In particular, while the stated US position is that it is only willing to act if China and India also reduce emissions, US negotiators have actively encouraged their counterparts from China and India to hold resolutely to the opposite view, refusing any definite commitments. The resulting standoff is not a consequence of trying to reach consensus among 170 parties, but the outcome actively pursued by the US.

US perfidy knows no bounds, it seems.

I thought the Bush meeting of main polluters may have some value, if properly run and with serious intent, as long as it fed into the UNFCCC process especially on things like carbon trading. Now it seems a new beast is born, ICAP, with membership comprising 9 EU countries, Norway, New Zealand and a bunch of US and Canadian states.

Australia is missing from the list, although this article suggests we’re there.

I talk to the tree-ee-ees…

“That’s why they put me a-waaa-y”

I find it mind boggling that Howard can spend 10 years getting the coal industry to write Australia’s energy policy and legislation. This is corruption and nepotism. Howard should be sacked for this alone.

From Michelle Grattan:

The Garrett embarrassment — coming after his controversial climate change remarks on Monday, which Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd repudiated — was described by one senior Government source as “gold”.

The source said it tapped into the Government line that Labor couldn’t be trusted. “It’s certainly going to be the dominant theme,” the source said.

Treasurer Peter Costello said: “This is the key that unlocks what has been going on in this election campaign … These are the words that are going to haunt this campaign from now on.”

OTOH:

Wilkins described the Garrett comments as an “off-the-cuff sort of light-hearted glib response”. “We had a little bit of a chat about how it was all going and Pricey had a cheeky little question about the ‘me too’ policies which have got a bit of coverage in the papers today, and Peter had a bit of a light-hearted response which I took as very much a throwaway line, I have to say,” he told rival station 2GB. Asked if Mr Price was trying to big-note himself, Mr Wilkins said: “I guess he’s got a job to do.”

BTW:

A former 2UE employee told The Age that Mr Price’s wife, Wendy Black, worked for Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey.