Latest Bali fun and games
 
Latest news from Bali indicates that a deal may well be possible as the negotiations run in to extra time.
U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer believes that a deal is certain. ”Absolutely. The only question is how long is it going to take to get, how long we will have to stay up to wait for it,” he said.
In an attempt to broker a deal, conference president and Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar has proposed new language containing a compromise between explicit reductions targets and implicit commitment to reduce emissions by half before 2050.
Witoelar entertained delegates earlier this week with a song that he wrote about climate change after which he urged attending nations to find agreement. The song didn’t specifically mention the two million tons of Co2 generated by rainforest destruction in Indonesia each year. Presumably he had difficulty in making this rhyme.
Developing nations continue to express indignation at being asked to reduce their emissions, claiming that they are being threatened with trade sanctions if they refuse to cooperate.
Meanwhile environmentalists continue to level criticism at the United States. “The United States in particular is behaving like passengers in first class in a jumbo jet, thinking a catastrophe in economy class won’t affect them. If we go down, we go down together, and the United States needs to realize that very quickly.” Said Tony Juniper, an environmental spokesman.
In a rare example of members of the European Union agreeing with each other the EU continues to push for binding commitments.
AFAIK the “deal” to be announced is a road map for future talks and will not include non-negotiable binding emission levels.
So next year more holidays for the delegates paid for by me, to work out a plan to stop something I think is just a theory.
Wait 1 more year and world economies will be considerly worse off than they are right now and see how many more countries have issues.
I am also against the mandatory aid packages for the third world countries as part of a emission reduction agreement, we are going to need that money at home.
Yet in lieu of a emissions reduction agreement an aid package for improving access to drinking water in under-developed countries would be very acceptable, since we could afford it.