Lacking the stomach

On Climate Change, a Change of Thinking - New York Times
Today, in the middle of new global warming talks in Montreal, there is a sense that the whole idea of global agreements to cut greenhouse gases won't work.

This article, about the current state of climate negotiations is worth a read - and worth a reread by me. It is negative about Kyoto and anything beyond Kyoto. In support of the idea that the economic impacts are a source of the stalling, the article quotes PM Blair.

As Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, a proponent of emissions targets, said in a statement on Nov. 1: 'The blunt truth about the politics of climate change is that no country will want to sacrifice its economy in order to meet this challenge.'

Is this a classic first mover problem? Isn't the purpose of an international agreement to try to overcome the economic obstacles? I think Blair's quote is out of context.

Also interesting, the discussion of how the climate change negotiations are different than the Montreal Protocol.