They are too afraid their economy will take a hit (I'm not saying it will, but I don't think they are willing to risk it). If economy growth slows they are going to revert to massive polluters they are. It is not only China's population that is suffering from it, but parts of Russia, Korea, and Japan.

The way they see it, we had our turn to pollute while building up our economies. They think it's their turn now.

Words are easy, we will see.

They call it hwangsa or "yellow dust" because the dust from the desert blows from western China, picks up the pollutants over the industrial cities and carries them over Korea and Japan. It has started reaching the west coast of the US in some instances.

In numbers and in use of violence.

Google China pollution protests.

http://www.bloomberg.com/infographics/2013-07-11/china-pollution-poses-test-for-regime-as-middle-class-protests.html

There was also a controversy of the US Embassy in Beijing making the pollution levels public. I still believe China will renege on any promise.

be the same for both countries. Neither will have an economic advantage in not complying. Plus, I think we're reaching the tipping point with China and it's own citizens. But that's just my opinion.

International talks to try to agree on a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the first and only international agreement to tackle climate change, are due to be held in Paris next year. The United States never ratified the Kyoto deal.

But business as usual trumps all.

Extraordinarily warm water, as much as 10°F above normal, has entered the Barents sea on the Atlantic side of the Arctic. Sea ice is melting in February in response to the incursion of warm water that originated in the Gulf Stream.

Storm after storm has pounded England and western Europe, smashing the coastline with massive waves and flooding, making this the stormiest winter in the long English weather records which go back to 1766. But there's something happening in the ocean that's even more disturbing than the destruction to Europe. The extreme wind field across the Atlantic this winter is literally driving water that originated in the Gulf Stream into the Arctic Ocean causing sea ice extent on the Atlantic side of the Arctic ocean to decline in the middle of February. Water temperatures reported by NOAA are far above normal from the coast of north America, to the Labrador and Greenland seas, extending all the way into the Arctic ocean. The sea surface temperature anomaly maps are shocking. Water temperatures are more than 10°F above normal near Svalbard in the Arctic ocean. Likewise, Gulf Stream temperatures off of the east coast of North America are stunningly hot.

Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf Stream are greater than 10°F above normal off the east coast of North America

The Norwegian Atlantic current carries hot Gulf stream water mixed with cool water from the north Atlantic, up the coast of Norway. The current then flows north towards Svalbard, in the Arctic, or east towards Murmansk, Russia depending on the storms and winds. This winter, the much stronger than normal winds across the north Atlantic and in the Greenland sea, have spun up the Norwegian Atlantic current to higher than normal speed, driving warm water rapidly towards both Svalbard and Murmansk.

Temperatures near the north pole were 35°F (20°C) above normal on February 13.

Ed. - emphasis in original.

Surface winds were much stronger than normal across the Atlantic from Nov. 1, 2013 through Jan. 31, 2014. Moreover anomalous cyclonic winds spun up in the Nordic seas, spinning up the warm Norwegian Atlantic current up the coast of Norway and the cold Greenland current down the east coast of Greenland. These winds hastened the export of sea ice from the Arctic and the import of warm Atlantic water into the Arctic.

EDIT

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/16/1278016/--Extraordinary-N-Atlantic-Storms-Driving-Gulf-Stream-Water-into-Arctic-Sea-Ice-Melting-in-February

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024512342

as the average EU citizen. China produces 30% more carbon emissions than the US but China has 4 times the US population. The EU produces 25% less CO2 though it has a 50% higher population.

If the "the world's top emitters of greenhouse gases" can ever agree, the world will celebrate, but environmental controls cost money which neither China nor the US look to be willing to spend.

And over it all, hangs Keystone, by which everyone will know precisely how serious this administration is about "fighting" or "confronting" rapid climate destabilization.

We've heard "Mr Clean Coal" (now rebadged as "Mr Natural Gas&quot talking for years now,
watched him stalling international climate discussions and seen how seriously (hah!)
his administration takes any thought of changing "Business As Usual" if there is any
negative impact to profit.

We're now seeing "Mrs Keystone" polishing up her accession speech with the full
support of corporate America.

No-one would ever mistake any American administration since Jimmy Carter's of taking
the environment (much less Climate Change in particular) seriously.