Nopenhagen: China Says No Chance of Accord

Yes, I am currently praising Russians for hacking and leaking files that prove Anglo-American lies, and China for refusing to sign agreements with us.

Oh, and also France, for defending capitalism against socialist assault.

China has told participants in the UN climate change talks that it sees no possibility of achieving an operational accord this week, an official involved in the Copenhagen talks says.

...

The official, who asked not to be identified, says China is instead suggesting issuing "a short political declaration of some sort", but it is not clear what that will say.

My suggestion: "Global warming is so bad bad bad bad we really have to sit down and think about how bad bad bad bad bad it is, at least for a good five or six years."

...

Earlier Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was possible that there would be progress on other issues such as emission cuts during the next day or so.

"I have a sense that as more heads of government arrive here in Copenhagen, that we will make some more progress. But can I just say, as I said yesterday, success at this Copenhagen conference is by no means guaranteed," he said.

That's what I've generally found in my short career in politics -- the more parties you have at the table, the easier it is to reach fundamental agreement on important issues. (The politics of website management I mean -- no, I'm sure not runnin' for nothin'.)

Yup, that is what I've found.

Meanwhile US President Barack Obama has called for an "operational accord" - essentially a political agreement with teeth that can get countries working to cut or curb their greenhouse gas emissions while a more formal and binding treaty is hammered out in 2010.

"Agreement with teeth." But not an actual "formal and binding treaty."

I have usually thought a treaty or contract was, in fact, an "agreement with teeth," and anything short of that was "just horeshittin' around," but I see now Captain Wonderful has discovered a non-binding binding non-treaty treaty.

It Is With Minimum Regret... that I recommend this piece by Rand Simberg on risk vs. uncertainty and cost vs. regret.

posted by Ace at 03:35 AM

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