UN climate farce draws to inconclusion

During the last two weeks, Qatar has been even more full of hot air than usual as the natural gas superpower (and highest per-capita emitter of carbon) hosted the United Nations “Doha Conference on Climate Change”.

Negotiators from nearly 200 countries jetted to the ultra-rich Middle Eastern city state to do precisely nothing to prevent runaway climate change. Delegates noted that a 2 degree rise in global temperatures was inevitable, and beyond we're facing a world that's 4 degrees warmer in the not-too-distant future. Dangerous warming effects could include flooding of coastal cities and island nations, disruptions to agriculture and drinking water, and the spread of diseases, oh, and the extinction of humanity. The overwhelming majority of climate scientists say human activity is to blame.

On Saturday (1st) hundreds of people held a climate demo. Demos of any sort are highly unusual in the filthy rich absolutist monarchy; the green march was the first ever of its kind. Banners were held up saying “Stop climate change” and “Arabs reduce emissions” on a walkway lined by skyscrapers.

Not that the self-appointed 'representatives' at Doha have shown any interest in popular opinion. The ongoing débâcle has meant the plans for creating a new global climate treaty by 2009 got rescheduled for 2015. Basically don't hold your breath.