The Guardian newspaper is relentless in its coverage of the climate-change conference in Poland. Here's a link to an explainer on the big players, and to all its coverage.

Meanwhile, it comes as a surprise that Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, is demanding extra carbon allowances for German heavy industry in exchange for her support of the EU's climate-change commitments. (Link to International Herald Tribune story.)

I know as much as the next American — which is to say, nothing — about internal German politics, but so often, Germany is upheld as the exemplar of renewable-energy support. Especially through that prism, it's startling to see her vying for the seat at the table being vacated by George Bush.

Her reasoning isn't so different from the (old?) US position, that they're not going to curtail their output if others outside Europe don't do the same. But the thing is, someone has to go first, and why not the developed world, who've spewed the most already?