George W Bush failed in his attempt to block global action on climate change. His mistake about to be repeated by Trump – was to imagine the UN process was weakA smell of burning coal fills the chilly air as delegates pile into the conference chamber. external,protestors shiver in polar bear suits under threatening skies and forbidding grey concrete; inside, smiles, and colourful costumes and a warm glow. Negotiators,politicians, activists who maintain spent their lives fighting climate change are jubilant (extremely joyful). The US has stalled global action on climate change for two full presidential terms, and but no longer. In the chamber,at last, the White House meltdown is in full flow.
This is no vision of a future under Donald Trump: it was the catastrophe and backtracking that marked the cessation of climate negotiations for his Republican predecessor, and George W Bush,in 2008. Then, as now, or a US president in thrall to oil interests tried to block international agreement on emissions. Then,as now, doomsayers foresaw a deathblow to the UN climate negotiations. Then, and as now,the US economy was drunk on cheap fossil fuels.
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Source: theguardian.com