It’s been interesting, it’s been challenging, and it’s been exhausting. It has also been a bit surreal. What follows is a combination of my experiences and events taken from news reports and social media.
Let’s start with my arrival at the airport Monday morning after a red-eye flight. Leaving baggage claim, the first thing I see is a TV reporter doing a report from in front of an information kiosk for COP25.
Then on ride from the airport to the hotel, a couple of billboards touting “climate emergency” or “climate crisis”. I didn’t get photos of those since I could not get a clear shot from the shuttle, but there’s this one from Greenpeace covering up some legitimate and paid for advertising. I guess they don’t like cars.
Here are some other photos. The policia were everywhere, they really put the “Cop” in COP25.
Inside, they really lay out the welcome mat for you. I have no idea what “climate debt” is, but it’s probably just another excuse to extract money.
The world on ice….nice imagery, but just as stupid as the previous photo.
Time for action? Hmm seems like every conference says that. Yet, the world is unmoved it seems:
These kids apparently didn’t get the action memo:
Here, some extinction rebellion people did something. This report from AFP will have to suffice because I didn’t want to get close to any of these people:
UPDATE: AFP Blocked the video from appearing on WUWT, so when you press play, you’ll get a notice. However, you still can view it on YouTube by following the link directly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsuZY_xpi7M
They like to hand out awards at these events, here’s some kids getting awards on behalf of their countries for daring to keep the lights on:
Then, there were the ubiquitous polar bears. I’m not sure how they fit into nuclear energy, but I’ll take it:
Nancy Pelosi and Sheldon Whitehouse showed up with an entourage of like minded political simpletons and made some blah blah claims to make it look like the U.S. really hasn’t left the 2015 Paris Climate Accord:
Here is what she said:
source: https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/12319-1
“Today, our delegation concluded a successful two-day visit to COP25 in Madrid with a message on behalf of the U.S. Congress of ‘We’re still in,’” Speaker Pelosi said. “Combating the climate crisis is the existential threat of our time and it was essential that our delegation stand with international partners, who are continuing to build upon and solidify their commitments to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals.”
Ummm, riiiight. That ship didn’t sail, it already sank. And for the record, President Trump did in fact start the process to pull the U.S. out of that quagmire. I think Pelosi is holding onto the hope that Trump will be impeached or un-elected before the one-year withdrawal deadline is up.
Sheldon Whitehouse had to get his licks in too, citing the imaginary funding from “big oil”.
Then there was Greta Thunberg, and the media frenzy around all that. This video from Euronews sums up the non-event of fossil fueled chase boats trying to get a glimpse of the eco-saint-in-waiting pretty well:
There was lots of shouting from the McKibbenites too:
While all this circus action was going on, I was involved in a live video feed sponsored by The Heartland Institute. Here is Dr. Will Happer, former science adviser to President Trump:
And, we made the news in the local newspaper in Madrid, the “El Confidencial” ran an in-depth piece on The Heartland Institute live feed.
I somehow managed to capture front-and-center, the headline says:
Skeptic counter-summit in Madrid: “Where is the weather emergency? There isn’t one!”
In the photo above, Heartland’s James Taylor is on the left, and on the right is hurricane researcher Stanley Goldenberg who has his head down because he’s typing a response to some troll on the YouTube Q&A feed.
This is what they had to say about me:
Translated:
Some, such as Anthony Watts, a former television meteorologist who became a successful blogger within the skeptical sphere, supported the existence of climate change although they claimed that the homogenization of data by scientists was nothing more than a manipulation to present temperature rises. as much more pronounced in the name of the algorithm. “Where is the climatic emergency?”, He asked himself, “there really isn’t one: they take pristine data and modify it in the name of homogenization, thus moving from a mild warming to an alarming warming.”
Where is the weather emergency? There really isn’t.
Watts wondered why all those scientists and activists at COP25 insisted on denying this evidence of theirs: “They think they are on a mission.”
source: https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/ciencia/2019-12-04/contracumbre-escepticos-negacionistas-cop25_2363471/
When my live feed presentation is ready on YouTube, I’ll add it.
In short, here’s my impression of COP25:
It was a whole lot of hot air talking about cooling the planet, shouting it is “time for action”, while putting out hands asking for money.
