Eco-nut Jeffrey Sachs: "If we wait for the US to lead, the planet will boil over"

MediaGlobal: America, a burden on global environmental policy

17 September 2010 [MediaGlobal]: Nowhere in the world is the bar set lower for environmental standards than here in the Unites States. As mega-oil companies like Exxon Mobil and Koch Industries funnel millions of dollars into debunking scientifically proven climate theory, US policies continue to slow down global environmental progress.

American economist Jeffrey Sachs told MediaGlobal, “The US has proven to be an obstacle [to successful environmental policy] time and again.”

Sachs added, “The US Senate has done nothing for 18 years, since ratifying the UN climate change treaty. The US will eventually have to participate as the rest of the world comes together around an effective strategy. But Americans are subjected to an unending stream of corporate-financed propaganda against climate-change science, and this is part of the problem.”

When analyzing why the US has failed to step forward as an environmental leader, it’s not hard to see that the US governments’ constituents have been thoroughly manipulated by mega-corporations like Koch Industries and Exxon Mobile. Together the two oil giants have contributed more than $70 million to climate-denial organizations. These organizations exist with the sole purpose of debunking scientific evidence in order to convince the public, without any substantial scientific backing, that climate change is a myth.
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Marx added, “Unfortunately, information presented by climate deniers is on a very superficial level that most people latch onto easily, which just adds to entire communication problem.”
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Will the US assume its position of leadership in the realm of climate policy? It’s hard to say, but experts like Jeffrey Sachs aren’t holding their breath: “The world will have to adjust to the collapse of US leadership. If we wait for the US to lead, the planet will boil over.”

Wheat Rises as Cold Weather Threatens Crops in Canada, China

Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Wheat rose for the first time in four days as cold weather threatened crops in Canada, the world's second-biggest exporter, and in China.

An overnight freeze damaged wheat, canola and barley in Alberta and Saskatchewan, said Drew Lerner, the president of World Weather Inc. in Overland Park, Kansas. In China, the cold may hurt corn in the biggest growing region, according to a National Grain & Oils Information Center website. That may boost demand for wheat for use in livestock feed.