Agence France-Presse: A Republican senator Wednesday offered a scaled-back plan to fight global warming, saying it was politically unrealistic for the United States to mandate cuts on carbon emissions in tough economic times. The proposal by Senator Richard Lugar would not create a “cap-and-trade” system requiring curbs in carbon — a signature part of European efforts and a Democratic-led bill backed by President Barack Obama. Instead, the bill would focus on cutting US dependence on foreign oil by …