So, Europe pleads that the global warming debate isn’t about assigning blame, particularly in the context of Kyoto talks (more on which, momentarily)

Seriously.

AFP reports that, now, such games are “not the point of this meeting. We are meant to be looking to the future,’ the European delegate who did not want to be named said.” Huh?

Of course, it took the tables being turned on Europe for this maturation of opinion, specifically in the form of India, China, and Brazil claiming that the present necessary step is that the rich world cop to having caused extant climatic conditions, as part of their campaign to avoid being dragged into the costly havoc that is the Kyoto regime of “binding” promises to reduce GHG emissions among select countries.

Translated, this latter stance of “this is indeed a serious problem, so serious in fact that other people must act” regardless remains a welcome, if implicit, rejection of the “greatest threat facing Mankind!” climate hyperbole, placing climate change behind a failure to grow economically (along with, inter alia, nuclear power, dams, GMO-enhanced carbon sinks, monocultural trees, and windmills where a Kennedy or Jeinz-Kerry can see them).