Although “climate” is generally associated with periods of at least three decades, less than one and one-half decades following mid-1970s “scientific” predictions that the next Ice Age was rapidly approaching, the media trumpeted a new and opposite alarm…a man-made global warming crisis.
Today’s Brussels news consists of the regular traffic jam, especially at Place Luxembourg, because of another tractor manifestation by European farmers.
Really not news. Rather regular, by an interest group worried that the current budget process wont allow for the continuation of the economically, environmentally and inhumane Common Agricultural Policy, already accounting for close to half the budget.
The party season has started. In about a month, Rio will be crowded by politicians and hooligans for the mega environmental gathering, but allready next week, good old Hotel Maritim in Bonn will fill up with the usual bunch for yet another climate conference. Nothing wrong with Bonn, or Maritim for that matter, but don’t [...]
by Einar Du Rietz The heroic boy scouts collected money, went to a village in deepest Africa and helped develop a well. A few month later, excessive use had dried it up and the final result was an extension of the desert. Examples of unintended consequences (and sometimes plain stupidity) in development aid are numerous, some [...]
by Einar Du Rietz Denmark, taking over the rotating EU presidency has outlined its priorities for the next half year. Not surprising, really, but still awkward. Reports Euractiv: “Environment Minister Ida Auken called for making energy efficiency legally binding, dismissing concerns that weak economies and the eurozone debt crisis would trump the environment in EU policy [...]
by Einar Du Rietz Wiser from the Copenhagen hysteria, all sides – except President Zuma, who is forced to show some enthusiasm, and in a way The Holy Father, who wants a “credible” outcome (nothing wrong with credibility) - seem to agree that COP17 in Durban wont accomplish anything. As for me, I’m content with that, but [...]
by Einar Du Rietz Finally the trial against the hooligans posing a security threat to the Queen of Denmark during the Copenhagen conference is starting. Naturally, Greenpeace is doing it’s best to ridicule the process, pointing out that “the eleven are also facing the obscure charge of having committed an offence against Denmark’s Queen.” , “… [...]
When I was a kid, we were told that pollution was the worst threat to the world. This pollution was also supposed to be caused by greedy capitalists. The absolute environmental catastrophes behind the iron curtain were yet to be witnessed. And all resources would end. According to the figures I was taught in school [...]
The United States must learn from Europe’s mistakes – not repeat them ROGER HELMER, MEP Senator Harry Reid has repeatedly denounced opposition to carbon trading as “dangerous.” Senator Reid is wrong. It is the House and Senate climate and renewable energy bills that are dangerous. Fortunately, the recent elections and the ongoing dissension at the [...]
by Einar Du Rietz That the activities behind the scenes before, during and after last year’s circus in Copenhagen were everything from strange to dirty is no surprise. For example, CFACT Europe, together with the paper Berlingske Tiderne in Denmark, discovered the sudden shift in the official Danish attitude towards Dalai Lama, an apparent effort to offer [...]
by Einar Du Rietz At the recent preparatory conference in Bonn, a gentleman asked me after a short discussion if this was “all about money”. To some extent I’m beginning to feel that he pin pointed the entire circus. COP 16 is kicking off in Cancun, and it’s amazing to read all the commentaries having [...]
by Einar Du Rietz How can we ever forget the Climate-gate scandal that erupted right in time for the Copenhagen debacle. Or fail to note that, interestingly enough, some of the more stunning revelations – Holland-gate etc – were made just after the conference. Now, during the count down for Cancun, it’s worth the effort to [...]
by Einar Du Rietz According to reports from the recent preparatory climate conference in China, the so called world leaders – most eager to show off in Copenhagen a year ago – are trying to avoid even showing up for the conference in Cancun, instead commissioning their ministers for environment to take the embarrassment. One enlightning [...]
by Einar Du Rietz The – most likely – last preparatory conference before Cancun kicks off today in China. The fact that the debate has changed quite substantially during the past year, that the IPCC’s credibility is at an all time low, that more and more scientists have started questioning the validity of the entire [...]
By Patrick Henningsen 21st Century Wire Sept 30, 2010 The UK’s leading scientific body has decided to rewrite its own definitive guide on climate change, now admitting that it is “not known” how much warmer the planet will become. The Royal Society has released a new guide which outlines its retreat from its former vanguard [...]
Einar Du Rietz takes a look at one of the world’s ongoing election campaigns Sweden: Tomorrow, Sunday, it’s time for general election in my country of birth. Though I somehow feel that the simultaneous process in Kabul would be more important, it’s hard not to follow the debate. If it is a debate. Customary televised [...]
by Einar Du Rietz …or maybe don’t. As fun as you can have, in the company of all sorts of people, there is something depressing over these climate conferences. Delegates looking serious while spending other people’s money on down-right dangerous schemes, young people, who ought to be either in school, or out partying, or protesting [...]
by Einar Du Rietz “Assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups”, my former colleague, the environmental affairs director, liked to quote his favourite actor Steven Seagal as saying. It could be read as an argument for the precautionary principle of course, but it could also be interpreted as an argument for precaution against political action. There’s [...]
by Edgar L. Gärtner There were no significant steps taken toward a new global waming treaty at the April meeting in the Bonn Maritim Hotel of two ad hoc working groups of the UNFCCC parties. The official purpose of the conference was for the industrialized nations to negotiate additional obligations on the carbon dioxide reductions [...]
by Einar Du Rietz, Bonn It certainly is more solemn here, than in Copenhagen, as most people as this conference persist in pointing out. I’m not complaining, and neither is the local community which this time seems to be spared from closed off traffic and broken glass. The latter is instead provided by some of [...]