re: #462 Sharmuta

Developing countries boycott UN climate talks

I linked to David Corn’s summary piece at Mother Jones the other day as a good summary of the widgetry of the process that is going on in Copenhagen.

That AP article you linked uses some poor choice of words in describing what happened today.

From watching the actual video streams coming out of the conference, it becomes clear that the multi-sided nature of the negotiations has become the achilles heel of trying to accomplish something constructive.

There are far too many agendas in play.

It is not like there are two sides, and some compromise can be arranged between them. Rather, it is like those old cartoons where to accomplish A one has to do B, but then discovers that to do B one has to do C, and then finds out that to do C one has to do D, etc.

The EU complains that the Kyoto Protocol now only covers 30% of emissions because the US didn’t approve it and the China/Brazil/India are exempt.

All the developing countries object to the developed countries trying to lock in a disproportionate share of the amount of human activity that disturbs the climate system.

The US of course objects to pretty much anything (thanks to the Inhofe crowd in the Senate). What is left for the Obama administration then, since they know the Senate won’t go along with any treaty with substance, is to negotiate a “political” solution.

Etc.