News Why is the role of China and India in climate change negotiations crucial?

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The discussion centers on the implications of the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, where Europe's influence in climate negotiations was notably diminished. German Chancellor Angela Merkel aimed to secure commitments for significant emission reductions and temperature limits but faced opposition from the U.S., Japan, Canada, and Russia, resulting in a diplomatic setback for Europe. The lack of support from U.S. Democratic leaders, including Nancy Pelosi and Al Gore, further highlighted this decline, as they did not back Merkel's ambitious climate goals. The conversation suggests that the urgency to address climate change is often overshadowed by political agendas, with a particular emphasis on the necessity of including China and India in any global climate agreement. This reflects a broader skepticism about the motivations of political leaders in climate discussions, suggesting that their long-term commitment may be influenced more by self-interest than genuine concern for the environment.
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"Don't'" reveals more than "do"

The take of Benny Peiser (worlds only apocaholic consultant) on the global warming agreement at the G8 at Heiligendam:

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=439bd9a8-7627-4f05-8bd8-3ff0974bdee9&k=22409

Comment: Bush has taken on Europe’s role as a green champion
Insists China and India join any climate alliance

Benny Peiser, National Post
Published: Friday, June 08, 2007

When the history of Europe's waning pre-eminence and the rise of Asia's new superpowers is written, the German G8 summit that has just ended in the Baltic seaside town of Heiligendamm will be regarded as a momentous turning point. It will also be seen as the moment when the Western powers decided to bury their hatchets over Kyoto and start exerting pressure on their Asian challengers.

The failure of Germany and its European Union partners to push through their key goals stands for a diplomatic defeat that epitomizes Europe's shrinking influence in international climate negotiations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had set three ambitious climate goals for the G8 summit. She wanted to sway the United States and other G8 countries to commit to cutting emissions by 50% by 2050. She also wanted them to limit the world's temperature rise to 2C and to increase fuel efficiency by 20%. In the end, not one these targets was accepted by her non-EU partners.

German and European diplomats were taken aback during the negotiations inthe run-up to the summit; not only the United States, but Japan, Canada and even Russia opposed Europe's concept of unilateral G8 targets. Germany's original plan, to push for ambitious goals with the aim of isolating President George W. Bush, fell short as even China and India came out against the idea of mandatory emission caps.


But nothing caused Angela Merkel bigger upset and sheer dismay than the refusal of Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, to back Germany's position when she visited Berlin just days before the summit. No words of support from Al Gore either. Instead, the U.S. Democrats showed Merkel and the EU the cold shoulder - implicitly at least...

What the heck is going on here. The main savior of the Earth, guru of global warming is silent as well all his followers when they should cheer and support Merkel with everything they could. And yet, Gore is silent? Why?

Or was it not about the world needs to be saved rather than that he should be doing it? Apparantly, this is not according to the plan.

H.L. Menckens predicting observation just moved from hypothesis to theory

The urge to save humanity is (almost-deleted) always a false front for the urge to rule it
 
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Hidden agendas and one upmanship, politicians do not really care about the
long term, except when it comes to their pensions, i doubt if many of them
would risk alienating industry through expensive modifications to plant etc.
 
You might try including the point.
For those who still don't get Ms. Pelosi's and Mr. Gore's veiled message, Tony Blair made it perfectly plain why a Democratic U.S. president would not yield either: "Whoever U.S. president is in office, they will not agree to a climate-change deal which doesn't have China part of it."
 

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