Copenhagen conference doomed to failure?

[pscot]

Features offered by the Asia Times are often agenda driven, as is this one. Still, it's one point of view. This is a brief snippet from the middle of the piece.

http//www.atimes.com/atimes/China/KI12Ad03.html

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International bureaucrats have set the stage for failure by sticking to a formula that demands deep emission cuts for developed countries, but places neither obligations for emissions cuts nor limits on emissions growth for developing countries. That distinction leaves three of top five carbon emissions producers, China, India and Indonesia, free to pollute at will.

Fair share
But exempting developing countries from emissions restrictions doesn't matter, according to the UN and its NGO allies. Greenpeace International climate change policy director Martin Kaiser explains, "As soon as the industrialized world shows it is willing to take on its fair share - of 40% reductions as a group and at least US$140 billion a year in funding to developing countries - we are confident that major developing countries will also consider an ambitious agreement and do their own fair share of the work."

In other words, developed countries need to commit to unprecedented emissions cuts and pay more than US$1 trillion over the next decade before developing countries will even consider taking any action of their own. The UN sees things the same way. That may not seem logical. But the UN and green groups answer to a higher principle of climate justice: industrialized countries polluted without restraint, so developing nations deserve the same opportunity. The Greenpeace statement above actually represents a softening of the radical position by suggesting that there is some "fair share" of the global burden for developing countries to bear. (more)

[joshcryer]

1. Almost a complete waste of time really.

I don't even see IPCC AR5 actually *changing* things. One can hope. Developing countries can't afford to cut back (the wells are going dry and they need to build their technology base), and the wealthy countries are using it as an excuse to continue exploiting madly.

[excess_3]

2. not for the people involved

they have fun, jet-setting around the world,
eating fancy food,
staying in five star hotels,

nice gig, if you can get someone else to pay for it

[joshcryer]

3. True that.

:(