Kyoto Comeback

The idea that Tony Blair expects to trade British participation in Iraq for U.S. support of tough new global emissions standards—first floated back in September—gets some expert support. The Cato Institute's Patrick Michaels identifies three elements in the current Senate energy bill that, if enacted, would go a long way towards implementing the rejected and "dead" Kyoto Protocol on global warming.

The most obvious pay-off to Blair would be Bush administration support of a new, permanent Office of Climate Policy in the White House. Michaels says Bush support for that would be a sure sign that the Kyoto fix is in.