Even after decades of increasingly dire warnings, the US has still not passed comprehensive federal legislation to
combat global warming; Canada has abandoned past pledges in order to exploit its
emissions - heavy tar sands; China continues to depend on coal for its energy production; Indonesia's effort to stem widespread
deforestation is facing stiff resistance
from industry; Europe is mulling pulling back on its more ambitious cuts if other nations do not join it; northern nations are scrambling to exploit the melting Arctic for untapped oil and gas reserves; and fossil fuels continue to be subsidized worldwide to the tune of $ 400 billion.