Methinks Senor Bush is a little overwhelmed to do anything logical,Although his not signing the Kyoto treaty was proper.I would also call for the administration to recall all public moneys for our panelists for the IPCC panel as not a one of them understands earth science and the history of the cataclysmic and not quite as cataclysmic periods in our history that have created the evidence that they have made many assumptions about and even admit as theory.There has been way too much damage to the economy and the psychology of the world over the Greenhouse gas fiasco.Yes there is alot of carbon,but look at the ice record when there was very little population and high carbon levels in the ice,that should have been their first clue.The gases on this planet are infused as frequency and we could remove all plant life here and still breathe for centurys,although we would have to import food.Guys ,the plants just dont make the oxygen on this planet,its not plant photosynthesis.I know many of the science guys will scoff at my not staying with their paradigm,but they will eventually have to come up to speed.This old earth scientist will tell them how their planet works ,little by little until they cease and desist ruining our economy and the education of our citizenry.

Earth Shaman

Clinton and Gore were out front helping lead the charge internationally on the issue.  No congress wanted no part of it at the time, but as a professional glaciologist for 24 years, I know from internatinal science meetings that we were seen as a leader then.  Today we are seen as being an anchor and it is all about the president in the minds of the international scientists I talk with.

mspelto

Quote from Australia's Prime Minister

>> "It hasn't snuck up on us," he said.
He says he was aware of the potential problems when he commissioned a report into the impact of the drought last November  >>>

LOL, or as one professor stated

>>  An emeritus professor in meteorology says the way the water crisis in Australia has been handled would be laughable if the consequences were not so dire.

"You just have to bend over backwards laughing if you have a macabre sense of humour." >>

LOL........I Have A Macabre Sense Of Humour....................

No one here on this site, no one anywhere.... all are in total denial and all are waiting for rain

Tis the end my friend

see Book
The Death of Clouds
omegafour.com

and find out what is REALLY happening and what YOU can do about it

Andrew, this fails to explain why Clinton allowed Gore to sign the Kyoto Protocol as it was, without insisting on the further legwork necessary to accommodate the requirements of involving China/India, as spelled out in the Senate resolution.  Given the Senate's position, signing Kyoto and leaving things at that looks to have been rather empty indeed.

I'd like to see a further explanation of what Clinton and Gore were thinking and doing at that time.

That's easy.  They were thinking that Gore would be picking up where the Big Dog left off.   (Well, not with the dress, but, you know ...)

They didn't figure Gore could possibly lose all three of WV, Tenn, Ark, and they sure as hell didn't foresee Florida 2000.

No one could have predicted that the famously states-rights oriented Supreme Court "conservatives" (who are also famously hostile to equal protection claims) would concoct an argument by which a guy with no standing to sue could get into court and THEN be in a position to give him the White House -- on an equal protection claim -- by preventing a complete statewide recount in order to affirm the partisan decision of the top-state elections official (his campaign chair in the state).

Americans still have problems grappling with the fact that we have an illegitimate, court-appointed junta running the show.  

That's reflected in these kinds of questions.  But if the actual winner of the 2000 election had taken office rather than the loser, no one would be asking why Clinton left the heavy lifting on Kyoto in the Senate to him.

"An optimist is someone who thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist is someone who is afraid that the optimist is right."

TokyoTom-

I cannot answer the question of what Clinton and Gore were thinking.  I suspect that the choice was between the Kyoto Protocol and nothing and they concluded that the KP was the better option.  

One point I would add is that the "China is not reducing their emissions" argument is something of a red herring.  Everyone knows that developing countries have to eventually reduce their emissions --- the question is who should take the first steps.  I suspect that people who use the "China" argument use it because it's effective, not because it's a legitimate argument.

Regards

It's worth noting another contrast. Clinton/Gore pushed global warming (not as much as the green community would have liked, but more than they're given credit for) not only against a higher degree of scientific uncertainty, but against unified political opposition and thoroughgoing public disinterest. The media wouldn't cover the stuff, the public didn't respond to it, and no legislator was about to risk anything for it.

In contrast, Bush is pushing against near-total scientific certainty, widespread political support, and growing public outcry.

For Clinton/Gore, acting on global warming more would have required extraordinary bravery and vision. For Bush, it would be easy.

www.grist.org

McKibben quotes Gore about what he knew then needed to be done, and about how much less that that was possible with politics as they were at the time, in McKibben's book "Hope, Human and Wild" (1995).

Our copy's out of town or I'd look it up for you.

Amazon's excerpt pages don't include the quote from Gore, sorry.

But Gore was quite blunt, to McKibben.   You should look it up.
He's known all along.

-- Hank Roberts