More of the same might be expected if George Bush wins next week. This seems to mean laissez faire policies of the kind that led to Houston overtaking Los Angeles as the smoggiest US city during Bush's Texan governorship. Gore, on the other hand, is under no illusions about the need for change. In his book Earth in the Balance, he articulates the global warming case and proposes reorganising the economy as if for war, except the effort would be aimed at recovering the planet's health. Realpolitik crippled him early.
Climate change is a case in point.
Developed nations agreed in Kyoto to cut emissions on average to 95 per cent of 1990 levels. Climate change would still be inevitable, but hopefully less extreme. Still, Gore can take some credit for at least keeping the protocol alive, flying in at the last moment when all was falling apart to strike a deal with China on exemptions and carbon trading. It was a far from satisfactory outcome, but at least there is something on the international table from which to progress. If Gore is elected, there is reason to hope progress will occur rapidly and in the right direction.