Essay by Eric Worrall
$13 million down, just another $99.987 billion to go…
Denmark becomes first U.N. member to pay for ‘loss and damage’ from climate change
By Sarah Kaplan
September 20, 2022 at 6:23 p.m. EDTDenmark will direct about $13 million to assist vulnerable countries that have suffered “loss and damage” from climate change — the first time in U.N. history a wealthy member state has pledged compensation for the consequences of emissions in the developing world.
The landmark announcement came Tuesday as diplomats and world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier in the day, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres called on nations to tax fossil fuel companies and use the revenue to help people struggling with climate change’s irreversible harms.
In a statement, Danish development minister Flemming Møller Mortensen said that a visit to flood-stricken areas of Bangladesh this spring helped inspire the pledge.
“It is grossly unfair that the world’s poorest should suffer the most from the consequences of climate change, to which they have contributed the least,” Mortensen said.
…
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/09/20/denmark-climate-change-un-general-assembly/
What can I say – the amount, $13 million, is a ridiculous token gesture, a mockery, if Denmark truly believes they are partly responsible for untold climate damage in poor countries.
On the other hand, the only way for that money to be meaningfully spent is on the purchase of goods created via the same fossil fuel evil the compensation is supposed to address.
Fossil fuel and modernity has done immeasurable good to even the poorest people – even people who live in mud huts own portable radios, TVs and metal tools, and at least a sliver of access to modern medicine through charity outreach organisations. Lifespans have improved worldwide, except possibly in horror show regimes like North Korea and Venezuela – all thanks to fossil fuel goodness.
Truly a theatre of the absurd – but activists will use this token gesture to try to shame the USA into paying billions.
Another slush fund for the WaBenzi.
Well, let’s say it SHOULD be proportionate. Denmark’s GDP is $113 billion. USA’s is 22,500 billion. They (Denmark) deposited $13 million to the fund. America immediately should deposit 13 * 22,500 / 113 = $2,590 million. Exactly proportionate.
Then America would do well to needle, cajole, pillory and lambaste the other 193 countries of the world to do their proportionate parts. Voila!
Being not first but second in line, but having the world’s largest economy to be a prompt payor seems to me to be the perfect Virtue Signal to all the rest of the shit-potters … step up or shut up. Moreover, having deposited then what, 99% of the total funds, I’d say the USA gets some voting rights as to how the monies are spent. A lot of votes. 200 of them to Denmark’s 1 vote.
Democracy, aint’ it grand?
And mathematical, too!!!
Politicians enjoy wasting our money.
Bleed us here and there, while claiming they saving the world.
Any AI politician, couldn’t be worse.
And not voting them out office, voting to unplug them.
USA is short of small change. It has all gone to Ukraine – the mysterious country of deep pockets.
Wars are expensive.
Surrender even more so.
Surrendering after fighting a war is even more expensive.
Negotiation, on the other hand, is cheap!
Not a penny. Not one red cent. That $13 million? It would amaze me, after all that money goes through all the sticky fingers, if 3 villages in Africa each got a solar panel.
As far as the $billions from the US goes… 8 solar panels and a wind turbine and maybe a little bit of copper wiring that will be stolen and hammered into jewelry. That’s what will make it to the people alleviate the Climate Catastrophe in the 3rd world.
Almost as good as a coal fired power station…….
Why is the USA reinforcing and supporting this insanity something to encourage?
Any money collected will be used to fill the troughs at the UN sty and also line the pockets of eco-cronies.
Sane countries should work to short-cut this stupidity by offering to pair up with developing nations, ones with a decent democracy, to develop infrastructure, energy sources and real healthcare in a manageable way – avoiding fiascos like Sri Lanka.
Far too risky. That’s why the UN was begun.
Directly help a country and something goes wrong and you are on the hook as the perpetrator. The UK’s colonisation of countries is a fine example of that.
Better to just hand over money with no risk of responsibility. The fact the money is stolen has nothing to do with you.
First??? Didn’t then President Obama give half a billion to the UN climate extortion fund back in 2017?
Yes, but that wasn’t for “loss and damage”. In fact there are almost half a dozen different UN climate emergency funds that countries contribute to, that I found with a few seconds of searching, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are another half a dozen that I haven’t seen:
“In 2020, the US committed a total of US$897 million to official development assistance (ODA) for climate change mitigation and adaptation”
and
“Biden’s FY2023 budget proposal includes US$128 million in allocations to the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), new investments in the Green Climate Fund (GCF; US$1.6 billion), and the Climate Technology Fund (US$550 million). ”
from here: https://donortracker.org/united-states/climate
So you see, Denmark is paving the way for YET ANOTHER climate slush fund, and they are the first who “will” contribute to this new one.
I suspect the Bangladesh damage was caused by man’s alteration of the environment and villages being built where it was inappropriate following man’s interference with the environment. it was the weather, not climate (change). Man continues to do this worldwide.
Yes Layor, along with population growth and flood plains being developed for human habitat, the environment is under change to the weather.
