[greenyes] Climate Disruption - Administration Dilutes Plans for Strong Statement by G-8

["Peter Anderson" <anderson@no.address>]

NY TIMES

une 18, 2005
G-8 Draft on Global Warming Is Weakened at U.S. Behest
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
WASHINGTON, June 17 - Drafts of a joint statement being prepared for the 
leaders of the major industrial powers show that the Bush administration has 
succeeded in removing language calling for prompt action to control global 
warming.

The statement is being negotiated in advance of the annual Group of 8 
summit, which is to be held in Scotland next month. Prime Minister Tony 
Blair of Britain, president of the group this year, has sought to focus the 
summit on aid to Africa and on climate change.

The statement, first outlined last month by British officials, is meant to 
reflect the eight countries' shared concerns and plans regarding climate 
change. Drafts have been batted back and forth since mid-May.

A newly disclosed version, the first showing specifically what changes were 
sought by the Bush administration, was provided to The New York Times on 
Friday by someone in Europe involved with shaping the British stance on the 
issue.

It is dated May 27, and the revisions, many of which are also reflected in a 
June 14 version, vividly illustrate the broad gulf between the United States 
and the group's other members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, 
Britain and Russia.

Several other drafts, showing changes but not indicating which countries 
sought them, have been released by environmental groups over the last few 
weeks. The June 14 draft was described in the European news media earlier in 
the week and in The Washington Post on Friday.

Among the changes reflected in the May 27 draft was the deletion of an 
introductory statement, "Our world is warming." The annotated American copy 
of the document also offered comments to negotiators for the other nations 
like "we should avoid the term 'targets' " and "we should leave the 
definition of what constitutes 'ambitious' to each leader, given their 
respective national circumstances."

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FOR FULL ARTICLE 
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/18/politics/18climate.html?pagewanted=print

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