What Volker was talking about was not a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but a reduction in the rate at which greenhouse gas emissions are increasing. Things have not improved; they are in fact still getting worse; but they're not getting worse as fast as they were. Perhaps you find this encouraging. I do not particularly.

It is interesting that he says some things in Berlin that run completely counter to things that Bush has said in Washington:

Bush has publicly denied that it is known human activity contributes to global warming, yet Volker on his behalf says the administration agrees. One must ask who is being honest here. He has certainly lied either to the Germans or the American people, but I'm not in a position to say which.