Down to Earth Blog

United States and Other Big Polluters Don't Join:  The Associated Press reported on Feb. 3 that France had led the formation of the new group, which will fight global warming and could have "policing powers to punish violators." (See the story on CBSNews.com)

The world's largest polluter -- the United States -- did not join the new group, nor did India and China.

The news report quoted Granger Morgan, an energy expert at Carnegie Mellon University as saying the Feb. 2 climate report “will kick a few more folks to get on board" and “We are at the point over the next three to five years where the U.S. is going to get quite serious about it.”

Let's hope so.  What do you think?

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• #13 Comment from greenlakededham 
  2/19/07 4:10 PM | Permalink

  Those of us who are capable of intelligent thinking will just have to ignore those like marekatilink.  There will always be small minded individuals whose very existence depend on the intelligence of others. Without us they would ruin the very things that human life needs to survive. Just ignore them, they are only minor stumbling blocks in life.  Its people like them who enabled Bush with his Iraq war.  But take heart, look how this folly has been exposed.  The truth always wins out. These people have no vision, no common sense, and in the end, NO POWER.   The people who really matter know the truth and have the intelligence and the means to overcome their ignorance. Give them scarce thought, for their influence is small and their whining will go unheard.   We will win this global challenge without them, even if they were on the side of saving our planet their contribution would be small in light of their narrow insight into how this planet works.  Its beyond their comprehension.
• #12 Comment from jandt60 
  2/17/07 3:11 PM | Permalink

  How come those who point out that the United States is the biggest polluter always leave out the fact that the US has the highest GDP by far (that benefits the whole world), and is one of, if not the most efficient user of natural resources. If all other countries were similar there would be a lot LESS pollution in the world. The politicians in the 45 Nations are desparate to keep the 'ball rolling' toward more government control over our lives, including new big taxes and spending on projects that will keep them in power--regardless of whether what they propose will be of any benefit to mankind. Based on innumerable studies of the Earth's climate history, global warming is indeed occurring again, as it has from time to time, in between extensive ice ages. To believe that mankind is suddenly the only reason for this current warming is really stretching scientific creditability. Also, to predict that this warming is a pending "catastrophe" ignores the fact that mankind and all plant & animal species, have been able to adapt to past changes--up or down in temperature. No doubt life on earth will be different in 2100, but different does not automatically mean bad, as some selfish politicians and many 'politically correct' scientists would like you to believe. So, get used to it--it is getting warmer SLOWLY and is likely to do so for the next century or so. Let's all urge our politicians to concentrate on developing policies/laws that focus on ADAPTING to this coming inevitable change!  (To get a good overview of this issue I recommend that you read the article on global warming by Fareed Zakaria in the  2/19/07 Europen edition of Newsweek(.    
• #11 Comment from momsontherun 
  2/17/07 1:20 PM | Permalink

  The US didn't join because we have an IDIOT In the White House.  He is not going to do anything even about finding another fuel source instead of oil, when Cheney has considerable shares in oil companies.   CAN'T WAIT UNJTIL THE 2008 ELECTIONS!!!!!!!!
• #10 Comment from christleis 
  2/8/07 5:11 AM | Permalink

  The people that think global warming is a huge conspiracy theory just made up to "scare the good folk of the earth out of their pants" are the reason why the earth is in the state of emergency it is! Mankind has gotten so greedy and NARROW MINDED that there is nothing anyone can do now to STOP the damage that has already begun and this will continue to worsen over the coming years. I honestly DO NOT SEE WHY 45 NATIONS (who have very educated scientists that have gathered their own data and facts) would just make up an anti-global warming body for absolutely NOTHING!! I thought that scientists based their theories on factual data gathered in the field of their own study? See the scientists are the reason people believe in the "big bang" & and the theory of evolution right? So now everyone is suddenly ANTI-SCIENTISTS? I don't care what anyone else has to say about my post, because I know for certain that the scientists are absolutely correct in their conclusions!
• #9 Comment from welsprng77 
  2/8/07 2:47 AM | Permalink

  This country is filled with cowardly, gullible, dolts. We are ripe for totalitarian rule.
  When stupid, easily scared people who can't think for themselves become the majority, democracy will fail. The power mongers of the world know this all too well. Megalamaniacs like Gore, Chirac, the Clintons, the left in general, all see this as the big oppurtunity to scare people, including governments, into submission. What is this crap about Chirac leading a group with "policing powers"? That son of a bitch should have been shot a long time ago. He is power mad, and an enemy of the U.S.A. He is part of the lefts global conspiracy and CONVIENIENT LIE !