Countries Waiting for US to Make First Move

U.S. special envoy for climate change Todd Stern warns that although many countries are looking to the US to make the first move toward supporting a global treaty to combat climate change, they should not expect the US to "ride in on a white horse" and solve the problem (from SciAm.com):

BONN, Germany (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama's administration promised to push for a new global treaty to fight global warming at United Nations climate talks on Sunday but cautioned it had no magic wand.

"The United States is going to be powerfully and fully engaged," U.S. special envoy for climate change Todd Stern said at the opening of 175-nation U.N. talks in Bonn.

"But we are all going to have to do this together, we don't have a magic wand," he told a news conference at the March 29-April 8 meeting in Bonn, the first since Obama took office. The U.S. delegation was greeted by applause at the opening. Read more...