A double whammy of reality preceding the Cancun COP16 climate summit

From Reuters AlertNet, the International Energy Agency gets it:

Fatih Birol, of the IEA, said the gains from the tougher EU reduction target would roughly equal only two weeks of China’s emissions.

“The United States and China are essential for combating climate change globally. We estimate extending Europe’s plan to cut emissions from 20 to 30 percent would roughly equal China’s two-week gas output,” Birol said in an interview.

But wait there’s more…

“The wind is not blowing in the right direction for fighting global warming. Frankly, there are virtually no chances for the Cancun summit to end in legally binding agreement,” Birol said, adding, “I would be very happy to be proven wrong on this.”

And of course, China has already given these people “the finger”, and is building coal-fired power plants at an amazing rate, so what’s the point of COP16 again?

h/t to WUWT reader “nolene”

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pablo an ex pat
November 22, 2010 8:04 am

What’s the point ?
It’s nice in Cancun at this time of year and the trip is fully expensed. Duh !
Hope the Gore Effect kicks in : )

James Sexton
November 22, 2010 8:06 am

“And of course, China has already given these people “the finger”, and is building coal-fired power plants at an amazing rate, so what’s the point of COP16 again?”
=========================================================
An all expense paid vacation on our dime, with feel good group therapy sessions. And an opportunity to compare notes for the talking points campaign.

November 22, 2010 8:07 am

The point is to get Cancun and enjoy the warm sunny weather there. Looking at the forecasts for Europe and USA for the next two weeks, people will be freezing to death while bureacrats talk about preventing warming.

Jay
November 22, 2010 8:10 am

“so what’s the point of COP16 again?”
It is not about CO2 or climate disruption….. it is about wealth redistribution.
-Jay

lenbilen
November 22, 2010 8:11 am

Does Cancun really have 1400 limousines? In Copenhagen there was only 70 in all of Denmark, the rest had to be driven from Germany and the Netherlands.

simpleseekeraftertruth
November 22, 2010 8:14 am

Confucius says;
“Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.”

November 22, 2010 8:16 am

Europe’s EURO will be so GREEN that it will become DOLLAR 🙂

Chuck
November 22, 2010 8:16 am

I stopped by a ranch while riding my bike and I lectured those cows for an hour about what they were doing to the environment.
The Bull came over and asked me how many TVs I had; how many cars did I have; how many lights did I have and how many washers and dryers I had? He then asked if I took vacations and ocean cruises.
The gull of him!
I called him a denier and a skeptic and gave him a piece of my mind. Then I rode off.

BernardP
November 22, 2010 8:17 am

After the usual consternation in the mainstream media following the Cancun failure, attention will turn to the next meeting where there will be another “last chance” to save the world.
It seems most politicians know the jig is up and are only trying to wriggle themselves out of the whole Global Warming mess without having to come out and admit they have been fooled.

P.F.
November 22, 2010 8:18 am

Didn’t the new co-chair (Edenhofer) say it’s no longer about “environmental protection,” but negotiating the distribution of the world’s resources? I noticed that the other co-chair was from that bastion of free thought and equality known as CUBA.
If one reads the early work of Maurice Strong (or Holdren, for that matter) it becomes obvious: it never was about protecting the environment or stopping climate change. The science is only a tool to forward the agenda and used only when it served the purpose. It has always been about social justice and “environmental justice” (Strong’s favorite variation of the notion).

Gail Combs
November 22, 2010 8:20 am

Speaking of the the Gore Effect, wouldn’t it be nice if we got some very nasty blizzards that ground air traffic in several countries so they can not fly?
Mother Nature has already shown she has a bit of a sense of humor.

Andrew30
November 22, 2010 8:32 am

pablo an ex pat says: November 22, 2010 at 8:04 am
“It’s nice in Cancun at this time of year and the trip is fully expensed”
Actually, it is cooler than normal, cloudy, windy and forecasting rain for at least the next seven days. It also looks like there is a storm comming from the south south east that will add to the cool, dark, wet, global warming.

November 22, 2010 8:33 am

And then there is Al Gore throwing ethanol under the bus, burning food is killing people … http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6AL0YT20101122?sp=true
Weird how these folks deny science and engineering when it comes to their religion.
When will the freeloading finally end?

