Rich Nations Break Climate Vow to Poor

Several of the world's richest nations have forgotten about a $1.2 billion pledge to help developed countries cope with climate change, the Guardian reports. The group has doled out less than $185 million so far to help them plan for global warming, defend against floods, and boost conservation. "This represents a broken promise on a massive scale and on quite a cynical scale as well," said one analyst.

Another expert blames the climate debate itself, which focuses on emissions—especially in China, India, and the US. "The impact of climate change on poor countries, and the responsibilities of rich countries to help them, gets much less attention," he said. The group Christian Aid has says that global warming is already devastating poor nations around the world. (More environment stories.)