It's been obvious for some time now that the Obama administration's promises to fight global warming are in mothballs. But it's still shocking to see Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attack the 27 European countries that are actually trying to do something about the greatest environmental challenge of our time.

A MAJOR group of developing nations, including China and most African nations, have walked out of working groups, triggering a major stalemate between developed and developing countries at the Copenhagen climate change negotiations.

LUCY KNIGHT IN COPENHAGEN

As we are engulfed from all sides by suffocatingly one-sided coverage of the Copenhagen conference on climate change, three hugely important issues have been largely stuffed away from sight.

The first of these is the matter of cost: the scarcely believable bill our politicians wish to land us with as the price of their proposals to meet the supposed threat of global warming. Few people have even begun to take on board the astronomic scale of the sums involved – the International Energy Agency talks blithely of $45 trillion - because on this politicians and media have in recent days remained more than ever silent.

Sweden urged other European nations on Friday to follow its lead in linking new taxes to greenhouse gas emissions as governments seek additional sources of income in the wake of the financial crisis.

Denmark, Finland and Slovenia already have taxes on household carbon emissions that can add costs to heating and electricity use. France is planning to plug part of its swelling budget gap with a new carbon tax that could bring in an extra 1.5 billion euro next year.

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent, Sun Aug 30, 2009

OSLO (Reuters) - Activists launched what they called the world's biggest campaign to combat global warming on Friday, urging governments to agree a tough U.N. climate pact at talks in Copenhagen starting in 100 days' time.

From: WWF
Published March 12, 2009

The new climate and clean energy package proposed by Sweden should serve as an example for all EU countries ahead of crucial global warming negotiations, WWF says. If followed by other industrialised nations the deal could lead towards a low carbon future and help combat climate change.