Bush's climate hypocrisy

Let's examine this turn of events:

1. In 2001, the President was entirely skeptical about the human role in climate change: "we do not know how much effect natural fluctuations in climate may have had on warming. We do not know how much our climate could, or will change in the future. We do not know how fast change will occur, or even how some of our actions could impact it."
2. As late as last week, the President continued to resist any action to mitigate global warming. The headline: U.S. rejects all proposals on climate change. In a draft document for the upcoming G8 summit, the attached note suggests that the United States is "fundamentally opposed" to all of Germany's proposed carbon mitigation steps. "Germany had stated in its draft that it wanted agreement to curb the rise in average temperatures this century to 2C and raise energy efficiency in power and transport by 20% by 2020."
3. Then, this week, Bush supports negotiations among the top 15 greenhouse gas emitters to reduce carbon emissions. "By the end of 2008, he said, the countries would forge national plans for slowing emissions from 2012 through 2030 or so, devise uniform methods for measuring progress, increase research and testing of nonpolluting energy options, and settle on a common, but nonbinding, target for eventual large reductions in emissions decades out."

So the Johnny-come-lately to climate mitigation has a plan that's weaker than what's on the table at G8, starts later, and consists of nonbinding targets. Oh, bravo, Mr Bush.

Update 3:58: I'd hate for you to miss this tidbit. Amidst Bush's new commitment to climate change, a policy of reducing efforts to measure global warming from space. Doubt the science, just stop collecting evidence!