US delegates say dangers of climate change unclear

[rodeodance]

Source: ap

US delegates say dangers of climate change unclear

by Jean-Louis Santini
Sat Nov 17, 2:01 PM ET



WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States believes there is no clear scientific definition of the dangers of climate change although it recognizes urgent action is needed, a US conference delegation said.



"The scientific definition of that is lacking, and so we are operating within the construct of, again, strong agreement among world leaders that urgent action is warranted," said Jim Connaughton, chairman of the Council of Environmental Quality.

Connaughton, a top White House environmental adviser, was speaking late Friday during a conference call from a meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Valencia, Spain.

The Nobel-winning IPCC was to release the fourth and final piece of its assessment report on climate change later Saturday, summarising the first overview on the effect of greenhouse gases since 2001.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071117/pl_afp/unclimatewarmingipccus_071117190128;_ylt=Ahp2kpm8.ra6M8aUZDGfnCus0NUE

[rodeodance]

1. until it hits their pocketbooks real hard. they will be non-believers.

[ChicagoRonin]

2. I doubt it

They'll just find a convenient group to blame.

[alfredo]

3. DON'T trust Jim Connaughton. He's a shill for the polluters.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=James_L._Connaughton

James L. Connaughton is chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, serving as a senior environmental advisor to the George W. Bush. He previously worked as a lobbyist for power industry and large electricity users, including the asbestos industry. His office pressured the Environmental Protection Agency to dramatically weaken the wording of its public statements about the air quality in New York City in the days after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.


"A former lobbyist for utilities, mining, chemical, and other industrial polluters, Connaughton, represented the likes of General Electric and ARCO in their effort to escape responsibility for cleaning up toxic Superfund sites. Now he heads up pollution-policy development for the administration and coordinates its implementation. He has led the charge to weaken the standards of getting arsenic out of our drinking water, and he has steadily advised Bush to ignore, divert, stall, dismiss, and otherwise block out all calls for action against the industrial causes of global warming," Jim Hightower wrote in Utne.com.

[AlCzervik]

4. ok pretend you're talking to one if these people that thinks there is no problem

why would they want to continue polluting the planet anyhow, why is it such a horrible thing to actually to take of where we live?

Do these people's children breath the air and drink water?

[Pastiche423]

7. Back in the 70's

I heard Pres. Jimmy Carter speak about being good stewards of Mother Earth. She takes care of us, so we should take care of her.

Why would anyone want to live in a polluted environment, when there were easy ways to keep it clean - drive an economical car, recycle as much as you could, set the thermostat lower and wear long johns (isn't that what they're made for?), etc.

That made sense to me, so I've been following his advice ever sense.

Unfortunately, there are too many greedy people in the world that only care about their bottom line.

[MasonJar]

5. This is the most important reason to rid the world of GOPers!!

They are braindead to anything except the next corporate quarters' report as evidenced by the Bush dismissal of every Clinton initiative on the environment, his demolition of the Superfund, his absurd attitude toward forests and water and the air we breathe, and a list that is endless.

[gratuitous]

6. It IS unclear

Would the unlivability of the planet affect everyone, or could the wealthy buy their way out, as usual? Because if the overrich can pay off global climate change, what's the big schmeal?

[NoGodsNoMasters]

8. The sad truth...

It will probably take a natural disaster greater than katrina to convince them. ..And when it happens,...they'll act SURPRISED.

[bhikkhu]

9. The US has a problem with reading comprehension

it's like ten thousand scientists with decades of research results and mountains of peer-reviewed data, trying to present a case to a kindergarten class. So the US government would rather play with their jello-cups and giggle over bodily noises than actually read and study the issue?

[defendandprotect]

10. They're protecting the oil industry and those few who control our natural resources ---

We have to nationalize our natural resources ---

light bulbs aren't the answer ---

We have to get ELECTRIC CARS on our highways ---

See: "Who Killed The Electric Car?" --- movie rental ---

[Joe Bacon]

11. Republicans say "CLAP HARDER"

CLAP HARDER boys and girls, yes CLAP HARDER. Tinkerbelle won't twiddle her fairy wand and sprinkle her fairy dust to stop global warming if you don't do that. CLAP HARDER!!!!!