Before this week’s climate conference began, Climate Progress predicted, “The Bush Administration will use every opportunity to create the illusion of action without agreeing to meaningful, binding pollution reductions.” Today, that blog reports that Bush followed “the Frank Luntz playbook on how to seem like you care about the climate when you don’t,” while Bill Miller of DeSmogBlog describes it as “another opportunity lost to histrionics and political posturing.” David Roberts at Gristmill focuses his attention on the media coverage of the event, giving kudos to Washington Post reporters and finding humor in an LA Times piece. Hill Heat has links to even more blogger coverage.

FDA was also in the news this week. Angry Toxicologist is disgusted with the FDA’s record on auditing clinical trials and conducting food inspections. Ed Silverman at Pharmalot reports on drug contamination and the FDA’s plans to issue guidance on the matter. Anna Wilde Matthews at the WSJ Health Blog suggests that the shuffling of top FDA personnel may help the Bush administration avoid new complaints from Democrats.

Elsewhere:

Matt Madia at Reg Watch reports on the Bush administration’s lobbying against California’s request to EPA to be able to set its own vehicle emission rules (more here).

The Olive Ridley Crawl is unimpressed by an American Chemistry Council op-ed.

Lisa Stiffler at Dateline Earth has the latest on safer flame retardant development and where phthalates are showing up now.

Charles Komanoff at Gristmill assesses Representative Dingell’s carbon tax measure.

Mead Over at Global Health Policy examines some of the costs, benefits, and implications of an international AIDS treatment entitlement.

Tara C. Smith at Aetiology reviews “Twelve Diseases that Changed our World.”

Barton Jones at Hazard’s Recognized shares a story of a workplace disaster averted just in time.