The different planet Earth that humankind is creating through global warming will be a much less habitable place for those living near the equator. But droughts, flooding, extreme heat, wildfires, violent storms, and species extinction will hit areas all over

the globe, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Nations must agree quickly on measures to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. No meaningful agreement will take shape, though, unless the two biggest sources of carbon dioxide, the US and China, stop sitting on the sidelines in the effort to limit emissions.

Coal is the energy source that China has in greatest abundance. If it continues to rely on coal for most of its electric supply, all the best efforts of the rest of the world to slow global warming will be in vain. This puts a premium on speedy development of coal gasification technology, which allows for the capture and storage of carbon dioxide. China is unlikely to take on the extra expense of gasifying coal and then storing carbon dioxide emissions if it does not see other nations, including the US,

acting in a similarly responsible way. If the Bush administration persists in rejecting this leadership role, Congress must step into the breach and pass tough, mandatory carbon limits on its own.