Magnus A
November 22, 2010 8:36 am

Good news! I hope it’s right. But there’s also minor agreements, as the REDD (which may harm forests?), and the biodiversity agreement. Some think that these are small steps toward something bigger. A liberal think tank in Sweden on cancun (google-translated) :
“Issues such as REDD, funding models and the future of the CDM may in itself
help to reduce emissions even without a big contract.
A further reason for optimism is that the negotiations on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan in late October showed a greater reliance among developing countries and industrialized countries.
As mentioned earlier, it is mainly the issue of REDD and funding mechanisms, and possibly technology transfer, as the great chances to break through there. There is also a chance to set a framework for reducing emissions from international aviation. However, it is unlikely that countries are converging in terms of emission reductions.
BASIC States remains opposed to binding commitments. U.S. still has no climate change legislation and with the Republicans’ success in the recent congressional and Senate elections are opportunities for the U.S. to move on the issue of cuts probably less than in Copenhagen”
.

What’s the point with this/Cancun? To weaken the West due to progressives’ wishes? This do belong to political science, and the risk is that any “success” contributes to crash our economies which will destabilize the world. I guess the radical left wants a crash.
Chinese selfishness like saves us…? Pew.

william Gray
November 22, 2010 8:37 am

I wish all the children nice bedtime stories from the Cancun United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Thankyou.
On behalf of humanity.

BigFire
November 22, 2010 8:37 am

As Glenn Reynold always says, “I’ll believe there’s a crisis when they began to act like there’s one”. Why are they doing this in a resort far away from everyone’s home country? Haven’t they heard the wonderful invention call teleconference? Do they pick that place for somewhere warm where local hookers are plentiful?
[appears to be a correlation]

latitude
November 22, 2010 8:40 am

Everyone knowing that we only contribute 3%…
….it’s obviously now about global warming or CO2

Ray
November 22, 2010 8:41 am

They should send a bunch of shrinks to deprogram those people.

Herbie Vandersmeldt
November 22, 2010 8:41 am

I wonder why they didn’t choose Calgary for their global warming summit.
It’s -27 C here today.

November 22, 2010 8:43 am

What a cynical bunch you lot are! One might even say “skeptical” about the high motives and fine ideals of the Cancun attendees. Off on a jolly, indeed!
They have your best interests at heart, you need to be saved from your own folly. It is entirely for your own good. It is not as though they are in it for their own self-interests, goodness me, no.
Stop all this naughty carbon emitting immediately and get with the progam, or is that progrom, I forget the subtle difference.

Mike of FTG
November 22, 2010 8:44 am

tarpon says:
November 22, 2010 at 8:33 am
What I found interesting in your link was his admission how fond of farmers he was when he decided to run for president. Says a lot about the focus on his self interest.

November 22, 2010 8:50 am

Well maybe we will get lucky and one of the crime cartels down there will kidnap everybody and demand ransome….
It would be interesting to see who coughs up money
[joking right? maybe the congregants can simply drink the water]

Garry
November 22, 2010 8:51 am

As I have posted elsewhere:
Not that it will reduce China’s “carbon dioxide footprint” one iota, but its nuclear power plans are extremely ambitious, according to the Work Nuclear Association, which is the global trade association for the nuclear industry:
China Nuclear Reactors Under Construction: 23
China Reactors Planned: 29
China Reactors Proposed: 120
USA Nuclear Reactors Under Construction: 1
USA Reactors Planned: 9
USA Reactors Proposed: 22
The UK numbers are utterly pathetic, and are actually exceeded by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, one of the poorest nations on the planet.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/reactors.html

Trajan.
November 22, 2010 8:52 am

so what’s the point of COP16 again?”
It is true, indeed! …. what is the point of the UN IPCC bunfest in sunny Cancun?
It is a chance for the eejits to have a ‘chin wag’ about: once more ‘pulling the wool down over people’s eyes’.
A chance for apparats and Nomenklatura of Europe and like minded nutters in the Americas to join up and do some ‘blue sky’ thinking.
CoP16: How to hoodwink, browbeat, coerce, force the taxpaying peoples of the Western economies into parting with ever more ‘filthy lucre’, in order to keep the despots and tinpot dictators in the ‘third’ world in the manner to which they have become accustomed.
Time to administer the ‘coup de grace’ to this annual farce, the taxpayers have had enough!
Trajan.
Skeptocats.

