Last week, this provocative interview with Sir David King, who the Guardian calls "one of the most respected figures in climate change policy," seemed to register not more than a blip. That's too bad, because here's some of what he said:
I can't see the Kyoto protocol making any headway - there are enough blocks in place, especially from the US and China, that it is wholly unlikely that it will go on. We need to be pragmatic...If you say only a full [legally binding] treaty is any good, we will still be arguing about it in 20 years.
Now let's go to this story in today's NYT:
The persistent inability of the United Nations to forge international consensus on climate change issues was on display Wednesday, as Security Council members disagreed over whether they should address possible instability provoked by problems like rising sea levels or competition over water resources.
When will leading climate pundits and climate negotiators get beyond all the politics and noise and just admit that another kind of persistent blocking pattern is the major reason why international climate policy is forever stalled?
