This is just disgusting. The White House has apparently been taking “extraordinary efforts” to hinder anti-global-warming strategies by the British government.
The documents obtained by The Observer represent an attempt by the Bush administration to undermine completely the science of climate change and show that the US position has hardened during the G8 negotiations. They also reveal that the White House has withdrawn from a crucial United Nations commitment to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions.
The documents show that Washington officials:
· Removed all reference to the fact that climate change is a ‘serious threat to human health and to ecosystems’;
· Deleted any suggestion that global warming has already started;
· Expunged any suggestion that human activity was to blame for climate change.
Among the sentences removed was the following: ‘Unless urgent action is taken, there will be a growing risk of adverse effects on economic development, human health and the natural environment, and of irreversible long-term changes to our climate and oceans.’
Another section erased by the White House adds: ‘Our world is warming. Climate change is a serious threat that has the potential to affect every part of the globe. And we know that … mankind’s activities are contributing to this warming. This is an issue we must address urgently.’ The government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir David King, has dismissed the leaking of draft communiques on the grounds that ‘there is everything to play for at Gleneagles.’ However, there is no doubt that many UK officials have become exasperated by the Bush administration’s refusal to accept the basic principle that climate change is happening now and is due to man’s activities.
Thanks to Kyle (who doesn’t have a blog, but should get credit anyway) for the link.