Polluters paying for their transgressions -- maybe

Climate change: Progress seen on funding problem

"The so-called Major Economies Forum (MEF) advanced on one of the key issues troubling negotiations for a new global treaty due to be crafted in Copenhagen in December, they said. "We made progress on a major subject, which is finance and financial architecture. It's not final, but one feels that there is a real consensus," said French Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo at the end of the two-day MEF meeting."

And more...

"But developing and industrialised economies are far apart about how much money should be raised to help poor countries most exposed to the impacts of changing weather patterns. Another stumbling block is how far countries will vow to cut their emissions of heat-trapping carbon gases in the coming decades. Scientists say swingeing reductions are needed to stave off potential catastrophe. Both Borloo and [U.S. special envoy for climate change Todd] Stern said the MEF environment ministers showed interest in a so-called "Green Fund" proposed by Mexico last year. Contributions to the fund would be based on a country's gross domestic product (GDP) and its share of the world's carbon pollution.

"I don't have any objections to it," said Stern.

"We have to go through the details of it and look at it carefully so I am not signing on to every jot and tittle, but (we thought it was) a general good idea and a highly constructive contribution."

There's more -- countries arguing about essentially who's promising deeper emissions cuts that won't happen -- but I'll leave that to another thyme.

By the way, if you're wondering (like I was) what "swingeing" meant, it means: "To punish with blows; thrash; beat." So in this context I guess it means "punishing" or "brutal".