St. Louis Post-Dispatch: U.S. regains some footing - National voices - Merced Sun-Star

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: U.S. regains some footing - National voices - Merced Sun-Star: "In his speech in L'Aquila, Italy, Obama said the G-8's collective effort on climate change was an important start, but that reaching the goals 'would not be easy.'

That's a gigantic understatement. Finding common ground on reducing pollution and creating new alternative energy sources among rich nations and poor ones would be difficult enough if the world economy were booming.

Doing so in the teeth of a severe global recession is a jigsaw puzzle of competing geopolitical interests.

Poor nations see no reason to limit the kind of carbon fuel-based industries that are key to their development if wealthier nations won't do so first. To convince them otherwise might require heavy subsidies that developed nations say they can't afford.

Diplomatic progress often is measured in millimeters, and so it was on this trip. But the G-8's agreement, however hesitant, on global climate change is important, as is the step toward reducing the world's nuclear arsenal. Distracted Americans should pause and take note."