Clinton, in surprise, to speak at climate conference; U.S. delegation reported displeased

Associated Press ^ | December 8, 2005 | CHARLES J. HANLEY

[RWR8189]

MONTREAL (AP) -- In a surprise visit, former President Clinton will speak at the annual U.N. climate conference Friday, final day of a contentious two-week meeting, the United Nations confirmed.

Bush administration envoys here were said to be displeased at Thursday's news of the unusual appearance - of an ex-president at a critical point in backroom negotiations involving the U.S. delegation.

"They haven't protested formally, but they're annoyed," a source in the Canadian government, the conference host, said of the U.S. delegates. "They're not infuriated, but they're not thrilled."

The source spoke on condition of anonymity, because as a civil servant - not a politician - he is barred from being in the public light during Canada's current election season.

The U.S. delegation was meeting Thursday evening and had no immediate public comment, said spokeswoman Susan Povenmire.

As president, Clinton championed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to fight global warming, an international agreement requiring reductions in "greenhouse-gas" emissions by major industrialized nations. Soon after he succeeded Clinton, President Bush formally renounced the Kyoto accord, saying it would harm the U.S. economy.

In Montreal, the United States has rejected proposals that it rejoin future negotiations to set emissions controls for the period after 2012, when the Kyoto framework expires.

Clinton, who was invited here by the City of Montreal, will speak in an unofficial context in the main conference hall Friday afternoon, said U.N. conference spokesman John Hay.

A city spokesman said the former president will be representing the William J. Clinton Foundation, which operates the Clinton Global Initiative, a program focusing on climate change as a business opportunity, The Canadian Press reported.

Clinton's vice president, Al Gore, was instrumental in final negotiations on the treaty protocol negotiated in the Japanese city of Kyoto eight years ago. It mandates cutbacks by 2012 in emissions of carbon dioxide and five other gases whose buildup in the atmosphere is expected to disrupt the global climate.

A broad scientific consensus agrees that greenhouse gases, byproducts of automobile engines, power plants and other fossil fuel-burning industries, have already contributed significantly to the past century's global temperature rise of 1 degree Fahrenheit.

The Kyoto protocol's language requires its member nations to begin talks now on emissions controls after 2012, and by Thursday those governments appeared near agreement on a process for completing such talks by 2008.

But the Canadians and others also saw Montreal as an opportunity to draw the outsider United States into the emission-controls regime.

Those efforts continued Thursday, when the Americans were presented with vague language by which they would join only in "exploring" "approaches" to cooperative action.

The Bush administration has said it prefers to deal with other governments on a bilateral or regional basis, not through global negotiations, and it favors voluntary approaches. The chief U.S. delegate Paula Dobriansky pointed to $3-billion-a-year U.S. government spending on research and development of energy-saving technologies as a demonstration of U.S. efforts to combat climate change.

[OldEagle]

"Clinton, in surprise, to speak at climate conference..."

Actually this is GOOD as it clearly shows that he is just another looney democrat anti-American.

[Nita Nupress]

Every time I see Bill pulling a moronic stunt like this, it reminds me once again that he and Hillary are plotting and scheming to get back in our White House.

If THAT's not a scary thought, I don't know what is.

[DakotaGator]

I agree with the idea of a public shunning, but the WH would be wasting its time by trying to talk any sense to either Clinton or Carter.

True. I was thinking more in terms of private threats to publicly disown them and cause further pain if they continued to interfere in this country's affairs.

But I'm dreaming.

[F16Fighter]

"Unfortunately, the Bushes have helped create this monster."

That they have.

Before being asked to accompany and pair up with GH Bush on the Tsunami Tour via Larry King, etc., the lying rapist and traitor Bubba had been twiddling his thumbs in public irrelevence.

But since the Bush's brought back to life Clinton from deep down in the White House laboratory, he now has been given life and relevance (in the eyes of the media anyway) again.

Another case of WHY??? from this administration??