The conference seemed subdued compared to the bigger shindigs of Copenhagen in 2009 (which ClimateGate successfully skewered) and Paris in 2015 which got hamstrung by Donald Trump a year later.
Perhaps it was due to the last-minute switch from Chile, perhaps people are realizing these conferences are pointless.
For certain, we live in interesting times.
Next week I’m off to the AGU convention in San Francisco. But, I have to shop for galoshes first.
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Don’t take any malarkey from the galoshes saleszen.
And make sure they fit properly to help prevent toe nail fungus.
Anthony…Is the shopping for the galoshes to wade through all the BS of this climate emergency extortion? Because sea level rise is real, real slow.
no, because there’s crap on the streets, literally
Make sure you have your Hep A immunizations up to date.
Better get some hip waders.
San Francisco, an amazing city where the dogs are outfitted with boots in case they fail to step around the human poo.
Search images for ” dog boots ” – there is an amazing variety of styles, colors, & materials. Sets are of 4.
The “hip waders” are a bit more expensive.
Well geeze, it’s not like he’s in Washington, D.C.
Get your immunisations,take a face mask. It is putrid there.
Just like Seattle.
Okay, well, don’t touch anything barehanded! Wear gloves! It’s for your own good, Anthony!
But seriously, watch where you put your feet. There are apparently needles from dopers strewn all over the place, as well as human offal and garbage. Please be careful.
Offal Careful
That’s simply offal.
Climate justice = “We gonna SOAK the rich!”
To the elite, climate justice means shrinking the global population by energy starvation..
“If I were reincarnated I would wish to be returned to earth as a killer virus to lower human population levels.” ― Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Its not the uber rich they are coming for. By world standards the US, UK, Canadian, Aussie, and most of Western Europe middle class is wealthy compared to many other countries. And there’s a whole lot more of us than wealthy elites. So when you do numbers, there aren’t enough billionaires and multimillionaires to fleece, besides they have sophisticated strategies to hide vast amounts of wealth as seen in the Panama Papers.
So it’s you and me, the middle class, they are coming for. Our retirements, our 401Ks and IRAs that have trillions of dollars stuffed in them, and our lifestyle that allows travel and nice homes and cars and the affordable energy to run them.
Anthony: Interesting that APF is apparently so frightened of you that they won’t permit your first video to be shown on your web site.
What do you mean? Is it blocked?
Yes. When I clicked on the video, I was informed that AFP refused to permit the video on “this” site (WUWT?) but that I could watch it by going directly to YouTube.
It’s just set to not allow embeds.
I made a test post on my test site on the wordpress.com network.
Same issue.
same on hooktube, it’s not specific to WUWT.
Also some kind of “read error” on the Happer vid.
I love the Freudian truth in Polosi’s statement:
Yes, all the BS being done in the name of “combating the climate crisis ” is getting to be the existential threat of our time. And COP25 is where it’s happening.
Greg,
Climate Change will be a big nothing burger for humans or the planet.
Climate Change Policy though is an existential threat to humanity and Earth’s ecosystem. Every feel good policy based on OPM always ends up having the exact effect of what it was stated to avoid.
Want environmental destruction and pan-genocide? All we have to do is implement all the Green ecotards’ murderous energy policies and it will happen.
Example: Like the West Coast homeless population explosion, its exactly those Libtard policies that continues to grow that crisis.
Example: Want to save the forests, but actually end up destroying them in hot cataclysmic fire? Then do fire suppression for 40 yrs in the name of saving an owl the forest and green ecotardness good intentions.
‘Yes, all the BS being done in the name of “combating the climate crisis ” is getting to be the existential threat of our time’
There’s the man-made climate crisis.
Good post.
Slight typo – fixed for ya:
Nancy Pelosi and Sheldon Whitehouse showed up with an entourage of like minded
politicalsimpletons…..Fantastic Post!
I would humbly offer one last correction: Defining Nancy Pelosi and Sheldon Whitehouse as “simpletons” is an insult to simpletons.
“Sen. Whitehouse: “You may hear statements from the fossil fuel industry about what their hopes and expectations are for climate action. My firsthand experience is that the statements from their lips do not match the expenditure of their funds.””
Was he thinking that as he and Pelosi were flying thousands of miles for a photo op? Hypocrites.
