Copenhagen Climate Change Meeting

[Michael]

So, is anyone here following the big climate-change meeting in Copenhagen?

Apparently things aren't going so well over there... (that's an understatement!).

(and I'm not seeing anything on this in US-based blogs)

[dilettante]

So, is anyone here following the big climate-change meeting in Copenhagen?

Apparently things aren't going so well over there... (that's an understatement!).

(and I'm not seeing anything on this in US-based blogs)

I don't read many blogs, but its been at the top of Google News for a while now, so I assume people (at least around here) are keeping tabs on it.

It seemed like a given from the very beginning that no one was going to walk away from Copenhagen really pleased with the result. I'm curious to hear more about the $100B figure Clinton was talking about. Of course it might be moot since, at the moment, it looks like China is going to be the one playing spoiler this time around.

[Michael]

So far, the most interesting development was the PR stunt pulled by the "Yes Men" on the Canadian Government delgation.

Apparently Canada's tarsands development has been a major focus of protesters over there (no surprise that).

Basically Harper and Prentice got punked. Looks good on them. Very professionally done. :rofl:

:hatoff: to the Yes Men!

[Donkey]

Seems like a big clusterfuck to me.

[Michael]

Seems like a big clusterfuck to me.

Really? Why so?

Looks more like a big talking shop to me (which means that it is harmless).

[Zarquon]

India and China are stalling because rich countries won't pay them to buy green technology, and some $145 billion were promised to African nations by the EU, and Asia wants some money too.
I think, China, of all countries has no business calling any country irresponsible(biggest CO2 emitter and polluter in the world); and overpopulated countries like India shouldn't get away with nonsense like we have low per-capita emissions! Of course you do, with a billion fucking people and what not. India's one of the top ten polluters on net basis, and only that basis should be used for assigning responsibility.

[SMadsen]

I keep up .. with the massive presence of police and guests and what not. But that's because it's my home town. I live in the midst of it. As for the actual issue, well, I don't care much. Is that wrong?

[Michael]

I keep up .. with the massive presence of police and guests and what not. But that's because it's my home town. I live in the midst of it. As for the actual issue, well, I don't care much. Is that wrong?
Wrong? Hardly. You are entitled to care about what you please - and not care about what you please. That's liberty (or freedom of conscience if you prefer).

That being said, it has been noted that age is a huge factor in this debate. Those people who are older generally speaking will (likely) never really be affected much by global warming and the statistics show that global warming skepticsm does correlate closely with age (go figure) with the vast majority of 'global warming skeptics' being over age 50.

I personally find it very difficult to be interested in this topic since the issue just doesn't interest me very much. I know the issue is important, I just don't find it very interesting (and most of the data and the varioius proposed solutions are all depressing or boring). And without having a PhD in climate science, I don't find it easy to figure anything out here. I'm stuck taking people's word for the data and I don't like that since it is all just hearsy.

[Americano]

I'm one of the over 50 people who could care less. It's much like politics in that all I can do is keep track of it for purposes of self-preservation.

I am glad I'm rural enough to not be concerned with the civil disturbance provoked by such events.

[Michael]

I'm one of the over 50 people who could care less.
Pardon my pedantry, but I suspect you couldn't care much less than you do.

If you "could care less" that implies that you actually do care now. :lol:

(it is one of my pet peeves of American slang)

[Americano]

Pardon my pedantry, but I suspect you couldn't care much less than you do.

If you "could care less" that implies that you actually do care now. :lol:

(it is one of my pet peeves of American slang)

That's minor compared to getting past 'didn't done it' and other gems of a Southern linguistic heritage.

[Donkey]

Didn't done it?

A small part of me done died.

[Americano]

Didn't done it?

A small part of me done died.

The growing up vernacular was easy to avoid (that my mother wasn't a Southerner and parents could still threaten children with capital punishment in my era made it work). The accent took some effort to shed but once I got out in the world, met people from other parts of the US and listened to them I knew I had an easy road. The ability to use that dialect at will did provide some advantages over the years.

My wife still laughs when I use the word tiger and says see, you'll never lose all of Texas.

[Michael]

The wags are calling it "Flopenhagen".

That seems to sum up the conference and its goals.

[Zarquon]

The wags are calling it "Flopenhagen".

That seems to sum up the conference and its goals.
Expected as much; American's being 'reasonable' by being unreasonable, and BASIC countries playing hardball.

[The Drunk Guy]

Source (http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/record_snow_totals_for_d.c._kaine_calls_up_natl_gu ard/49054/)
Baltimore and Washington, D.C., have both hit record snowfall totals for the month of December. Global warming my ass. Where do these "scientists" get off?

[Americano]

Source (http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/record_snow_totals_for_d.c._kaine_calls_up_natl_gu ard/49054/)
Global warming my ass. Where do these "scientists" get off?

Kentucky doesn't have any coastline to worry about rising oceans, so your only concern would be Texas sucking up all your ground water.