AMERICAN HEAT . By Donald A Brown . First edition . Published by Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc. . Maryland . USA . 2002

Two friends - for security reasons, we call them F1 and F2 - met at Vigyan Bhavan, where the eighth round of talks on combating climate change was on. As their leather bags passed through the X-ray machine installed at the entrance, they noticed each other, and hugged. The bags were innocent. They contained no explosives, pistols, ammo; nothing that exploded or could kill. The two retrieved their bags and began to walk towards the conference halls. They began to talk animatedly, as happens between friends.

F1: Just read this book. It slams US tactics in climate change talks.

F2: Wow, about time.

F1: I know. I just don't understand it. Since World War II, the US has advocated peace and democracy. Yet, when it comes to global negotiations on environmental matters