Climate Change

There's nothing so depressing as a climate conference. A few of the very good reasons why are outlined in a blog by Amanda Haag over at Nature.com. Also, in another article, another look at the US is taken. Of course, it would be surprising if something positive would be said - but that isn't likely to happen. Instead, when talking about methyl bromide (insecticide, but also one of the large major ozone-damaging chemicals out there, the last to be phased out) the following pops up:

• North America uses more of the substance than any other part of the world
• Exemptions for the US of the cut-backs imposed are more than the exemptions of all other countries combined for 2005
• "But representatives of the farming industry counter that the huge value of the crops, and the efficiency of methyl bromide as a pesticide, means that its continued use is reasonable." Okay, the fact that if we don't act now, we won't have a climate to grow strawberries (main use of the chemical) in in a few decades, doesn't seem important. We'll cross that bridge... when we all live underground wondering what wrong?!
• Under the exemptions, which would lead to less reduction of the usage, the US has requested to use more methyl bromide than it actually used in 2003. What part of reduction don't they get?
• Europe requested to use 4400 tonnes in 2005. Reports indicate that the actual figure will be 3000 tonnes. The US request for 2007 is 6500 tonnes. Funny that, as even in 2000, Europe had 730 million inhabitants, and the US 282 million. More is less, I guess.
  

Quick sources: Nature.com article and GeoHive.

In short, as the Nature blog mentions:

"At one point, the chairman even said, "Saudi Arabia is on the phone, so let me go to the UK."
So much for saving the world."