Bali Hi

Former US Veep and Nobel Laureate Al Gore has said that his country is responsible for blocking progress at the UN Climate Conference in Bali. The White House of course denies that. The conference began 03 December and is wrapping up 15 December. An Associated Press reportstates that:

The United Nations warned that time was running out for an agreement aimed at launching negotiations for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012 and the talks in Bali were in danger of “falling to pieces.” The United States, Japan and several other governments are refusing to accept language in a draft document suggesting that industrialized nations consider cutting emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020, saying specific targets would limit the scope of future talks.
European nations said they may boycott a U.S.-led climate meeting next month unless Washington compromises.

“No result in Bali means no Major Economies Meeting,” said Sigmar Gabriel, top EU environment official from Germany, referring to a series of separate climate talks initiated by President Bush in September. “This is the clear position of the EU. I do not know what we should talk about if there is no target.”
It is a continuation of the September White House meetings called the Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change, proposed for Jan. 30-31 in Honolulu, according to Kristy Hellmer, spokeswoman White House Council on Environmental Quality.