Probably more to do with neglected infrastructure such as flood mitigation activities. Pakistan has a nuclear program but can’t spend money on infrastructure.
Quite whey they imagine their poverty stricken country would be a worthy target of a nuclear power is beyond me.
These countries actually owe the US at least countless billions for all the
CO2 we gave them for free!
They could go to Bangladesh every year and see the flood ravaged areas. They have been happening since the year dot. Might just have something to do with SEASONAL monsoon rains and building large population centres on a river delta.
No, it was the Industrial Age that that started it.
/sarc.
Yes, industrial age pumps allowed neighbors to empty their fields to the next guy downslope much more quickly.
What a POWERFUL virtue signal! Denmark is at the forefront of mindless obedience.
They stand to make a mint from their wind turbine industry selling to the cleptomaniac suckers running develop ing world countries.
The turbines will eventually all be made in China but there will still be royalties on the various tech involved, and also lots of money from engineering services trying to get the tech to work.
One ‘on the other hand ‘ kind of argument in favour of this would be that the poor towns and villages could be pilot projects for totally green grids – God knows no established grids would ever agree to try it and anything, even an intermittent weather dependent grid would be better than burning dung and what’s left any trees in the area.
Disclaimer: the previous statement was in no way meant to endorse, recommend or even suggest that wind turbines, solar panels and other similar intermittent tech and the batteries and other Rube-Goldberg storage devices would be a viable alternative to reliable sources of energy. Before investigating any green tech, please seek the competent advice of non-woke, non-fanatic, realistic and levelheaded engineers and project planners.
Earlier this year Wind Europe said all of Europe’s five wind turbine manufacturers were operating at a loss. That includes the Danish ones. (The preferred solution seemed to be more EU subsidies – of course!)
Where do I apply, it’s pouring with rain here today, floods reported in various areas and just 16 degC close to midday.
I believe that it is weather conditions but I am happy to blame climate change for a compensation payment from Denmark.
I’m sure if you complain to the correct ministry you will get your 2 cents worth
The sad part is that despite billions being spent on “ fighting climate change “ almost nothing has been spent anywhere in actually engineering and building stronger infrastructure to protect against the types of weather that wreak havoc today , as they always have
That’s actually a very sad and maddening realization for anyone who genuinely cares for the environment and – AND people. So much potential for eliminating poverty and strife in the world, at home and abroad, and yet so many billions flushed in the big green toilet.
Uh-oh. I see a new acronym in the offing; BGT (Big Green Toilet).
–
GND = BGT (Green New Deal = Big Green Toilet)
–
Eventually, just about everyone will figure out the truth of that.
What a bunch of dummies!
A token amount, what, a dollar or 2 per person?
How much will the Danish turbine industry make by spreading the green cult.
Good thing I’m not at the UN. “Let me see if I have this correct…you want ME to pay YOU reparations for creating modern technology and living that made it possible for you to not live in caves? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
I just found 13¢ under a chair cushion.
Where do I send it?
In the US, it would take $1.16 – two 1st Class stamps – to mail 13 pennies anywhere in the US.
It’s hard to be charitable nowadays.
send it COD
Klaus Schwab (WEF) is promoting a very dangerous, unrealistic dystopian
vision like cults do. Ida Auken, a Young Global Leader & Member of the
Global Future Council on Cities & Urbanization of the WEF, wrote an
article in Forbes on Nov 10, 2016:
“Welcome to 2030: I own nothing, have no privacy and life has never
been better.”
It’s a bigger fantasy story than those “Once upon a time, …” stories
we read as kids. It presents the WEF’s perfect world ideology stated
in the title. All the society’s problems & shortcomings along with
the technical juggernauts have been overcome. People who reject this
perfect society are allowed to live outside the city. I expected to
see a disclaimer saying this was just a vision of what could be but
it never came. Also, the concept of no social unrest & that city
leaders would let others live outside their control made this an
absolutely ludicrous fantasy, whether it was 2030 or 2333! It’s
certainly cult material.
(Kim Iversen reads the Forbes article & gives a useful critique:
https://www.climatedepot.com/2022/09/20/watch-life-long-enviro-kim-iversen-now-questions-climate-narrative-due-to-great-reset-historically-ive-been-an-environmentalist-yet-its-even-making-me-say-i-am-now-questioning-the-motivati/ )
Here’s what I found out about Auken. She was a 38-year old Dane when
she wrote this article & seemed quite accomplished promoting the
socialist/green/globalist agenda in its various forms. Wiki did give
the rebuttal I expected to see at the end of her article. No social
unrest or totalitarians allowing others to live outside their control
obviously weren’t flagged as being unrealistic by Wiki.
The WEF is a cult promoting a dystopian world. Schwab got a BSME &
eventually switched to economic policy by the time he founded the WEF
in 1971. He then got lost in the academia bubble & never came back to
the real world. Sadly, I think he’s quite caught up in his own bubble
& his fantasy is being Used by others to achieve their nasty goals,
making him a useful idiot. I do know this whole thing won’t end well
for anybody!
