Dubya's snub on climate

TONY Blair's big environmental crusade has been scuppered - by his war ally George W Bush.

The premier's bid to get the US to join the fight against global warming failed yesterday when Washington again stood aside from the Kyoto treaty to cut carbon emissions.

Mr Blair has declared the treaty his top priority during his presidency of the G8 group of leading industrial nations in 2005.

But he failed to get the US to even agree to look again at the Kyoto agreement at an international climate change conference in Argentina.

However, Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett last night claimed the conference had been a success for Britain. She said: "We came with two aims: to agree a programme of action to address the needs of the countries most vulnerable... and to open up a dialogue with all countries on how the international community can progress beyond Kyoto. We have succeeded on both counts."

Meanwhile Mr Bush seemed to enjoy a walk in the grounds of his own environment, the White House, wearing a stetson and sunglasses. Later he went mountain biking.

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