AT A GLANCE
The latest: U.S. delegates at the U.N. climate conference insisted Monday they would not be a "roadblock" to a new international agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. Harlan Watson, a top U.S. climate negotiator, said, "We're committed to a successful conclusion."
But Washington refused to endorse mandatory emissions cuts, which are seen by many governmental delegations as crucial for reining in rising temperatures.
About the conference: Faced with melting polar ice and worsening droughts, delegates from nearly 190 nations opened the two-week conference with pleas for a new climate pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. That deal required the 36 signatories to cut emissions by 5 percent.
U.S. is crucial: A key goal of the conference will be to draw in the United States, the sole industrial power that has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The United States has cited fears that a deal would hurt its economy because cuts aren't required of rising economies like China and India. To keep up on the talks, see www.unfccc.int.
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