Row over new marine reserve plans

Britain's new move makes a major concession to developing countries. " We are interested in trying to break the deadlock and find ways through some of the issues raised in Copenhagen, " Miliband said. " We do not want to let a technical argument about whether we have one treaty or two derail the process. We are determined to show flexibility as long as there is no undermining of environmental principles. " " We are uncompromising about the need for a legal framework covering everyone, but we are willing to be flexible about the precise form that takes, " Miliband said. " By making these proposals, we can take away this myth that developed countries were trying to destroy Kyoto and get on with a legal treaty. " There is now renewed commitment to achieve a new legal agreement before the end of the year amongst many developed and developing countries. " We are uncompromising about the need for a legal framework covering everyone, but we are willing to be flexible about the precise form that takes " Kick-starting the revived process is a new round of climate change talks beginning earlier this month in Bonn. This meeting will also decide whether further negotiations should be organised before the key UN meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in November, where there is a growing wish to make up for Copenhagen's failure. And a new drive to pick up the pieces has come from the US. Environmentalists were alarmed at the announcement this month that President Obama intends to grant licences to explore for oil and gas off the east coast and Alaska. But the move was soon seen as an attempt to win Republican support for the climate change bill which faces senate scrutiny. Obama's administration can expect serious and ongoing objection to the drilling plans, but passage of the bill will give the US the authority for a key role in future global climate change negotiations that was absent under George Bush's presidency. George Bush won little praise from environmentalists during his presidency, but one of his final acts was the creation of three major marine reserves in the Pacific, covering around 500,000 square kilometres, which won widespread approval. The three reserves protect the areas from mining and commercial fishing and include the Mariana Trench, thought to be the deepest on earth at more than 10,000 kilometres. But Britain last month …