US, China, Russia Working Together To Block Release Of IPCC Report Due Out Tomorrow - DPA

[hatrack]

Who says international cooperation is a thing of the past?

Brussels - Some of the world's biggest polluters have threatened to derail a new UN-backed global climate report, questioning its scientific basis and working to tone down its language before the report is released later this week, according to delegates at the climate conference in Brussels Wednesday.

The United States, Russia and China have reportedly taken the lead in seeking modifications to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report's final draft, compiled by hundreds of scientists assessing global literature on climate change, must still be approved by government representatives meeting at a four-day summit in Brussels. Russia has been most vocal in its opposition to the IPCC report, which examines the impact of climate change on human society and is the second of three instalments to be released this year by the IPCC. The US has also threatened to prevent the report from being released and both countries have questioned its credibility.

Gabriela von Goerne of the environmental organization Greenpeace said talks on the IPCC report would likely continue late into Thursday night or Friday morning in search of a compromise. The report is due to be released at 0800 GMT Friday.

Excerpts of the draft obtained by Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa paint a dire picture of the impact that global warming could have on Earth if it continues unchecked. The dangers include the extinction of one fifth of all animal species and hundreds of millions of people being driven from coastal regions as sea levels rise.

EDIT

http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1287313.php/China_US_Russia_looking_to_tone_down_UN_climate_report

[jpak]

1. What do these *assholes* hope to gain from this???

It puts them *on record* in opposition to the global climate science community.

It puts them *on record* at odds with the peer reviewed climate science.

I sincerely hope the IPCC panelists, Al Gore and the Democratic Congress stand up and roundly condemn this - and I hope it blows back *hard* on ChimpCo and the rest.

Gawd I despise these people...

[phantom power]

2. And here I thought I'd lowered my expectations as much as possible.

:mad:

[kitkatrose]

3. Why do the governments get to approve a scientific paper?

And how could they block it from being published? That's what the internet is for.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Bloody hell

Whenever we think people can't get any more stupid, they prove us wrong. :banghead:

[Dogmudgeon]

5. Looks like we're wa-a-a-ay past Peak Brains

How do they expect to pull THAT little trick off?

--p!

[OneBlueSky]

6. "a dire picture of the impact that global warming could have on Earth if it continues unchecked. . .

The dangers include the extinction of one fifth of all animal species and hundreds of millions of people being driven from coastal regions as sea levels rise." . . .

IF it continues unchecked? . . . there's no "if" involved here . . . the human part of global warming is caused, in large part, by massive corporations and their products . . . they're more powerful than national governments, and their single objective is short-term profit . . . long-term consequences -- to the environment, the economy, society, or anything else -- are irrelevant to them, something for future generations to deal with . . .

there's no "if" about it . . .

[depakid]

7. At least America has some company now

Not "good company," but hey, a rogue nation can't be choosy.