G8 "Promises" to Cut Emissions . . .

By BJ

. . . just not necessarily theirs.

It's not surprising that Harper and Co. are touting the agreement as a major step, particularly given it doesn't really require them to do much. The emissions target is for 2050, without any intermediate targets that they might have to actually work towards meeting while they're in office. Not only that, but their 50% cut in emissions quite notably lacks a quantifiable number to start with. If that wasn't enough stupidity, the G8 also passed this little gem:

G8 leaders also made a separate statement on oil production, calling on oil-rich nations, including Canada, to ramp up production to bring skyrocketing prices back down.

Because nothing will bring down carbon emissions like more oil! No wonder they didn't want intermediate targets.

But no worries! Our Prime Minister has done the math and found that it isn't us rich, developed countries driving our SUVs that will have to the work on emission cuts. Nope, we can sit back and let the poor do all the work for us!

I wish I was kidding.

As the Group of Eight summit wrapped up in northern Japan on Wednesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said it's a "mathematical certainty" that developing countries will do the brunt of the work in lowering global greenhouse gas emissions.

This must be part of the "new" math, where you pull numbers out of your ass to justify sitting on it. Then again, look at the guy he's emulating.

President George Bush signed off with a defiant farewell over his refusal to accept global climate change targets at his last G8 summit.

As he prepared to fly out from Japan, he told his fellow leaders: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

Chutzpah doesn't begin to cover it.

Cross-posted from Northman's Fury