Uh oh. From the NYT, a harbinger of failure. But then again looking at Copenhagen and Cancun, why should this meeting in Durban be any different?
Nations Heading to Durban Climate Talks Remain Deeply Divided – NYTimes.com
U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres lauded a climate change meeting in Panama as “good progress” this weekend, even as environmental activists warned that the world’s only structure for curbing greenhouse gas emissions appears about to crumble.
…
“South Africa is the tipping point in terms of the future of the climate regime,” said Tasneem Essop, international climate policy advocate for the World Wildlife Fund in South Africa.
…
Figueres on Friday lauded the European Union for helping to launch “constructive discussions” and said “governments are exploring those middle-ground solutions that would allow them to go forward with a second commitment period.”
Yet the United States, which is not a party to Kyoto but as the world’s largest historic carbon emitter is central to the future of the climate regime, appears to be putting the kibosh on such a compromise.
Speaking at a wrap-up press conference in Panama, U.S. Deputy Envoy Jonathan Pershing acknowledged that “the uncertainty over a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is a source of anxiety for many parties.” But in describing the E.U. proposal, Pershing said, “We do not believe that conditions are ripe in Durban for a legally binding agreement.”
Maybe it has to do with trust?
From ClickGreen: Carbon markets still a “fraudster’s playground”, report claims
h/t to Tom Nelson
I like how the U.S. is listed as the world’s “largest historic carbon emitter”. I guess it would be unthinkable to point out that we aren’t currently the largest and that we have actually reduced our carbon emissions.
Binding agreement?? Trust?? Were those guys born yesterday?
“largest historic carbon emitter”
But not the largest. China does 23.3% or world carbon emissions. The USA 18.11%.
REPLY: It’s the “new guilt” we’ll have to buy carbon reparation certificates next for our past sins – Anthony
The problem isn’t whether our emissions are going up or down, or whether China’s and India’s are going up, it’s that we didn’t sign the agreement. Appearing to be doing something is more important than actually doing something. The symbolism is more important than the substance.
BTW: Did they blame Bush (again) for not signing Kyoto? How about Obama? He didn’t sign Kyoto, either.
The pro-AGW crowd about to descend on Durban is going to have to work pretty hard to persuade the locals that they are, in fact, getting warmer when the YouTube linked below shows just what this year’s winter was like!
The local natives greeted them with dances.
lol, maybe it’ll be better in a couple of years……..haahahahahhahahahhahahahhaa!!!!
What a curious coincidence. Today the Wall Street Journal, Oct. 10, 2011 has a big news special section insert (16 full pages) on:
Innovations in Finance
http://online.wsj.com/public/page/innovations-in-finance-10102011.html?mod=quicklinks_innovations
I looked through the print edition. I am searching the online edition.
The word “carbon” seems to be absent.
It is certainly not prominent.
DocWat says:
October 10, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Binding agreement?? Trust?? Were those guys born yesterday?
They weren’t, but they got used to thinking that we were….
What neo-colonial trick will Obama try to play this time?
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No, but they think the average sucker on the street was.
Ho hum, another tipping point.
Viner. “Children just aren’t going to know what snow is.”
Oh, really?
The bottom line about carbon trading is that it is like being a hooker.
You have something, you sell it, but amazingly you still have it, so you sell it again, and again, and again and…………………
So in both instances, the seller keeps taking the cash for something intangible, while the buyer has a fleeting good feeling – not surprisingly, organised crime syndicates have come to dominate both these business sectors.
I’d rather see it implode and fall in on itself. “Pull up a chair and bring your popcorn” kind of event even! 😉
@joel If you consume goods in country A, but outsource their production to country B, which country is responsible for the waste created?
Of course, you can force people to buy carbon permits if they want to visit.
Court Backs EU Plan to Regulate Jet Emissions WSJ Oct.7,2011
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203388804576614263383888984.html
Joel Haq – good observation. I also love how our “historic” carbon emissions makes us “central” to the process. What can we do about the past? Aren’t China and India now the “central” parties in reducing the only emissions that can be reduced, future emissions?
@Stephen Fisher Brown
Yet another instance of the Al Gore Effect in action.
Peter Miller says:
October 10, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Brilliant. Do you mind if I pass it on?
European countries put all their money in the banks few years ago. They have so much debts that now they are looking for additional money … some more taxes … from us !!!
There are so many taxes that the only way the people will accept few more is to afraid him and pay to save the planet.
Every day one can found in newspapers wrong arguments justifying climate warming … yes newspapers continue to talk about warming !!! INCREDIBLE !!!
In Durban E.U. will continue to push in the way to continue Kyoto protocol to justify additional taxes. They will have problems because Canada, Japan don’t want to continue and China + USA will not sign. Only EU (and Australia) will continue this agenda without meaning …
Wait and see …
As far as I’m aware, it’s never, ever snowed in Durban – but there’s always a first time…
Durban is a side show, just as is science since Copenhagen and climategate. The real battle is on 1) subversion through environmental action -Tides canada comes to mind-, anti capitalist actions 2) imposing policies such as in Australia or smart grid utilities.
Eco totalitarians are past science as their tooll for coercion.
These are diplomatic meetings. When diplomacy ultimately fails to achieve the stated objective after many attempts, there is only a single step left to try. Coercion. That also may fail rather spectacularly, as has happened in the past.
The Climatutes and their cheerleaders get yet another lively expense account holiday, so this could go on for years – no matter what.