The UN Climate Change Program Is Dying

We now have a report on the latest UN meeting at Durban concerning climate change. Cheryl Hogue reports in the December 19 issue of Chemical and Engineering News.

The so-called "big change" is that greenhouse gas emissions, say carbon dioxide, will no longer be limited to industrialized countries as required by the original Kyoto Accord. It will now include all major CO2 emitters.

I don't see the difference. The concentration seems to be on China, which is a major emitter, because of its size, but it is also an industrialized country. If you don't believe that, check various retail stores for goods made in China.

Democratic Sen. Kerry says the US will lose now lose its long-held position that it will not abide by the Kyoto Accord, because China does not. Kerry seems to have the presumption that China will now be in agreement, which is not necessarily fact.

The original Kyoto Accord involved two stages of CO2 emission reductions. Canada, Japan, and Russia were part of the Kyoto Protocol, but they have now announced that they will not sign up for the second round of CO2 emission reductions. In addition, Canada announced that it is withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol completely. It is said that Canada has done little to cut its CO2 emissions and may be susceptible to a fine. I say "hooray" for Canada. They should not be cutting CO2 emissions, but rather using all forms of energy in order to aid in developing an improved way of life for its citizens. It would be silly of Canada to actually pay any fine that might be placed on it.

Frank Maisano, an energy specialist representing utilities and refineries has said that path to a treaty established in Durban will be meaningless and nobody will follow through on it. I strongly hope this prediction will come true.

Let us remember that CO2 does no harm in the atmosphere with respect to any climate change. The whole idea of CO2 emission control is a political maneuver to equalize worldwide financial assets, through a tax program called Cap & Trade.