Nice tie, Anthony. You have that urban camoflage bit down pat. The appearance of San Fran Nan, et al, is a political falsehood of stupid second grader level, which also is the impeachment kerfuffle show. Please let us know, when the dust settles, if you converted anyone or if they converted you. Good Luck!
🎶But where are the clowns
Send in the clowns
Don’t bother, they’re here 🎶
I watched some of the presentations (including yours) in real time. I would like to know how many jurnos attended? What was mix of local vs international news people in audience?
Safe travels home.
Anthony,
The Heartland presentation was fantastic! I watch the entire show including the last mystery guest who was great.
Obviously, someone from the press was in the room – glad the Heartland forum got some coverage.
Pelosi wasn’t part of the USA delegation to COP25. Any idea who let her knucklehead contingent on stage?
Hope you have a great trip.
OMG the hypocrisy, think of how many FLEW to that event, but they are special and are allowed to do what they do not want the little people to do, this is important stuff, to get others to stop using fossil fuels while they use them every day.
I dunno, they would’nt be hypocrites if they used a Barney-Copter:
https://youtu.be/lXUrC7XQDKs
ht/ The Flintstones
The Canadian Rebel TV has attended the last few COP meetings and done some needed (and hilarious) skeptical reporting on the hyporcricy on display at these dog-and-pony shows. I especially remember the ones from COP22 Marrakech :
https://www.therebel.media/cop22_in_marrakech
They set up a Potemkin village in the desert, with bottled water shipped in and waiting buses running their engines to keep the a/c going so guests wouldn’t schvitz. 🙂
Mumbles Mcguirk
It’s the first time i have heard/read about the rebel, and I’m impressed 😀 Shock tactics work on the scamming greens and they always look confused when asked real questions…
How did Nancy Pelosi and Sheldon Whitehouse and a whole entourage get to spain? How are they getting around? How is green peace powering their boats? After the last one was cut up in Bangladesh 😐
So it was the same old “give us your money” So we can live the high life, in jets and yachts, also so we can spend time in Monaco to give you a report on the artic ice which isn’t melting 😐 What idiots! The day they live like the Amish (minus all electronics) I mite listen to them.. Actually no I won’t.
Pelosi/Whitehouse would probably have come over on a lightly filled Air Force jet.. and we US taxpayers paid for it. No worries, since it was military it didn’t emit anything.
Nancy Pelosi has her broom. Dunno about the others.
She had to quit using it after Trump glued sandpaper to it.
…or maybe she didn’t – that would account for the nasty mood she has been in.
Looks pretty lame, so that is good to see…I appreciate the work you are doing here on WUWT.
Many activists are demanding “reparations” from entire classes of people (e.g. “white” people) for the misdeeds (e.g. slavery) of some of these people in the past.
So, perhaps, when it becomes obvious to everyone that the so-called “climate crisis” was merely a scam to redistribute wealth, it will be considered politically correct for sceptics to sue the descendants of these climate activists for the the billions/trillions of dollars wasted on political corruption and fraud. 😐
Is not “welfare” that has been paid out for decades enough reparations for slavery?
Funny that Pelosi is claiming to speak on behalf of the U.S., that’s actually a real impeachable offense… and yes a member of the House can be “expelled” by a 2/3’s vote of the House, which leads me to my next thought …
Imagine that the Speaker of the House, second in line for the Presidency, is off on a tax payer funded photo op while her House Committees are engaging in one of the most serious events in our Country’s history. Or perhaps she is just distancing herself from what she knows will be the ultimate failure of that action.
Third in line. VP is second.
VP is first in line. That’s how the phrase works.
No plantation for you, Willie.
The original agreement that was offered by the Obama administration was never ratified by the US Senate. It is therefore invalid and unenforceaable. Period.
So Pelosi and her grandstanding buddies went there to make a statement that the US is still part of something that it has never been obligated to participate in.
Nice work if you can get it, and I’m sure Nancy et al., will add this junket to their “expenses” for prior-to-yearend accountancy, as a tax write-off.
And here, I thought impeaching a sitting President was important! Silly me!
“So Pelosi and her grandstanding buddies went there to make a statement that the US is still part of something that it has never been obligated to participate in.” Good comment, Sara, and a direct indictment of Pelosi and her grandstanding buddies under the Logan Act. Add John Kerry to the indictment list also.
