Britain and America

Did you know that emissions from Kyoto signatories are rising faster than from the USA?

Conservative MP John Redwood has written some interesting blogs about the BBC's coverage of the Bali summit.  Here, for example:

"If the world wanted to do something positive to curb carbon output, it needs to concentrate less on targets and more on technology and incentives. There was discussion of that at Bali. We are not allowed to hear much about it from the BBC, unless it can be fitted into the good guy EU versus the bad guy US script. Fortunately the Indian proposal for technology sharing came along which filled the bill."

America was repetitively painted as the bad guys by the BBC when it comes to climate change and the European Union as the good guys.  An analysis of the EU nations' performance suggests, however, that they are better at signing treaties than actually living up to them:

"In the seven years between the signing of Kyoto in 1997 and 2004, here's what happened:

• Emissions worldwide increased 18.0 percent;
• Emissions from countries that signed the treaty increased 21.1 percent;
• Emissions from nonsigners increased 10.0 percent; and
• Emissions from the United States increased 6.6 percent."

Source: AmericanThinker.com

British judge finds nine errors in Al Gore's "alarmist and exaggerated" Inconvenient Truth movie

The British newspapers are full of stories this morning about a High Court judge's criticisms of Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth movie.  See The Times, Daily Mail and Guardian.

Mr Justice Barton had been asked to rule on the film after the British Government had announced plans to have it distributed throughout the nation's schools.

Justice Barton found 'nine scientific errors' in the film and accused Mr Gore of "alarmism" and "exaggeration".  Although he agreed that the film was "powerful, dramatically presented and highly professionally produced," he said that it was a political film and was so "one-sided" that it needed to be accompanied with other materials that provided pupils with balance if the Government was to continue with its plans to distribute it to schools.

The nine errors are summarised in the Daily Mail graphic that is reproduced on the right (click to enlarge).

Even the environment analyst of the BBC - which has been at the forefront of campaigning for action on climate change and was recently forced into cancelling a day of programmes dedicated to the subject - said the ruling would be "embarrassing" for Al Gore.

The Conservative Party's environment spokesman, Peter Ainsworth, has called upon the Government to prepare "a proper, up to-date, education pack about climate change - based on current evidence" and distribute that to schools, rather than the Al Gore movie.

Clinton and Kyoto

It always amazes me when I see President Clinton complaining about President Bush's "withdrawal" from Kyoto.  The fact is that the legal situation remains exactly the same under Bush as it did under Clinton.  In 1997, the Senate voted 95-0 against ratifying any treaty negotiated at Kyoto that (1) did not also set emissions limits on developing countries; and (2) that “would result in serious harm to the economy of the United States.”  Yet when the Kyoto negotiations faltered, Al Gore as leader of the American delegation agreed to a treaty that did exactly that.  President Clinton therefore declined to send the Treaty to the Senate for ratification in the sure knowledge that it would be defeated heavily, damaging the reputation of both him and his Vice-President.  President Bush has merely continued that Clintonian policy, in recognition of the Senate's stated position. 

As it happens, there is no legal or Constitutional provision forbidding the Senate from debating whether or not to ratify a signed treaty, merely a procedural nicety that the President should transmit it to the Senate (and if the situation is so grave, one would expect the Senate to ignore niceties).  Yet the political reality is that the Senate would likely continue to adhere to the principles behind that 1997 resolution, even if not unanimously this time.

So, President Clinton is blaming President Bush for contributing to anti-Americanism for continuing his own policy!  The brass neck involved in that claim is quite astonishing.  Now, insofar as stating inaccurately that Bush has withdrawn from Kyoto in itself contributes to anti-Americanism, in that it blames the current President uniquely for something unpopular in the world that is not his unique responsibility, it might just be possible that President Clinton is stirring up anti-Americanism for his own partisan political ends.  And if there was ever something that could be called reprehensible, that is it.

-- Iain Murray

Brown-Miliband likely to propose new multilateral body to combat climate change

At the Labour Party's annual conference Cabinet ministers are only permitted to make eight minute speeches.  It's difficult, therefore, to learn that much about British foreign policy from Foreign Secretary David Miliband's remarks to Conference - delivered yesterday - but here are a few thoughts...

More emphasis on winning hearts and minds: "For ten years we've been uncompromising in defence of our values, unapologetic that every citizen of every nation deserves the freedom and equal rights of a true democracy.  I believe we were right to do so.  But when I went to Pakistan, I met young, educated, articulate people in their 20s and 30s who told me millions of Muslims around the world think we're seeking not to empower them but to dominate them. So we have to stop and we have to think."

...less emphasis on military strength: "Ten years in government. Time to learn the right lessons and move on to address the new issues. Four times we've sent young men and women to fight for our values. Rightly in my view. And we cannot forget their bravery and their sacrifice.  But while we've won the wars it's been harder to win the peace.  The lesson is that while there are military victories there never is a military "solution". There's only military action that creates the space for economic and political life."  The 'new' Labour Government has not signalled any commitment to deal with the underfunding of Britain's armed forces.  A new tax rebate for armed servicemen fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq will actually come from within the existing defence budget - increasing pressures on frontline capacity.

Greater faith in multilateral institutions (1): "In the 1940s and 50s we built international institutions to promote peace for a divided globe. Today, we need institutions which re-define the global rules for our shared planet.  From Burma to Zimbabwe we need to ensure all countries feel it's better to play by the rules rather than ignore them."

Greater faith in multilateral institutions (2): "And the EU, for all the attacks on it, is one international institution we need today.  The European Arrest Warrant snared the 21st July bomber. European commitments are leading the fight against climate change.  Europe needs to look out, not in, to the problems beyond its borders that define insecurity within our borders. It doesn't need institutional navel-gazing and that is why the Reform Treaty abandons fundamental constitutional reform and offers clear protections for national sovereignty."

That final section on the EU Treaty brought a furious response from The Sun - currently fighting for a campaign for a referendum on the Treaty.

During a Q&A earlier today, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that it was very regrettable that there wasn't a global institution dedicated to protecting the environment.  I predict that he and Mr Miliband - Environment Secretary before he became Foreign Secretary - will be proposing one very soon...

Tim Montgomerie

Younger Americans lean left

A survey in today's New York Times suggests that Americans aged 17 to 29 are more likely to be supportive of gay rights, open borders and socialised medicine.  They are equally concerned about global warming and share similar attitudes on abortion.  Click on the graphic on the right to enlarge it and view the summary of the findings.

Widescreen hypocrisy

This photo from Time magazine might give us another pointer as to how Al Gore uses so much more energy than an average American.

Related 18DoughtyStreet.com video here.

Climate change hypocrisy

More here.