(photo: Patrick Henningsen) Supporters of a Climate Change Treaty say Obama is determined to sign something despite recent set-backs in the run up to COP 15.
By Patrick Henningsen
21st Century Wire
Correspondent in Copenhagen
The UN’s International Summit on Climate Change, COP 15, opened its doors yesterday in Copenhagen. Attendees include over 10,000 delegates and observers from 192 countries as well as thousands of press.
UN slogans line Copenhagen’s billboards and public spaces, including its main strap-line urging world leaders to “Seal the Deal” next week. But since the pre-summit meetings in New York, Barcelona and Bangkok, insiders are said to have known for weeks that any meaningful deal is beyond reach this year. Serious negotiations have stalled, as 192 nations may be left with the prospect of producing a vestigial, nonbinding political agreement calling for reductions in green house gases or “global warming emissions” in the future, as well as the promise of financial aid for developing nations to “adapt to climate change”, with a binding pledge to come later in 2010. Only after all this would signatories eventually see a binding treaty signed in 2012, complete with target mechanisms, enforcement measures and dollar amounts for poor third world countries.
Craig Rucker, Executive Director of CFACT and co-chair of the ‘Climate Sense’ meeting in Copenhagen says, “Even if there is something signed here in Copenhagen, it does not mean that it will become real policy worldwide- it could become another meaningless agreement. The Kyoto Agreement was signed by President Bill Clinton, yet it was never ratified by the United States.”
In ironic carbon neutral fashion, Copenhagen’s International Airport has catered for some 140 private jets and the UN has laid out for a fleet of over 1200 limousines for VIP delegates. Many critics has seized on this as an example of the governing, globalist oligarchy class present here in Copenhagen, a class who expects its citizens to hold up one end of a bargain that it cannot manage to do itself.
Climate Gate Revelations
Curiously, the Danish hosts of COP 15 have nicknamed the summit “Hopenhagen”. In itself this slogan spells out the inherent problems implementing any real binding contract for CO2 globally and in light of recent developments on the scientific front, this is certain to become an increasingly uphill battle for proponents of man-made global warming theory. The single biggest revelation being discussed in low voices here in Copenhagen is the Climate Gate scandal out of the UN’s CRU facility at East Anglia University. Across town from the massive UN’s Summit compound, however, at a meeting organised by CFACT and the multinational group Climate Sense, the Climate Gate scandal is being hailed as the first official crack in the man-made global warming hypothesis which is underpinning each and every policy surrounding global carbon emissions. Climate Sense has assembled an impressive panel of speakers which include Lord Chris Monckton(UK), Professor Fred Singer(US) and Professor Ian Pilmer(Australia).
Climate Sense co-organiser Graham Capper explains, “We’ve organised this meeting and brought this great line-up of speakers because what is being proposed here at COP 15 is based on questionable science and impractical economic sense. Climate Gate has only highlighted problems that have been around the so-called scientific consensus for a long time.”
Waning U.S. Influence
The US House of Representatives passed its first incarnation of a climate bill this past June but it is unlikely that this will make it to the Senate for a serious debate anytime soon. One U.S. Official who asked not to be named so as to speak more freely, said that the focus on Copenhagen has been set back by the current domestic debate dominating Capitol Hill- Healthcare Reform.
With the lowest approval rating at home of any US President at this juncture in his young tenure and with his recent defeat in getting the 2016 Summer Olympics to his hometown Chicago, Obama will likely want to return to Washington with some version of a victory.
Supporters of a Climate Change Treaty say Obama is determined to sign something despite multiple set-backs in the run up to COP 15. Mainstream media pundits still contend that the US is the world’s economic superpower and that an American signature to the Copenhagen Treaty will position the country to lead the world by example in Climate Change policy. Some might say that this overlooks the reality of the world’s economic league tables, where the USA’s economic clout is not what it used to be. With the current continual slide of the once mighty US dollar, the galactic debt on its balance sheet, and the prolonged recession being forecast across the board, China and the Eurozone are each set to surpass the US in total GDP output and productivity. Still, news agencies like AFP claim in their opening news release from Copenhagen, “US President Barack Obama is hoping to push through a new deal after the United States — the world’s biggest economy — rejected Kyoto under his predecessor, George W. Bush.” Before it takes any action and makes a firm commitment, the US Congress will likely expect to see other major players like China, India and Brazil make real commitments, but the reality is that those emerging economies are likely to deliver little beyond promises.
More ‘Climate Theatre’
Apocalyptic scientific projections countered by lofty emissions targets and their treaties, most of which are not even remotely anchored in reality, are fast coming to be known as “Climate Theatre”. The stage is set for even more drama, as delegates and observers anticipate the arrival on Friday of President Barrack Obama, who plans to announce an 85% emissions cut by 2050… pushing US emissions back to levels not seen since the year 1900. Even the ultimate salesman will have trouble selling that one. In short, it will not happen unless the US can manage turn back the population clock back to 100 million people which would require it to wipe out 4/5 of its population. Eugenicists can argue amongst themselves over the logistics of that particular scenario.
Globally, 56 newspapers published an identical editorial telling their leaders to agree on action to limit temperature rises to 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or watch as climate change “ravages our planet”. How the political delegates from 192 countries here are planning to control the Earth’s temperature is yet one of many outrageous scenarios which have become part and parcel of global climate conferences.
With the science behind global warming now under the gun, end game policies like Cap and Trade may soon be dissected in similar fashion, bringing the whole conversation of climate change alarmism out of its current theatre and into a new phase of rigorous public debate.
READ MORE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Climate Files
