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- <text id=92TT1224>
- <title>
- June 01, 1992: The Negotiations Scoreboard
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1992
- June 01, 1992 RIO:Coming Together to Save the Earth
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- COVER STORIES, Page 58
- RIO: SUMMIT TO SAVE THE EARTH
- The Negotiations Scoreboard
- </hdr><body>
- <p> WHAT THEY'VE DONE
- </p>
- <p> AGREED, in principle, that polluters ought to bear the
- cost of their pollution, that poverty ought to be eradicated
- and that "appropriate demographic policies" (i.e., family
- planning) ought to be promoted.
- </p>
- <p> ACKNOWLEDGED that developed countries, having put more
- "pressure" on the world environment, bear some responsibility
- for putting it right.
- </p>
- <p> AGREED to give "special priority" to the needs of the
- developing countries -- without specifying what those priorities
- might be.
- </p>
- <p> CAME up with a 600-plus-page "agenda" to save the planet,
- with a price tag of more than $600 billion a year but not yet
- agreed on plans for raising the bulk of the money.
- </p>
- <p> AGREED to try to roll back emissions of carbon dioxide and
- other greenhouse gases by the end of the decade, with the
- understanding that 1990 levels would be a desirable -- but not
- mandatory -- target.
- </p>
- <p> EXTRACTED a $75 million commitment from the U.S. to help
- developing countries with the effort to combat global warming.
- </p>
- <p> WHAT THEY COULD STILL DO
- </p>
- <p> FORGIVE some part of the developing nations' $1.2 trillion
- debt if they set up additional nature preserves in ecologically
- critical areas, like the tropical rain forests.
- </p>
- <p> GIVE developing nations preferential access to new,
- environmentally friendly technology.
- </p>
- <p> EXTRACT a commitment of $3 billion to $6 billion in new
- funding from developed countries to help pay for the
- environmental agenda.
- </p>
- <p> WHAT THEY SHOULD DO BUT WON'T
- </p>
- <p> CONFER tangible value to species in biologically diverse
- regions by requiring payment of royalties for the use of their
- genetic materials.
- </p>
- <p> FIND a way to put the brakes on the world's spiraling
- population, which will otherwise double by the year 2050.
- </p>
- <p> PUT an international tax on emissions of carbon dioxide
- and other greenhouse gases.
- </p>
- <p> PUT strict limits on the trade of timber from the earth's
- remaining virgin forests.
- </p>
- <p> SET up a recycling plan in every major city in the world.
- </p>
- <p> GIVE the United Nations broad powers to create an
- environmental police force for the planet.
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
-
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