Soldiers guarded city streets as world leaders began arriving Thursday for the Earth Summit's grand finale, but key differences on environmental issues still divided the United States and the Third World.
More than 110 presidents, prime ministers, kings and sheiks will attend the summit's closing on Sunday. The gathering will cap 11 days of contentious negotiations on pacts that will form a framework for protecting the environment for years to come.Chinese Premier Li Peng was due to arrive Thursday evening, along with leaders from Malaysia, Indonesia and Swaziland. President Bush was due in at midnight.
The main outstanding issues involve differences between the United States and developing nations on preserving forests, and the question of money: Who will pay to clean up the environment and under what conditions?
The U.S. government also opposes the biodiversity treaty, which aims to protect endangered animals and plants. U.S. companies fear the treaty would require them to pay more for resources native to developing nations that are needed to develop products.
Bush said Thursday that the United States was prepared to stand alone in opposing the biodiversity treaty and that he would not give into pressure for more spending on environmental projects.
"The day of the open checkbook is over," Bush said. The president said he was "determined to protect the American taxpayer."
An extra 3,000 army troops - some in camouflage uniforms and toting attack rifles - were called out to reinforce an already beefed-up security force of 35,000 police and soldiers. Authorities blocked off a 30-mile corridor of roads - from Galeao International Airport to the Riocentro convention center - for motorcades carrying foreign leaders.
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Utahn assails Bush
Rep. Wayne Owens, D-Utah, called President Bush the sole obstacle to "creating an environmental and economic agenda for the Earth." Owens told the House this week he is upset that Bush is refusing to sign a pact at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro calling for industrialized nations to share technology with the Third World, so it will not pollute while trying to develop. Bush said the pact is lopsided and will hurt U.S. industry. "This isn't leadership. It isn't even followership. It is jumping ship," Owens said. "At least Ronald Reagan never had the colossal gall to try and deceive us. He had no environmental commitment or conscience and simply admitted it."