[Chris Hanson]

As the world watches or ignores the deliberations in Copenhagen this week, I'd like to ask: what is your country's stance on climate change? Is there any significant debate about it? Does it seem to matter?

Here in Australia, just last week, the Federal Opposition (the Liberal/National coalition that were voted out two years ago) has changed its leadership and policy because of this issue, moving to a very conservative position. It's a contentious matter here: the Labor Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, wanted Australia to lead the world in legislating for an Emissions Trading Scheme (Cap-and-trade, I think it's called in some countries). He almost had the opposition on side until the new Liberal leader, Tony Abbott, declared that he would oppose the scheme. It failed to get through the Parliament as a result.
It is likely to be the core issue at the 2010 federal election, due around October-November.

Anyway, that's a summary of our recent story. Yours?

Do you personally think there's anything much to come out of Copenhagen?

[Gail White]

Opinion in the US is strongly divided, Chris, with a large contingent of people, mostly Republicans, who believe climate change is a myth and that the whole thing will go away, like cholesterol and other silly notions. As with most issues of any importance, our government is in a state of gridlock on this.

My answer to your last question is No.

[Patti McCarty]

Never mind.

[Patti McCarty]

Chris, I answered this last night but was still in the throes of a knee-jerk reaction, so I removed it pretty much right after I posted it.

I've learned personally (thanks in large part to the Sphere) to hold loosely to my own opinions as they can and do change and that often is a good thing, something which usually happens as a result of gaining more knowledge. I also think that each person's opinions/beliefs, however silly their notions may appear to me or others, are their “pearls”, and that they should be treated with care and respect, regardless of whether they line up with mine or not.

Regarding this issue, I have learned a lot from following Alan Sullivan's blog. While I wouldn't go so far as to say climate change is a myth, I do not believe it is everything it's been piped up to be, either. Cap and trade would be disastrous. The effects of decisions which are now being made will have repercussions for years. But the government thinks it can spend its way out of anything. I disagree.

I suppose it's a lot like a cholesterol problem. Your doctor can tell you that you've got a problem and something needs to be done. He can offer you a prescription for Lipitor or maybe even some new med and you can take it and watch your numbers drop without changing your lifestyle and think that you are healthy because of some numbers on a piece of paper. Or you can decide to make wise choices with regard to diet as well as begin an exercise regimen to lose some excess weight. It is so like America to want to take a pill to deal with symptoms and not address the root cause of problems. The thing is, Lipitor isn't working, and we've had some serious angina. Many thought last year's financial meltdown was “the big one”, but it's not. We still have that to look forward to.

But that's just my opinion, and I hope that I am wrong on this one.

Patti

[John Whitworth]

Nope. Not a bloody thing. Nobody here gives a fart what Gordon Brown says about anything. he's a loser and probably delusional. Those emails didn't help either. Now when somebody says he's a scientist it's like he's saying he's a politician. Nobody believes a word he says. I speak of people over forty. The young want to do everything green except turn the lights off in thei bedrooms when they go out.

[David Landrum]

Copenhagen inevitably reminds me of a brand of snuff my grandparents both used to dip.

I think the conference is good because it is bringing the arguments out into the open for both sides. A substantial segment of the scientific community has put its imprimitur on a certain explanation of climate change and does not want to discuss the issue. They are rather like the medieval church: what they say is authoritative, and anyone who disputes them will be branded a heretic. To them, there is no debate. The e-mails that became public knowledge do not decisively prove anything, but they should alert the public to the fact that the scientific community has a big stake in convincing people global warming is caused by emissions and perhaps should be questioned on the whole matter; or that dissenting voices on the causes of climate change (and they do exist) should be heard and not hooted down.

Perhaps the conference will open up debate, which would be a good thing.

dwl

[David Landrum]

Copenhagen was also the setting for one of the cheesiest sci-fi/horror films ever made, Reptilicus.

[John Whitworth]

Copenhagen is where Danny Kaye lives. Everybody knows that.

[Gregory Dowling]

I've just read in a review of a new biography of Dennis Wheatley (people do write the strangest things) that he has a novel in which Copenhagen figures as the capital of Sweden.

[Chris Hanson]

China and India, combined, have about 37% of the world's population. There is no way they are going to stop in their quest to have the goodies that the west has enjoyed for so long. Who could blame them for seeking prosperity?
Any agreement will have so many strings, caveats and sweeteners attached that it will be almost meaningless.
It will be good for employment, though: a whole, gigantic bureaucracy is going to spring forth from all this.