China Will Be No Climate Tiger

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A few weeks back we posted that China was open to a "Post-Kyoto Framework," which seemed like good news. Then, after the climate-is-a-security meme permeated world news, and the UN tried to discuss it as such at a Security Council meeting, China seemed ready to join the backpeddlers. Did somebody say "security?" That's like saying fire at the theater: sure to bring forward the opinions of Generals and Deniers and Executives, from whence things can go either way. Now, via Financial Times, we see that quiet has set in. "China has delayed indefinitely its national “action plan” on climate change, which was due to be released on Monday after exhaustive consultations among ministries in Beijing and provincial and local governments. No explanation was given for the move, although global warming is causing increasing international concern about the country’s high-speed economic growth model..." Not good. Perhaps someone failed to notice that climate impacts also go on indefinitely. Image credit: China Digital Times