Phew, China and U.S. Sign Memorandum

Used under a Creative Commons license from Flickr user RobertG6N1

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After a series of negotiations that primarily focused on the economy, ace global ambassador Hillary Clinton managed to convince her Chinese counterparts to sign off on a “memorandum of understanding” in which the planet’s #1 (China) and #2 (U.S.) polluters pledge to cooperate so that a comprehensive climate change agreement can be reached in time for December’s Copenhagen climate conference.

But will the memorandum actually do anything? At this point, that’s unclear. But at least it’s a start, which is surely better than hardcore diplosquabbling, as was the case for Clinton in India last week.

My prediction: India will be the biggest thorn in America’s side this December, and Brazil won’t make the conference a cakewalk either.

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DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again—any amount today.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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