November 22, 2010 8:55 am

tarpon @ November 22, 2010 at 8:33 am
The freeloading will only stop when those of us upon whom they are freeloading say: “No more!”
The redistribution will stop only when we insist that they redistribute their own wealth first.
Pass the tea bags, please.

Terry Comeau
November 22, 2010 8:59 am

A little over a year ago, I got the feeling that the Cancun COP16 was going to be a massive wild enviro-nutbar slash UN officials celebration of AGW success. In Pachauri’s opening speech he called for 3% of global GDP by 2030, and there probably was a chance they’d get at least a good part of that. That is until the climategate revelations left a bit stinking glob of brown goo in the IPCC drawers that caught everybodies attention.
Then there were the revelation of fully one third of the IPCC reports being built on grey material and articles from such illustrious and respected scientific pillars as Greenpeace and the WWF.
Now I think Cancun COP16 will end up being a big drunken tequila fueled crying jag with UN Official and environmental nutbars bawling in their cervesas. I just hope that we can soon stop wasting our tax money on this crap.

November 22, 2010 8:59 am

Have you ever been to Cancun this time of year? Absolutely wonderful place. Perhaps this where skeptics have got it all wrong. When was the last time any skeptic you know even got the sniff of a conference in a beach resort? Its enough to turn you into a true believer.

Jean Parisot
November 22, 2010 9:01 am

Why do they hold these things in the NH Winter; when the chances of a blizzard or freak ice storm destroying the PR value of the summit are greatest?
Shouldn’t they in Rabat, in July, wiping the sweat from the brows during every interview?

Barry Sheridan
November 22, 2010 9:04 am

Given that the governing classes in North America and Europe are doing all they can to destroy their own economies there will no need to worry about getting an agreement. A significant proportion of the populations of these countries will either be starving or freezing to death thanks to these idiots. Still, it will finally wake people up from their lethargic disinterest, perhaps then we can keep warm rioting or burning all the regulatory texts these maniacs have spawned.

John Campbell
November 22, 2010 9:06 am

Hey, Andrew30, that’s bad news about the weather forecast for Cancun. Everybody knows that cold rainy weather (or any weather come to that) is a sure sign of catastrophic global warming.

Fred
November 22, 2010 9:07 am

“so what’s the point of COP16 again?”
Great beaches, sunny weather, lots of tequila and fun, fun, fun.
Might not be possible for all the delegations to make it . . . the UK is about to get winter hammered.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3238994/Snow-to-blanket-Britain-this-week.html
This is what happens when little men think they are smarter than Mother Nature . . . she bites back.

jorgekafkazar
November 22, 2010 9:12 am

“so what’s the point of COP16 again?”
Jay says: “It is not about CO2 or climate disruption….. it is about wealth redistribution.”
You mean, it’s about theft and elimination of human rights in favor of a socialist dictatorship.

Jeremy
November 22, 2010 9:12 am

What’s really horrible, is they are slowly but surely backing down from their extremist positions, and no one is calling anyone out on it.
That’s right, 20 years of bull**** scaremongering based on a loose interpretation of the facts and no one loses any credibility. Meanwhile it’s perfectly acceptable to assassinate the character of good honest folk who have been asking you basic questions for that whole period…
no good deed…

jorgekafkazar
November 22, 2010 9:13 am

lenbilen says: “Does Cancun really have 1400 limousines? In Copenhagen there was only 70 in all of Denmark, the rest had to be driven from Germany and the Netherlands.”
Not to worry. There will be plenty of donkeys.

maz2
November 22, 2010 9:14 am

“*Freeze Coming to California Orange Groves”
“The magnitude of the cold air is very unusual so early in the season.
“You are much more likely to see a freeze like this late in December, rather than late November,” Mohler said.”
http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/41962/freeze-coming-to-california-or.asp
Is Cancun in the frost track?

