The US has been the main obstacle in climate change

Comments on Judith Sloan “Doha is dead and there's no case for reviving it”, 27/01/2011, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/doha-is-dead-and-theres-no-case-for-reviving-it/story-fnbkvnk7-1226254691086

The US has been the worst international culprit in terms of international climate change responsibility and agreement, typified by its refusal to join the Kyoto agreement. So there is no credibility in any of its arguments in this area and there is no persuasion for citing that against demand and arguments of the developing countries.

The US stance and the fact that no other countries could do anything about it was the main reason why Canada, Japan and Russia have taken their recent stances.

It is only fair and legitimate that developing countries argue for what they have been argued for.

The fundamental issue of the difficulties in reaching an binding international agreement on this issue has been that the developed countries, especially the US, have all failed to adopt the simplest and fairest approach, that is, equal per capita right of emissions and the user pay principle.

Had that been adopted, developing countries with low emissions are entitled for payments for below average emissions.

Sloan should be able to acknowledge this without too much difficulty, given her strong economic background.