Europe Disses Bush Plan for Climate Change

The new Bush plan to combat climate change is being received with skepticism in Europe, where it is seen as a bid to outfox German Chancellor Angela Merkel and torpedo more radical proposals she will unveil at the G-8 Summit. Germany's Der Spiegel and Britain's Guardian both say the US is cynically resisting a concrete emissions reduction deal.

The Bush plan calls for the 15 biggest producers of greenhouse gases to set unspecified long-term goals for reducing emissions. Germany wants specific and more immediate targets set. Tension has been mounting between the US and Germany in the run-up to the G-8 summit next week.