don't) you need to get off your selfish lazy butt and learn what you can and get to work.

Man has been raping his Mother (Nature) and now it's payback!

Time is short, so don't waste it arguing.

Best of Luck To All of Us!

P.S. The World Wide Web wasn't available until 1994, NOT the 70s.

[rheola-2009]

Re. Climate warming.

Your comment of evolution has a rough outside chance of being correct, but how much longer can we hide our heads in the sand.

[cbgb31]

How do we KNOW humans are causing it. It might be part of earth's evolution.

[rheola-2009]

Re Climate warming

With respect to the denial of climate warming by many correspondents here, if you take notice of the rapidity of disasterous weather occurences, e.g. the very recent, being Florida, and also the rapidly melting polar ice cap, the melting of the perma frost in polar regions, the massive ice melt in Antarctica, the fact that most countries have experienced their warmest decade ever, becoming increasingly warmer throughout the decade, this effect has been made terribly obvious in my country, with the worst drought ever known in our relatively short history, admittedly, in part, responsible to an El Nino effect, I become increasingly concerned as to what disasterous consequences we will leave for our children etc.
We must all begin to at least look at the situation with an open mind.

[rheola-2009]

After reading the comments posted re. climate warming I find it extraordinary that Americans in general can be so blindly stupid and so self interested to ignore the obvious, and to ridicuously claim that it is a conspiracy against their wasteful materialistic lifestyle I am a concerned Australian who has watched with dismay the absolute greed and lack of caring for the others in this world by yourselves in general, and your meglomaniac of a leader in particular

[processor2]

"Global Warming" debate shifts to WHO PAYS

And that, ladies & gentlemen, is what "global warming" is really all about. A form of global socialism to make the USA pay for its "ways", and to re-distribute wealth (a tenet of communism) to the rest of the world.

A similar story circulated in the early 1970's. So-called "social" scientists insisted the earth was experiencing "global cooling"; and of course, the U.S. was expected to pay for its "ways".

....

[hawksprings]

The rest of us get really tired of all the Chicken Littles and Global Warming Sheep constantly crying that the world is ending. It's all I've heard from these kind of people since I started grade school in 1970. I wish I had recorded every time I heard some "expert" like Ted Danson or an Al Gore type say something to the effect that in 10 years we'd all be dead or wish we were.

In the early 70's we were taught that the next Ice Age was coming and that pollution was getting so bad that by 1990 there would be no more drinkable water or breathable air left. We were also told that by 2000 there would be no more oil, yet in the past few months I've been reading of more oil field discoveries that almost rival what Saudi Arabia has, and one of the leading scientists in the field of studying how crude oil was formed says he now believes that crude oil is formed by the Earth's molten core and is basically renewable and inexhaustible.
In 2005 we were told that 2006 would have more severe hurricane activity and we had almost NONE. Right now much of the US has been having below normal cold and above normal precip.
But if we don't stop driving cars RIGHT NOW we'll all be dead in 10 years.

What's really scary is how close these people are to getting their way.

[sharncedar]

"and to re-distribute wealth (a tenet of communism) to the rest of the world."

And what pray-tell is your god and lover Bush's plan then where he sends bazillion of our tax dollars to corporations which then goes directly to investment in China and India? What then his plan to provide loans at 1% to the very richest of the world's banks and investors, money stolen from the American taxpayer through the hidden tax of inflation, and fueling a 25% growth in foreign countries? What then is it when your idol of worship Bush sets up China, the world's last remaining large Communist nation, with 1 trillion (that's 1 trillion) of debt held against American taxpayers?

We will pay back every cent to China, which is still a practicing Communist nation with an un-open and nationally directed economy. we will be paying for Bush, the lover/god of the right wing **** preachers, for centuries to come with interest on that debt.

To a Communist country.

And again, you blame us Americans, the people you call "liberals", for it.