Gail Combs
November 22, 2010 9:19 am

tarpon says:
November 22, 2010 at 8:33 am
And then there is Al Gore throwing ethanol under the bus, burning food is killing people … http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6AL0YT20101122?sp=true
Weird how these folks deny science and engineering when it comes to their religion.
When will the freeloading finally end?
____________________________________________________
When “they” have complete control of energy, food money and therefore “the unwashed masses”
Senate Bill S 510 the “Food Safety Modernization Act” is due to go for a cloture vote next week. It turns over control of the food supply to international organizations.
“It also sells out U.S. sovereignty over our own food supply by ceding to the authority of both the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Codex Alimentarius.”
http://www.naturalnews.com/030418_Food_Safety_Modernization_Act_seeds.html
This info is backed up by the FDA itself:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/int-laws.html
“The harmonization of laws, regulations and standards between and among trading partners requires intense, complex, time-consuming negotiations by CFSAN officials. Harmonization must simultaneously facilitate international trade and promote mutual understanding, while protecting national interests and establish a basis to resolve food issues on sound scientific evidence in an objective atmosphere. Failure to reach a consistent, harmonized set of laws, regulations and standards within the freetrade agreements and the World Trade Organization Agreements can result in considerable economic repercussions.
Participation in Codex Alimentarius……”

Just what Henry Kissinger had in mind in 1970 when he said: “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.”
Boy am I glad I have no children….

Bryan Clark
November 22, 2010 9:24 am

By holding a conference at a venue drenched in oppressive heat, it psychologically affects the attendees and media into being more receptive to the AGW platform.

George E. Smith
November 22, 2010 9:29 am

Well maybe a late season Hurricane can bless Cancun with a visit to impress on the partygoers how important their mission is.
Meanwhile; will Gore be paying back his winnings with interest or is he just mouthing the words ?
So if in fact, the cold kicks in, instead of the hot; how will the world grow enough food then; with ice covering former farmlands; and the oceans way down; and a global drought condition because of lower tamperatures and water surface area.
Have you noticed from the paleo data, how fast ice ages kick in compared to how slow you grow out of them.
And what will the worlds chemical industries use for feedstock, when we stop all oil drilling; oh I forgot; there’s plenty of coal.
I once saw a calculation that showed that if the USA could reduce its coal usage by just 1% per century; that the known US coal reserves would last forever. Well maybe it was 3% per century; but that would be consistent with the usual 3:1 climatism fudge factor.

Leon Brozyna
November 22, 2010 9:32 am

tarpon says:
November 22, 2010 at 8:33 am
In answer to your question — never. At least not as long as they can keep on getting all expenses paid working vacations to tropical resorts every winter.

Tim
November 22, 2010 9:43 am

“Herbie Vandersmeldt says: November 22, 2010 at 8:41 am
I wonder why they didn’t choose Calgary for their global warming summit.
It’s -27 C here today.”
Hey Herbie, stay warm because tomorrow is worse! But by Friday we will see some warming (chinook winds, not global) and we’ll be back to plus temps. Til then burn something and stay warm!

crosspatch
November 22, 2010 9:43 am

I read an article within the past couple of years (maybe it was here, I don’t remember) where it was stated that if the entire UK was scraped to bare earth and all industrial activity ceased and all the people killed, China would make up the CO2 difference in 18 months with their rate of power plant additions.
In other words, China adds the equivalent of the entire UK every 18 months.

Pascvaks
November 22, 2010 9:51 am

(SarcOn) Be realistic!!!!! Cancun has been scheduled for quite sometime now; one cannot simply cancel something this momentus and ah-inspiring at the drop of a hat simply because the weather is not cooperating. And remember, we’re talking weather here and NOT climate. Further, what you see is a direct result of Global Warming; Al Gore, the World famous Nobel Prize Winning Climate Scientist, told us years ago that this was likely to happen and we came well prepared. Besides, the world will little note nor long remember what we say and do here… Surf’s Up!(SarcOff)

Gail Combs
November 22, 2010 10:09 am

jorgekafkazar says:
November 22, 2010 at 9:12 am
“so what’s the point of COP16 again?”
Jay says: “It is not about CO2 or climate disruption….. it is about wealth redistribution.”
You mean, it’s about theft and elimination of human rights in favor of a socialist dictatorship.
Yup
It is about fleecing the poor and middle class so the elite have more money and power. Remember the wealth distribution is FROM the poor TO the wealthy, that is why the bankers and corporate CEO and politicians all love socialism.

November 22, 2010 10:21 am

How could we save the planet without people like this?

