corrente

Good God, Bush was right about something.

Apparently, in that moment when, as is his habit, he took the measure of a man by locking glances with him, he was right about what he saw on the other side of Putin's eyeballs.

From the NYTimes:

"Putin Aide Rules Out Russian Approval of Kyoto Protocol"

A senior adviser to President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia cannot ratify the Kyoto Protocol limiting greenhouse gas emissions, dealing a mortal blow to the pact that required Russia's ratification to take effect.

``In its current form, the Kyoto Protocol places significant limitations on the economic growth of Russia,'' Putin's economic adviser, Andrei Illarionov, told reporters in the Kremlin. ``Of course, in this current form this protocol can't be ratified.''

Putin had previously cast doubts on Moscow's willingness to ratify the protocol, but hadn't ruled out ratification completely.

(edit)

Russia's reluctance to ratify the pact despite its earlier pledge to do so has vexed Kyoto's European and U.N. backers, who warned Moscow that it would lose politically and economically if it fails to ratify Kyoto.

The saddest thing about old Europe is that it doesn't know it's old. "Lose politically and economically?" Who're they kidding? Russia should worry about a bunch of nerdy countries and pathetic activists like Greenpeace? Not when you have an American President like George W. Bush as your best bud.

The protocol's proponents see Kyoto as a vital first step in cutting emissions, warning that failure to quickly put it into force would trigger a dangerous, steep rise in greenhouse gas concentrations that would be far more difficult to control in the future.

Losers!