Copenhagen ends with walks outs, demonstrations, and disappointment

GLOBAL WARMING

Jesse Ventura is following the money trail, out to expose the most frightening, inconvenient Conspiracy Theory yet: That Global Warming may be a scam.

The movement claims the planet is heading to disaster because factories and cars are heating up the atmosphere with carbon dioxide. The green industry feeds off our fears and urges us to spend billions on products that purport to be good for the environment.

This week, Jesse and his investigators are traveling around the world to expose the power-brokers who pull the strings and rake in fortunes. The Conspiracy Theory team aims to get to the bottom of claims that global warming is a powerful plot meant to extort, tax and control all of us.

From a remote wilderness location, where one critical scientist claims he is hiding from death threats, to Silicon Valley, where a company makes a bundle helping corporations avoid paying carbon tax, then all the way to China to learn more. Jesse also examines Al Gore's role in all this, but he pushes further as he uncovers evidence that leads him to the man known as The Wizard, who just might be behind the whole global warming conspiracy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOYwur6T6tc

http://www.trutv.com/shows/conspiracy_theory/index.html

http://current.com/items/91718069_copenhagen-nothing-resolved.htm

The results look like a lot of hollow political rhetoric that can be changed and interpreted at will. I doubt there will ever be any meaningful changes made to effect global warming until there is catastrophe, and maybe not even then.

Temperature

"The increase in global temperature should be below two degrees."

This will disappoint the 100-plus nations who wanted a lower maximum of 1.5C, including many small island states who fear that even at this level their homes may be submerged.

Peak date for carbon emissions

"We should co-operate in achieving the peaking of global and national emissions as soon as possible, recognizing that the time frame for peaking will be longer in developing countries …" This vague phrase is a disappointment to those who want nations to set a date for emissions to fall, but will please developing countries who want to put the economy first.

Emissions cuts

"Parties commit to implement individually or jointly the quantified economy-wide emissions targets for 2020 as listed in appendix 1 before 1 February 2010."

This phrase commits developed nations to start work almost immediately on reaching their mid-term targets. For the US, this is a weak 14-17% reduction on 2005 levels; for the EU, a still-to-be-determined goal of 20-30% on 1990 levels; for Japan, 25% and Russia 15-25% on 1990 levels. The accord makes no mention of 2050 targets, which dropped out of the text over the course of the day.

Forests

"Substantial finance to prevent deforestation; adaptation, technology development and transfer and capacity."

This is crucial because more than 15% of emissions are attributed to the clearing of forests. Conservation groups are concerned that this phrase lacks safeguards.

Money

"The collective commitment by developed countries is to provide new and additional resources amounting to $30bn for 2010-12 … Developed countries set a goal of mobilizing jointly $100bn a year by 2020 to address needs of developing countries."

This is the cash that oils the deal. The first section is a quick financial injection from rich nations to support developing countries' efforts. Longer term, a far larger sum of money will be committed to a Copenhagen Green Climate Fund. But the agreement leaves open the questions of where the money will come from, and how it will be used.

Key elements of earlier drafts dropped during yesterday's negotiations:

• An attempt to replace Kyoto

"Affirming our firm resolve to adopt one or more legal instruments …"

This preamble, killed off during the day, was the biggest obstacle for negotiators. It left open the question of whether to continue a twin-track process that maintains the Kyoto protocol, or whether to adopt a single agreement. Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada are desperate to move to a one-track approach, but developing nations refused to kill off Kyoto – the one legally binding treaty that recognises rich nations have more responsibilities than later developers.

Deadline for a treaty

"… as soon as possible and no later than COP16 …" This set a December 2010 date for a binding treaty. The final text drops this, leaving open the possibility that talks could go on indefinitely.

Photo from demonstration in response to the result of cop15:

Transcript of Obama's remarks in Copenhagen
December 18,10:30 P.M. CET

THE PRESIDENT: Let me start with a statement and then I'll take a couple of questions.