Wikipedia- Ida Auken
https://www.forbes.com/sites/worldeconomicforum/2016/11/10/shopping-i-cant-really-remember-what-that-is-or-how-differently-well-live-in-2030/
I wish oil companies and the unions that work for them would start suing anyone slandering, liabling and defaming (pick whichever is correct, I’m not a lawyer) the industry that is the literal energy of our civilization, a long with a backbone of cheap steel and aluminum, and a brain of silicon.
Sorry, I got carried away with the metaphor.
Very apropos though + several billion
Even Brandon, at least temporarily, put CC on the back burner.
https://www.climatedepot.com/2022/09/20/biden-to-skip-un-meeting-as-climate-change-moves-to-back-burner/
Denmark’s goal is to be a member of the Security Council. It is important to stay friends with Guterres.
Isn’t the GCF run from somewhere like Seoul? Some time ago I got up their salary scale. Can’t recall where. Very adequate remuneration. We
I think this is the first donation to the Loss and Damage category.
My understanding is that there are 3 categories-
(1) The Green Fund being US$ 100 billion to be promised annually pursuant to the Paris Agreement with 28 Annex1 countries to make individual contributions to aggregate the total.
(2) Loss and Damage contributions of which the Danish donation is the first.
The total amount remains uncertain with different developing countries demanding different totals ($400 billion annually?).
(3) “Climate Reparations”for the past “historical injustice” of fossil fuel emissions over the 200 years from the Industrial Revolution.Western nations are in the firing line here.
Whether (2) and (3) are entirely separate I don’t know but they are certainly an attempt at the greatest financial transfer in history.
Advice to Western attendees at COP 27:keep wallets tightly closed as the fighting over money will be vicious.
No matter how much money is paid into the accounts and redistributed, it won’t be enough; it’ll never be enough. You cannot rectify a perceived inferiority by handing over the contents of your bank account, it does nothing to help them. Give them the tools and the skills to help them pull themselves up by the bootstraps and you’ve made a start but it has to be by their effort, something meaningful earned for themselves. This approach will fail badly, maybe even catastrophically.
The saving grace is that none of the countries that are supposed to cough up the money actually do so.
The COPs are “The Big Whine” as so pointedly illustrated in Josh’s cartoon. “Where’s our money? We were promised money.”
But Denmark coming up with this token amount could trigger eco-idiots in other governments (I’m looking at you Trudeau) to stampede with their offers of other-peoples-blood-sweat-tears to get the PR-value of being a climate poser. Of course they don’t care where the money goes as long as they gets the credit for the green sacrifice.
I’d donate some of my hard earned but unfortunately it’s all tainted by fossil fuels so completely unacceptable like blood diamonds etc. However I do have a warm fuzzy side supporting the fossil fuel industry so the usual suspects don’t go thirsty or hungry-
Just Stop Oil ‘sorry’ for leaving plastic rubbish near protest site on farm (msn.com)
PS: Hey griff! Tell your cheapskate hypocritical mates to get with the program instead of the oil industry PET bottles-
Handmade Earthen Clay Mitti Water Dispenser Bottle 1000MLEarthenware Terracotta | eBay
That’s not an orange poly tarp instead of a thatch roof is it? Holy Gaia! Is that a garbag I see? It’s all about the seeming and the struggle with lefties.
What do governments care, it’s not their money.
Perhaps they should have put that money towards the funding of NATO to get closer to the 2% GDP they agreed to pay.(and have failed to do)
They have no shame, They will turn that 13MM ‘investment’ into billions in wind turbine sales.
From the article: “In a statement, Danish development minister Flemming Møller Mortensen said that a visit to flood-stricken areas of Bangladesh this spring helped inspire the pledge.
“It is grossly unfair that the world’s poorest should suffer the most from the consequences of climate change, to which they have contributed the least,” Mortensen said.”
Delusional thinking. The minister assumes things not in evidence. There is no evidence that CO2 had anything to do with the flooding in Bangladesh, but this minister wants to believe that, so he does.
The inmates are in control of the asylum.
From the article: “Truly a theatre of the absurd – but activists will use this token gesture to try to shame the USA into paying billions.”
Well, I heard Joe Biden “bragging” yesterday about his intention to pay $11 billion to other nations for climate change issues. That’s almost as much as the U.S. has spent on the war in Ukraine to date ($15 billion).
Loss and damage is slated to be a big topic in the upcoming COP in Egypt. Hence the empty gesture.
The developing countries are calling for trillions a year, not a measly hundred billion.
Reverse “Danegeld”?
The Green blob ain’t going away either.
Think you lost something in translation Eric unless you can provide a link.
AFAIK Denmark is making a one off payment to the Sahel region in northwestern Africa as “Loss and Damage payment” which is indeed a first. However that is not to the greentard touted fund and payments to that fund are proposed to be per year. However that whole garbage of the climate justice fund is just a pipe dream of greentards and the Denmark action is just being hailed as a step in the right direction by the greentards.
Denmark is simultaneously demonstrating their stupidity and their penny pinching with a gesture that is all ill-conceived symbolism and trivial substance. Well done.