(8 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
President Obama announced on Friday that negotiations among the the world’s nations had resulted in a “meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough” on climate change.
One administration official, however, acknowledged in remarks to the Associated Press that it was only a first step and not sufficient in itself to head off global warming. Going by other reactions to the deal, that would appear to be an understatement.
The Guardian obtained a leaked draft of the agreement and reported that “it says countries ‘ought’ to limit global warming to 2C, but does not bind them to do so.”
The Toronto Star explains, “It is not binding and it does not set new greenhouse-gas reduction targets. Instead, countries are to set their own emission reduction commitments, which would not be legally binding. Those commitments will be the subject of further negotiation, with the aim of a final deal at next year’s summit in Mexico.”
A Greenpeace representative told The Guardian, “This latest draft is so weak as to be meaningless. It’s more like a G8 communique than the legally binding agreement we need. It doesn’t even include a timeline to give it legal standing or an explicit temperature target. It’s hard to imagine our leaders will try to present this document to the world and keep a straight face.”
A representative of World Development Movement used even stronger language, saying, “This summit has been in complete disarray from start to finish, and now appears to be culminating in a shameful and monumental failure that will condemn millions of people around the world to untold suffering. The leaders of rich countries have refused to lead and instead sought to bribe and bully developing nations to sign up to the equivalent of a death warrant.“
Adele Morris, Fellow, Global Economy and Development and Policy Director for Climate and Energy Economics, Global Economy and Development at The Brookings Institution and Kurt Davies, research director at Greenpeace USA, talk to Paul Jay about the Copenhagen “Climate Sham”:
Real News Network – December 19, 2009
Without US commitment Copenhagen breaks down
31 comments
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out of this that is “meaningful and unprecedented” is the transparency of Obama.
…needs to give up the bullshit rhetoric or people will begin to see him not just as a liar but as a fool.
What do you think. Some kid on TV wants a laptop for Christmas, I giggle at the thought of his entire family being homeless by next year. What are the Obots going to think! Yeah, it’s a evil laugh.
Oh and did you know it’s a recycled ruse!!!!! Yes, from 1958 even!
Author
used that photo, I’d caption it:
“Forced to eat spinach, I grimace.”
Lying monstrous coward.
Lying monstrous coward.
What a fucking sham…
pondered the question, an excellent one at that.
In the face of the “killer” global swine flu pandemic why did they allow so many world leaders to congregate together in one place especially when the new recombinant D225G, melt your lungs out Ukraine version is so geographically close to Copenhagen.
I’ve met these GP research guys, and they all impressed the hell out of me-knowledgeable, dedicated, hard working folks who have to think about the unthinkable all day long.
you don’t like about it?