China wrecked the Copenhagen deal

[Elspode]

I'm not partisan, and I say nothing of any substance whatsoever came out of Copenhagen. Zip. I'm one of those guys who thinks that Rush and his accomplices figure that the rich will have enough money to protect themselves from any ramifications of global warming, and they will deny it's existence until such time as it is undeniable, and then they will turn and blame the other side for it existing.

That said, nothing but binding agreements with consequences for noncompliance will change *anything* about global warming. Frameworks are not useful in any real world way. I do not blame Obama or any other single party, I simply state that nothing useful happened.

[SamIam]

On the positive side we do have the acceptance of a 2C limit for temperature increase, and reference to the scientific basis for doing so. This indicates that science has finally had an influence on negotiators defining what would represent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

Originally Posted by Elspode

....

That said, nothing but binding agreements with consequences for noncompliance will change *anything* about global warming. Frameworks are not useful in any real world way. I do not blame Obama or any other single party, I simply state that nothing useful happened.

I agree it will take a binding agreement...but you build a binding agreement on a framework that all parties can agree to..and that is what came out of Copenhagen.

And the framework sets both global and national long-emission reduction goals along with providing an independent verification process, both of which are new and, IMO, helpful first steps. It also includes short-term financial pledges to help developing nations....and far more from the EU and Japan than the US.

But my point was the CLassic's post about "Obama acting as those he could walk in and schmooze and all will be well" was typical partisan bullshit right out of Limbaugh. If he said that Obama did not come away with a strong binding treaty, I would have agreed.

Oh...I forgot. Classic is not partisan.