Road To Nowhere - Bush's Latest Global Warming Stall - Huff Post

[hatrack]

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The Major Economies Meeting is unlikely to produce anything but more hot air and carbon dioxide pollution. When the meeting was announced in June, Bush administration officials said that it would address greenhouse gas reduction "aspirations" rather than binding reductions. This is nothing more than fait- based pollution control -- let's hope other nations reduce pollution.

Last week the Administration reportedly told meeting participants that every issue was on the table except for concrete greenhouse gas reductions and an international "cap and trade" system to accomplish this goal. That's like a doctor telling a patient that he will treat a serious disease with everything except surgery and medicine.

The administration may also use sleight of hand over the next two days by proposing to reduce "emission intensity" that would lower the rate of greenhouse gas emissions or energy use on a per capita or per dollar of Gross Domestic Product basis. Such a proposal will do little to slow global warming. It is the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and not the rate that we add to the problem, which will determine our future.

The administration may use the meeting to remind the world that China and India must also agree to reduce their fast growing contributions to global warming. While emissions from both countries continue to increase, the United States has contributed more of the total atmospheric load of carbon dioxide -- 29 percent -- than any other nation. China contributed only 8 percent and India emitted slightly more than 2percent. Since the U.S. is responsible for a major part of the problem, it has a responsibility to undertake a major part of the clean up. Once its reductions are underway, the U.S. can work with these two nations to help them reduce their pollution.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-weiss/road-to-nowhere-bushs-l_b_66103.html