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- COVER STORIES, Page 58RIO: SUMMIT TO SAVE THE EARTHThe Negotiations Scoreboard
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- WHAT THEY'VE DONE
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- 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.
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- ACKNOWLEDGED that developed countries, having put more
- "pressure" on the world environment, bear some responsibility
- for putting it right.
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- AGREED to give "special priority" to the needs of the
- developing countries -- without specifying what those priorities
- might be.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- EXTRACTED a $75 million commitment from the U.S. to help
- developing countries with the effort to combat global warming.
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- WHAT THEY COULD STILL DO
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- 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.
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- GIVE developing nations preferential access to new,
- environmentally friendly technology.
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- EXTRACT a commitment of $3 billion to $6 billion in new
- funding from developed countries to help pay for the
- environmental agenda.
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- WHAT THEY SHOULD DO BUT WON'T
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- CONFER tangible value to species in biologically diverse
- regions by requiring payment of royalties for the use of their
- genetic materials.
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- FIND a way to put the brakes on the world's spiraling
- population, which will otherwise double by the year 2050.
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- PUT an international tax on emissions of carbon dioxide
- and other greenhouse gases.
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- PUT strict limits on the trade of timber from the earth's
- remaining virgin forests.
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- SET up a recycling plan in every major city in the world.
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- GIVE the United Nations broad powers to create an
- environmental police force for the planet.
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