Today we've made meaningful and unprecedented -- made a meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough here in Copenhagen. For the first time in history all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change.

Let me first recount what our approach was throughout the year and coming into this conference. To begin with, we've reaffirmed America's commitment to transform our energy economy at home. We've made historic investments in renewable energy that have already put people back to work. We've raised our fuel efficiency standards. And we have renewed American leadership in international climate negotiations.

Most importantly, we remain committed to comprehensive legislation that will create millions of new American jobs, power new industry, and enhance our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

That effort at home serves as a foundation for our leadership around the world. Because of the actions we're taking we came here to Copenhagen with an ambitious target to reduce our emissions. We agreed to join an international effort to provide financing to help developing countries, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, adapt to climate change. And we reaffirmed the necessity of listing our national actions and commitments in a transparent way.

These three components -- transparency, mitigation and finance -- form the basis of the common approach that the United States and our partners embraced here in Copenhagen. Throughout the day we worked with many countries to establish a new consensus around these three points, a consensus that will serve as a foundation for global action to confront the threat of climate change for years to come.

This success would have not been possible without the hard work of many countries and many leaders -- and I have to add that because of weather constraints in Washington I am leaving before the final vote, but we feel confident that we are moving in the direction of a significant accord.

In addition to our close allies who did so much to advance this effort, I worked throughout the day with Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, who was representing Africa, as well as Premier Wen of China, Prime Minister Singh of India, President Lula of Brazil, and President Zuma of South Africa, to achieve what I believe will be an important milestone.

Earlier this evening I had a meeting with the last four leaders I mentioned -- from China, India, Brazil, and South Africa. And that's where we agreed to list our national actions and commitments, to provide information on the implementation of these actions through national communications, with international consultations and analysis under clearly defined guidelines. We agreed to set a mitigation target to limit warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, and importantly, to take action to meet this objective consistent with science.

Taken together these actions will help us begin to meet our responsibilities to leave our children and our grandchildren a cleaner and safer planet.

Now, this progress did not come easily, and we know that this progress alone is not enough. Going forward, we're going to have to build on the momentum that we've established here in Copenhagen to ensure that international action to significantly reduce emissions is sustained and sufficient over time

Bill McKibben, American environmentalist and founder of 350.org , responds to Obama's press conference this evening:

"This is a declaration that small and poor countries don't matter, that international civil society doesn't matter, and that serious limits on carbon don't matter. The president has wrecked the UN and he's wrecked the possibility of a tough plan to control global warming. It may get Obama a reputation as a tough American leader, but it's at the expense of everything progressives have held dear. 189 countries have been left powerless, and the foxes now guard the carbon henhouse without any oversight."

Obama Proposes 3-Part Copenhagen 'Bottom Line' as Talks Reach Crisis Point:

"U.S. President Barack Obama called on the world today to adopt a three-part framework of mitigation, transparency and financing to unclog global climate change talks in Copenhagen. He warned in the summit's final hours that "our ability to take collective action is in doubt and hangs in the balance."

The plan offers "a clear formula — one that embraces the principle of common but differentiated responses and respective capabilities," Obama said, referring to a UN principle that developing nations frequently point to in calling for greater emissions cuts and concessions from developed nations.

"It adds up to a significant accord — one that takes us farther than we have ever gone before as an international community," Obama said. He called it America's "bottom line."

"We can embrace this accord, take a substantial step forward, and continue to refine it and build upon its foundation ... or we can again choose delay," he said.

The U.S. president's speech before almost 120 heads of state from nations around the world, while urging action, offered no promises of success out of Copenhagen, and he announced no new agreements.

On the final day of the two-week conference, the talks were in crisis, with the U.S. and China locked in a game of chicken over how and to what degree to hold each other accountable to commitments over financing and greenhouse gas cuts.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao did not attend a meeting Obama held with 18 world leaders this morning, sending Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei in his stead — an indication of just how deeply deadlocked, if not acrimonious, the talks between the two superpowers have become. The two leaders instead held a bilateral meeting..." see rest of article at the link.