(no subject)

[jillithian]

This is from my SME Daily Executive Briefing email I got today:

McCain vows to put U.S. at heart of efforts to tackle global warming.

The Financial Times (5/13, Ward) reports that the GOP presidential candidate John McCain "vowed yesterday to put the U.S. at the heart of international efforts to tackle global warming." He "propos[ed] aggressive targets to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of a cap-and-trade system to encourage investment in green technology."

The AP (5/13) notes that "McCain broke with the Bush administration and Republican Party orthodoxy Monday as he not only declared global warming real, but reached out to Democrats and independents with a free-market solution." McCain "also prodded China and India -- two major emitters of the greenhouse gases blamed for the planet's warming -- to join the effort, although he muted planned talk of tariffs against them in favor of 'effective diplomacy' to encourage their compliance."

Reuters (5/13, Gaynor) recalls that, "[s]oon after taking office in 2001, Bush rejected the Kyoto Protocol" and, since, "has resisted mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions, saying they would hurt the U.S. economy." McCain's "proposals drew fire from Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama, who said, "It is truly breathtaking for John McCain to talk about combating climate change while voting against virtually every recent effort to actually invest in clean energy." The AFP (5/13) and the Washington Post's (5/12, Juliet Eilperin) The Trail blog also covered the story.

I find this very promising. Even the Conservatives are realizing that changes need to be made. I just hope that this isn't just pillow talk if he gets elected.