Washington: The White House today slapped back at Nobel laureate Al Gore saying he was wrong to call the United States the obstacle to success at the Bali climate change conference.

"I think he is incorrect," spokeswoman Dana Perino said of Gore s remarks in Bali when he said the United States was the main obstacle to a climate change deal.
"My own country, the United States is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali. We all know that," Gore said to loud applause. "But my country is not the only one that can take steps to ensure that we move forward from Bali with progress and with hope."

The EU, angered by what it sees as US-led efforts to water down the final text, warned it would snub climate talks called by Bush next month in Hawaii if the Bali meeting collapsed. "If we would have a failure in Bali, it would be meaningless to have the major economies meeting," said Humberto Rosa, secretary of state for the environment from EU president Portugal.

Said Perino: "Obviously, those comments are not constructive to a conversation where everybody wants to get together for this meeting to talk about a framework for moving forward." The European Union, backed by developing countries, wants a reference by industrialised countries that a cut of 25-40 per cent in their emissions by 2020,compared with 1990 levels, will be a guideline for future talks.

The United States is opposed to the 25-40 figures, and delegates say its position is also shared by Japan, Canada and Russia.

Source : PTI