Bruce Cobb
November 22, 2010 10:35 am

Oh, what will they do in Cancun,
With Carbon prices to be zero soon?
Good Golly Miss Molly, why can’t they see their own folly?
Maybe next time they should try Saskatoon.

peterhodges
November 22, 2010 10:54 am

hey anthony
your reality check sign gave me flashbacks to living in the city…i forgot they looked like that
i forgot they all don’t have a few 30 caliber holes around the middle and a little double ought off one side
😉

peterhodges
November 22, 2010 10:58 am

so what’s the point of COP16 again?
same all the schemes of these folks come up with….the fed, the world bank, the IMF, the WTO…the point is to take from those who work and give it those who don’t – the owning class.
we’re supposed to be debt peons spinning the hamster wheel to keep our feudal lords warm and fuzzy

John Nicklin
November 22, 2010 11:20 am

jorgekafkazar says:
November 22, 2010 at 9:13 am
lenbilen says: “Does Cancun really have 1400 limousines? In Copenhagen there was only 70 in all of Denmark, the rest had to be driven from Germany and the Netherlands.”
Not to worry. There will be plenty of donkeys.

I think the limo’s are for the donkeys, aren’t they?

Michael C. Roberts
November 22, 2010 11:23 am

Unfortunate that the COP16 was not slated to be held in Seattle this year:
Snowing like mad with more cold weather to come!!!!
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sew/get.php?wfo=sew&pil=AFD&sid=SEW
Darn the luck….
Still, this is pretty early in the year for this kind of cold. IIRC this area had a similar winter-like blast in 1985 or so….So still within normal variation. So much easier to drive in the rain……
Michael C. Roberts

John in L du B
November 22, 2010 11:25 am

…but wait! The New York Times today laments that the price of carbon has doubled. Shouldn’t Big Green be very happy about that? That’s carbon as coal of course, because China is buying every available lump in sight.

Rhys Jaggar
November 22, 2010 11:43 am

When is this jolly happening?
Hope it’s this week – then you can blitz them with the temperatures in the US and in Europe, which are set to plummet this week.
There’s going to be odd conditions: little arctic ice and quite a bit of snow on land…..
Both sides can claim disaster scenarios………

November 22, 2010 11:50 am

Closely checking the image of the “Reality Check Ahead” sign reveals that the bullet holes are merely dents, not holes. That is either one heck of a sign, or you California wusses only use environmentally safe rubber bullets.
All the road signs in Texas have real bullet holes in ’em.
Mike in Houston

Andrew30
November 22, 2010 11:55 am

peterhodges says: November 22, 2010 at 10:54 am
“i forgot they all don’t have a few 30 caliber holes around the middle and a little double ought off one side”
They are not all like that. Where you have more competent redecorators the post just below the sign is remotely notched so that the top of the sign leans forward, keeps the snow off the front.

RichieP
November 22, 2010 12:10 pm

Enneagram says:
November 22, 2010 at 8:16 am
‘Europe’s EURO will be so GREEN that it will become DOLLAR’
I would give you odds that it’s just as likely to become the deutschmark resurrected, with Germany in full financial and political control of the entire ex-euro zone and its client states. The old Western Roman Empire redivivus perhaps? That was always part of the plan after all.

Ralph
November 22, 2010 12:45 pm

Pray for snow in Cancun.

November 22, 2010 1:00 pm

Ralph @ November 22, 2010 at 12:45 pm
While I believe God has a sense of humor, there are probably limits and that probably exceeds the limits. 😉

Malcolm Miller
November 22, 2010 1:03 pm

I doubt that COP16 is anyting but a junket and a holiday for attendees. Anyway, I ‘Cantcum’.

DirkH
November 22, 2010 1:21 pm

RichieP says:
November 22, 2010 at 12:10 pm
“I would give you odds that it’s just as likely to become the deutschmark resurrected, with Germany in full financial and political control of the entire ex-euro zone and its client states. The old Western Roman Empire redivivus perhaps? That was always part of the plan after all.”
More precisely, Das Heilige Römische Reich Deutscher Nation, a pre-EU in medieval times. The emperor was not necessarily a German; candidates had to buy the voices of the European kings to get elected.

tallbloke
November 22, 2010 1:26 pm

pablo an ex pat says:
November 22, 2010 at 8:04 am (Edit)
What’s the point ?
It’s nice in Cancun at this time of year and the trip is fully expensed. Duh !
Hope the Gore Effect kicks in : )

Not a chance. I think after Copenhagen they carefully picked a venue where it has NEVER snowed.
Or maybe it’s the prospect of bikini clad senoritas and daquiris in the beach bars.

Jimbo
November 22, 2010 1:44 pm

I vaguely recall that China is building one coal fired power station every 10 days or so. Am I correct here??? If only half true then Cancun is an utter waste of energy. Pun intended.

