UN Global Environment Conference Opens - Hmm, What Will The US Do?

[hatrack]

Can't wait to hear their bold vision for the future. :puke:

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.N.-sponsored conference opening here Monday is expected to lure the largest-ever gathering of national environment ministers -- around 130 of them -- to discuss matters ranging from sustainable energy to eco-tourism.

As the ministers arrived Sunday, about 100 midlevel officials were finishing negotiations on a proposed global treaty on handling hazardous chemicals, at a time when the production of such chemicals is moving increasingly from wealthy countries to poorer ones. The chemicals agreement is expected to be signed during the conference.

The 9th Special Session of the United Nations Environment Program's Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum is expected to lure participants from 150 countries, including the presidents of Gambia and Switzerland. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is scheduled to address the gathering on Monday, when he is to receive the US$500,000 (euro416,000) Zayed International Prize for the Environment.

The prize, named after longtime Emirates leader Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who died last year, is the world's most lucrative grant restricted to environmental achievements. Annan was awarded the prize in December for backing United Nations summits and reports on environmental issues. Also Monday, environment ministers are expected to adopt the chemicals treaty, which was spurred in 2003 by what experts perceived as a spiraling growth in the production of chemicals with little oversight.

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9815