Senior EU Officials Shun Bush Climate Offer: "We Really No Longer Care What He Thinks" - BBC

[hatrack]

A senior European official has described America's latest offer on climate change as far too little, far too late.

EDIT

On Wednesday, Mr Connaughton drew attention to the eight pieces of legislation enacted by the US to increase fuel efficiency across different sectors. He said the US had offered billions of dollars of incentives towards clean technologies. He also stressed that the US did not expect China and India to make cuts in emissions for the time being - but wanted them to agree legally-binding plans to restrict their growth in emissions. Without this, he said, cuts in the rich world would be futile.

He also referred to a consistent theme - the failure of the EU to match up to its own rhetoric on climate change. The EU has pledged to cut CO2 by 20% to 30% in the next 12 years. But the US says this is unrealistic and will certainly not be achieved on current trends.

One EU official said: "Frankly, we have had global climate policy held up by the White House for years. President Bush won't be in office to sign off the next climate agreement so we really no longer really care what he thinks."

EDIT/END

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7268048.stm

[CJCRANE]

1. "Who cares what you think

Mr Bush?"

:shrug:

[Cleita]

2. "We really no longer care what he thinks."

I hope to hear that phrase over and over again until he leaves office, preferrably sooner rather than later.

[DCKit]

3. Hopefully it'll get a lot more play too.

It would be nice if that mindset would catch on domestically.

I keep saying our best defense is to just laugh at him, his proposals and everything he does.

pResident #43*: Irrelevant, But Still Dangerous.

[Hardrada]

4. Frankly, Shrubby, we don't give a damn!