Dave N
November 22, 2010 1:59 pm

Our (Australia’s) reduction targets are then probably even less than Europe’s. At least while we will supposedly die a slow, painful death, we can feel good that we’ve “done the right thing” by screwing up our lifestyles in the meantime.

CRS, Dr.P.H.
November 22, 2010 2:07 pm

…once again, I am very pleased to present you with the official, keepsake-version of the
(drum roll) OVERVIEW SCHEDULE OF THE 16th SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP 16)
http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/cop_16/application/pdf/overview_sched_cop16_cmp6.pdf
Heh! I just realized why they call it the Conference of the Parties!! Pass the tequila!!

RichieP
November 22, 2010 2:14 pm

DirkH says:
November 22, 2010 at 1:21 pm
‘More precisely, Das Heilige Römische Reich Deutscher Nation, a pre-EU in medieval times. The emperor was not necessarily a German; candidates had to buy the voices of the European kings to get elected.’
Oh, I’m not sure there’ll be any elections, which is why I went for the Old Roman Empire as analogy. But I agree the Holy R.E. is an excellent and more appropriate parallel.

James Barker
November 22, 2010 3:19 pm

There won’t be any donkeys in Cancun, only asses.

JPeden
November 22, 2010 3:41 pm

Mike McMillan says:
November 22, 2010 at 11:50 am
Closely checking the image of the “Reality Check Ahead” sign reveals that the bullet holes are merely dents, not holes. That is either one heck of a sign, or you California wusses only use environmentally safe rubber bullets.
“Denting” is apparently still legal in California, but not so tomorrow!

dbleader61
November 22, 2010 3:50 pm

The apparent symbol of the Cancun COP16 is the Monarch Butterfly, because it forms the header on their introductory webpage. Perhaps Mexican climate alarmists adopted the Monarch as it’s official AGW icon due to the lack of polar bears in the Baja?
Of course, the presence of the Monarch as the COP16 poster species clearly indicates that it might just be endangered due to global warming so I googled “monarch butterfly global warming endangered” and got a lengthy list of references to how this insect is endangered by global warming. Predictably, it was the “cooler and wetter Mexican mountain winters” and “hotter drier Canadian/northern US summers” – caused by global warming – that were doing in the Monarch. It is interesting though how the WWF and Environmental Defense Fund have to admit the Monarch is not endangered but then go on to suggest its migration phenomenon is and global warming is what is endangered.
It is revealing however, if one googles “monarch butterfly cold weather” that a similarly impressive number of hits results – but not from WWF and similar websites. No, such stories about the impacts of cold weather on the Monarchs come from such non leading edge sites such as “Parks Canada.” As I remembered from my science texts of my youth, it was that dastardly cold fall weather that was really the hardest on the monarchs. It caused die-offs on a grand scale if the butterflies got caught in an early freeze.
One also learns on the Parks Canada website that the survival of the Monarch is related to the prevalence of milkweed – something I also recalled from my youth. What I did not know, however, was that milkweed apparently expanded its (and the Monarch’s) range from its original pre 19th century location in Mexico. In fact, the “Columbus hypothesis” re the Monarch migration suggests that the migration of the Monarch started in the mid 1800’s and is indeed a RESULT of the colonization of North America due to deforestation and settlement creating a habitat for milkweed. Oh the irony of trying to protect a natural phenomenon “created” by development!
It seems to me that the Monarch butterfly, a species that is NOT endangered, even by the admission of those seeking its protection, is a quite adaptable little insect. It makes use of the Mexican forests as a refuge from the Canadian winters, but quite happily adjusts to whatever comes its way through its evolutionary strategy of making use of a habitat range that spans many degrees of latitude. Perhaps the more adaptable types will just travel a little further down-slope or to latitudes further south to survive the winter if the Mexican mountains get “too cold” from “global warming.”
My suggestion is that the Mexican organizers pick another species to represent COP16. The Monarch is Canada’s official insect anyway.

Stephan
November 22, 2010 3:59 pm

Its all here
http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=5813
these people should be given absolutely no further attention and be prosecuted for fraud. They should not be let close to any tertiary institution anywhere.

