Some fifteen thousand people (including two from Oil Change) are in Bali for the annual two week UN Conference on climate change. This year’s meeting is the largest ever.
It also seen as the most important in years as delegates are under pressure to deliver a new post-Kyoto global agreement on how to cut rising greenhouse emissions beyond 2012. Depending on what happens over the next two weeks, it will either be seen as an historic meeting, or a useless talking shop of hot air.
UNFCCC Executive Director Yvo de Boer urged the international community to use the summit to take “concrete steps” towards curbing climate change.

“We urgently need to take increased action, given climate change predictions and the corresponding global adaptation needs,” he said in his welcome message to delegates. “In the context of climate change, projections of economic growth and increases in energy demand over the next 20 years, especially in developing countries, point to the urgent need to green these trends.”

Crucial to success is still America with the US still campaigning hard against the mandatory emissions cuts that scientists agree will be necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change.

US President George Bush – who favours voluntary mandatory targets – issued a statement saying that the nation’s emissions had fallen by 1.5% in 2006 from levels in 2005.

Bush – a dinosaur until the end – used the reduction as an endorsement of his climate policy, saying: “Our guiding principle is clear: we must lead the world to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions ..[but] must do it in a way that does not undermine economic growth or prevent nations from delivering greater prosperity for their people.”

He still doesn’t get it does he? Unless there are mandatory targets long term prosperity for everyone looks bleak. Didn’t he read the Stern report? His head is firmly stuffed somewhere where he can ‘t see what is happening around him…