I am no apologist for the US administration's climate policies, but it's worth noting that according to this article (http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/08/09/668301/the-climate-is-changing-but-the-us-position-on-2-degrees-celsius-is-not/), the headlines about the US having dropped its commitment to 2ºC were likely overstated, being based on a overreading of the relevant speech from Special Envoy for Climate Climate, Todd Stern (available here: http://www.state.gov/e/oes/rls/remarks/2012/196004.htm).
Having said that, holding warming under 2ºC remains virtually impossible under current assumptions and present paralysis of the US political system remains one of the largest roadblocks to reaching a liveable climate future.
Regards,
Byron Smith
PhD candidate in Moral Theology
School of Divinity
University of Edinburgh
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