November 22, 2010 4:50 pm

There is a significance of the Cancun region to climate change that the attendees may have missed. It is at the northeast corner of the ancient Mayan civilization. An under two hour drive south takes you to Tulum on the coast, and a three hour drive gets you to the restored ruins of Chichen Itza.
The Yucatan today has very poor soil, thin atop a limestone base. It has no rivers, and farming there depends and has depended solely on rainfall, yet the ancient Mayans built great cities, evidence of plentiful rainfall. In the ninth century that civilization ended when the climate changed abruptly to a dry one, and the Mayans were unable to adapt.
No change in CO2, no SUV’s, just nature doing its thing.

Patrick Davis
November 22, 2010 5:08 pm

“Gail Combs says:
November 22, 2010 at 10:09 am
Yup
It is about fleecing the poor and middle class so the elite have more money and power. Remember the wealth distribution is FROM the poor TO the wealthy, that is why the bankers and corporate CEO and politicians all love socialism.”
We are doomed to never learn from history. The French Revolution was a war over the execces of the ruling elite. The American War of Independence, was a war, largely, about taxes.
They may succeed in controlling energy, have control of the forces, but they can’t kill us all quickly enough before they are overrulled.

November 22, 2010 6:20 pm

By day three they will at least be discussing methane as well as OA, (sea salt on the margaritas, and curbing Mexican food flatulence) the experiment of the day.
Once every one saw the Emperor had no clothes on they decided that he must be just an egomaniac nudest banker? Now that the cat (NWO global government concept) is out of the bag, just drop the cover up crap, and begin the open negotiations between the playing members. Cheaper that way, just do it! Everybody KNOWS what they are up to anyway, why waste the extra cost of pussy footing around?
I think nuclear is the answer, opening fireworks display delivered by Cruise Missiles. All the bad eggs in one basket sort of idea. [I know off topic, and over the top, and not my usual comment, just saying…….]

James Allison
November 22, 2010 7:59 pm

Cancun’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Sorry William

Patrick Davis
November 22, 2010 8:55 pm

Cancun is now just days away and yet we see nothing in the Australian MSM about it. Last year, before Copenhagen, the MSM smothered us with stories about COP15. Then came Climategate and the recent announcement from the IPCC that climate policy is all about wealth/resource redistribution.
Hummmm…..

Cynthia Lauren Thorpe
November 23, 2010 1:02 am

As they say…..a picture says a thousand words.
Check out those MONARCH butterflies, guys.
Think that was by mistake? Wanna bet???
C. L. Thorpe

global warming
November 23, 2010 6:06 am

Will more emails from climategate (the ones that have not been published) will appear. that would be really interesting. I certainly hope so

Todd Werme
November 24, 2010 1:25 am

With all these seemingly endless series of Climate Change conferences taking place in so many interesting and exotic locales, I’m sensing an opportunity. I think I’ll change my position on Global Warming and join the IPCC in their cause. The pay is better and I’ll get to brush elbows with the rich, famous and influential.
Just joking… I think. 🙂
All joking aside, the reason that the warming alarmists keep trying is the same reason that the house always wins in Vegas. We only have to lose once for them to win it all. The non-alarmists must win every battle every time in order to “win” the climate change war. If we lose just once, then it will be nearly impossible for us to prevent our national economies from being ruined and sovereignties eroded.

beng
November 24, 2010 6:43 am

********
dbleader61 says:
November 22, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Of course, the presence of the Monarch as the COP16 poster species clearly indicates that it might just be endangered due to global warming so I googled “monarch butterfly global warming endangered” and got a lengthy list of references to how this insect is endangered by global warming. Predictably, it was the “cooler and wetter Mexican mountain winters” and “hotter drier Canadian/northern US summers” – caused by global warming – that were doing in the Monarch. It is interesting though how the WWF and Environmental Defense Fund have to admit the Monarch is not endangered but then go on to suggest its migration phenomenon is and global warming is what is endangered.
********
If the WWF, at el used some old-fashioned observation, they’d realize that the presence of the milkweed plant is a “weak link” in Monarch survival (the mountaintop forests in Mexico where they hibernate in winter is another). As “weeds” on more & more land are removed, so Monarch populations decline. Nothing to do w/temperatures at all.
PS I purposely protect & support milkweeds on my lot, and just this past Sept, there were a dozen Monarch caterpillars just on the milkweeds in front of the house. They were the last generation of the yr, & presumably headed south to Mexico right after they emerged. How they can survive traveling ~1500 miles is amazing. Most butterflies survive only a short time as adults.