Is there any period in history when the Dem leaders took the Logan Act seriously?
Do they plan to apply it specifically to the presidential “transition period”?
Impeachment of a President IS important. However, for political reasons, they aren’t yet impeaching the President, merely conducting an Inquiry. This apparently obviates the need for due process. In a similar vein, as only the House can enter into a Foreign Treaty, Obama attempted to get around that tiny restriction by “signing” the Paris Agreement and THEN getting it adopted by the UN. Simples! You must realise that the US Constitution is a “Living Document“/sarc.
Sara December 4, 2019 at 10:07 am
The original agreement that was offered by the Obama administration was never ratified by the US Senate. It is therefore invalid and unenforceaable. Period.
So Pelosi and her grandstanding buddies went there to make a statement that the US is still part of something that it has never been obligated to participate in.
Nice work if you can get it, and I’m sure Nancy et al., will add this junket to their “expenses” for prior-to-yearend accountancy, as a tax write-off.
And here, I thought impeaching a sitting President was important! Silly me!
https://www.google.com/search?q=House+Democratic+leader+Nancy+Pelosi+is+spending+the+holidays+vacationing+in+Hawaii&oq=House+Democratic+leader+Nancy+Pelosi+is+spending+the+holidays+vacationing+in+Hawaii&aqs=chrome.
https://www.google.com/search?q=take+the+long+way+home+supertramp&oq=take+the+long&aqs=chrome.
Wait a minute…I thought the time for climate action was twenty years ago. Aren’t we too late now? That’s what they were saying then.
Anthony, we need more of the words and images of extreme environmentalism and your sane words and imagery. Steve
There is is a real danger that all the bullshit being uttered in the conferences will carried up by the associated hot air into the upper atmosphere, there to concentrate into nuclear fusion and burn us all to a frazzle. No – I’m serious, we should be worried.
Looking at the number of Rebels in the YouTube movie, it seems they soon will be Extinct ….
The other useful things at COP25 are those banners. We need the ones saying Climate Reparations and Make Them Pay on every billboard and newspaper in America before the Presidential election so those voters that would be paying see this and fight back against the UN Climate Crusades.
This is really scary. Actually we have -12 years left to save the planet (the – is not a typo) :
https://wmbriggs.com/post/28466/
Keep up the good work, Anthony, and thank you for all you do in the cause of bringing some sanity to the insane AGW/CC Hoax.
No doubt any polar bear would love it a COP 25. Lots to eat. Easy to catch.
A HUGE THANK YOU, Anthony, for all you do to bring us back from the brink of insanity and disaster! Please be sure to tell all Climate Hoaxers that they need to get a new dye job because their racist and colonialist roots are showing! China and India can spew and “pollute” all they wish; Africans, not so much! Free Africa from Western imperialism; clean coal NOW for Africa! Maybe some CNG and even sugarcane ethanol as well.
Polar bears like high fat-content foods like seals and whales best; the skinny vegans and vegetarians at COP 25 would leave the bears hungry and perhaps prone to diabetes from their high carb content. Fine, stout gentlemen like myself would be more satisfying but we have a tendency to shoot to kill! I’ve always wanted a polar bearskin rug; at least since I saw a red headed Vargas girl on one in my youth!
A HUGE THANK YOU, Anthony, for all you do to bring us back from the brink of insanity and disaster! Please be sure to tell all Climate Hoaxers that they need to get a new dye job because their racist and colonialist roots are showing! China and India can spew and “pollute” all they wish; Africans, not so much! Free Africa from Western imperialism; clean coal NOW for Africa! Maybe some CNG and even sugarcane ethanol as well.
Jim Hanson has the solution, put a carbon tax on all fossil fuels.
http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2019/20191204_CarbonReality.pdf
Note that he distorts GHG emissions by putting them on a per capita basis instead of using the real values. So China with it’s huge population has lower GHG emissions per capita than the “developed” countries. But on an actual basis, China emits more GHG’s than the US and Europe combined as shown in Jim’s own charts.
What Hanson fails to understand is that the real poor of the world benefit from low cost fossil energy and putting a carbon tax on fossil fuels will harm all these people far more than anyone else in the world.