Kerry Hailed as Ally of Wider World on Environment

Reuters ^ | Wed Feb 18

[presidio9]

Environmentalists fete John Kerry as a possible savior in a stalled battle against global warming if the Democratic front-runner topples President Bush in the November election.

"Kerry has probably been the greatest champion of climate change issues with (Joe) Lieberman in the U.S. Senate," said Jennifer Morgan, director of the WWF environmental group's climate change program.

European governments, among the strongest backers of the U.N.'s stalled 1997 Kyoto protocol meant to limit global warming, would welcome a shift toward Kerry's environmental policies after years of transatlantic feuds with Bush.

"Clearly we would like the new administration, whether Republican or Democrat, to come closer to European policies on the environment in particular," said Diego de Ojeda, a spokesman for the European Union (news - web sites)'s executive Commission in Brussels.

"It's better late than never," he said.

Bush stunned the world in 2001 by pulling the United States -- the globe's biggest polluter -- out of Kyoto, arguing the plan was too costly and wrongly excluded developing nations.

Massachusetts senator Kerry, who has won 15 of 17 Democratic primary contests so far, has berated Bush for ditching Kyoto rather than seeking to renegotiate.

Kerry now talks of taking part "in the development of an international climate change strategy to address global warming" -- music to the ears of many Kyoto backers who view climate change as the biggest long-term threat to life on earth.

Kerry has also campaigned for green issues like better fuel efficiency in cars or against plans for Arctic oil drilling. By contrast, Bush did not use the word "environment" in his 2004 State of the Union address.

NO MAGIC WAND

But a Kerry presidency would be no magic environmental wand.

Kerry judged in 1997 that Kyoto would be unacceptable to the U.S. Senate and now reckons it is too late for Washington to sign up for the first round of cuts under Kyoto, in 2008-12.

The protocol aims to curb emissions of gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) spewed by factories and cars and blamed by scientists for blanketing the planet and driving up temperatures, bringing more droughts, floods or typhoons.

Even so, some experts say the rise of a credible Democratic challenger to Bush could nudge an undecided Russia toward ratifying Kyoto, which will collapse without Moscow's backing.

"The fact that the United States has decided to stay out has been cited by analysts as an important factor in the reticence by Russia," de Ojeda said. "If the U.S. administration changed its position it might have a positive effect."

Kyoto has been ratified by countries producing 44 percent of industrialized nations' emissions but will only enter into force if it reaches 55 percent. Without the U.S. stake of 36 percent, Russia has a casting vote with 17 percent.

"Russia looks very attentively at the opinion of the U.S. administration, saying if the U.S. won't do anything then we won't either," said Alexander Nikitin, a Russian environmentalist. "A change in the U.S. position could well cause a change in Russia's as well."

Steve Sawyer, climate policy director at Greenpeace, praised Kerry for policies stretching back to opposing oil drilling off New England in the 1980s. "It's probably true that it's too late for the United States" to sign up for Kyoto, he said.

A surge in U.S. emissions since 1990 means that an abrupt shift from fossil fuels to meet Kyoto targets would threaten U.S. industries from coal fields in Montana to automakers in Detroit.

[Inspectorette]

Well isn't that special. Puff piece after puff piece. I hope The Breck Girl takes off the gloves.

[Mr. Bird]

Will someone please alert the media: Kyoto is dead. It is not coming back. Think Oslo. Think Versailles. Think "Rosie O'Donnell Does Dallas". Bad ideas whose time never comes.

[mewzilla]

Anyone know what kids of cars the Kerry's drive?

[MarkDel]

Kerry is going to have a real problem if the Republicans play their cards right. He has recently prmised James Hoffa and other labor leaders that if elected, he would drill for Oil in the Alaskan Wildlife in order to create union jobs and boost the domestic economy. This is in direct conflict to Kerry's positions with the "save the trees" crowd, and we all know that the Environmental people are soooo reasonable when it comes to compromise.

This issue could really hurt Kerry in his base, especially if that moron Nader runs again.

[presidio9]

ping

[mrsmith]

"The swift and seamless nature of Mr.Gorbachev's life-change from Communist strongman to environmental star was epitomized by Senator John F. Kerry....'I think it fair to say you might have called him the environmental President,' Mr.Kerry said." [_NYT_, Apr. 16, 1993]

If the environmentalists can't have Gorbachev for president, I guess they'll settle for his disciple Kerry!

[sauropod]

Another reason this election could be dangerous.

[AuntB]

"He has recently prmised James Hoffa and other labor leaders that if elected, he would drill for Oil in the Alaskan Wildlife in order to create union jobs and boost the domestic economy"

Really? How very interesting. Do you have a reference for that one? Thanks!

[MarkDel]

AuntB,

Wow, I just went searching on Yahoo for articles for you, but I baely found anything. I know this is fact because I personally watched Hoffa state it on Hardball a few days ago. If you do a search for "Kerry, Hoffa, Oil) you might get a few responses, here was the only decent thing I found at quick glance.
http://rogerlsimon.com/archives/00000702.htm

[cyborg]

My mother wants to vote for Pat Buchanan after listening to Mike Savage last night.

[MarkDel]

Cyborg, judging from some of the madness I've seen on this forum in recent days, I think Savage and others are starting to make a major "dent" in the support for Bush among conservatives. I cannot believe that so many of my colleagues on this forum would be so silly, but I've been battling a lot of Buchanan brigades on this forum...and they scare me almost as much as the Demoncrats.

[dead]

Kerry Hailed as Ally of Wider World on Environment

Good for him, but I’ll vote for Bush – Ally of Americans on Environment.

[cyborg]

I agree with you. My mother is not politically active. She just got her citizenship and hasn't voted. Whatever Savage said last night really got to her. This morning she was talking about a 'coyote nursing agency' bringing in illegals so that explains it. Bush better be careful IMHO.

[presidio9]

I have remarked here many times that Savage was our Morford.

I'm starting to think that this is unfair to Morford.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[cyborg]

*lol* I bet Savage would disagree with being compared to Morford!

[presidio9]

Savage is a self-absorbed loud-mouth who does not appear to have thought through a lot of his political philosophies. Sound familiar?

[baseballmom]

He has recently prmised James Hoffa and other labor leaders that if elected, he would drill for Oil in the Alaskan Wildlife in

Not that I don't believe you, but are your sure about this - Kerry wanting to drill the artic?

grab me my smelling salts.

[MarkDel]

Baseballmom,

Yes, it is true, I saw James Hoffa on Hardball and he told this to Chris Matthews. Matthews was so shocked that he made Hoffa repeat it several times. Kerry has made no comment about it though. Personally, I think a Fox reporter needs to grill Kerry about Hoffa's comments...make the sonofabitch pick one side or the other, either appease the unions or appease the hippie tree huggers.