Eyewitness in Bali: Bush delegation shamed into joining concensus

Although it's a little difficult from my current location to produce and move posts, this one is worth the extra effort.

David Sassoon sent this via email. His blog is Solve Climate and it's worth a good look around. His latest post is a chronicling of the events which led to the somewhat watered-down concensus reached by the G-77 at the Bali UN climate change conference. The whole post is a "must read" but this part stands out.

The headlines from Bali are reporting that agreement for a road map for future progress on climate action has been reached. What is not being reported is how the assembled nations of the world confronted the isolated Bush delegation and humbled it into agreement. [...]

And then it was the turn of the United States. Assistant Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, with only the absolute bare minimum of diplomatic language, stated flatly that the United States rejected the changes. It was not prepared to accept the G-77 text.

Then occurred one of the most remarkable sounds that has perhaps ever been heard in the annals of international diplomacy--like a collective global groan--descending then to a murmer, then increasing in volume to a full-throated expression of rage and anger and booing and jeering, lasting for a full minute, so that finally the Minister had to call the meeting back to order.

The assembled nations of the world, without the benefit of the once stalwart "honest broker" from North America, lashed out at the United States with full venom. They dropped the diplomatic gloves and called the U.S. position "unwelcome", "without basis" and told the U.S. "if you're not willing to lead, please get out of the way."

In short, the world is prepared to do whatever the collective nations assembled can and the U.S. can go to hell. Take your Canadian flunky with you.

Then the U.S. suddenly changed it's position and accepted the G-77 text. They had to be booed into it.

Read more...

Blogging Bali and Baird's ballyhoo

Local eco-activist Tzeporah Berman blogs the Bali conference and spars with Minister Baird over a beer. Some quick quotes :

"Shall we hold off having democratic elections until China does as well?"

"Tomorrow we'll be doing a press conference and panel discussion on Canada's forests here at Bali. There is a lot of discussion here about tropical forests but few people know that Canada's forests store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem or that our logging contributes as much greenhouse gas emissions as all the cars on the road."

"It turns out that there is one thing to admire about Baird. His chutzpa. With full recognition of how disgusted some of the most committed and informed people from around the world are at him, he waltzed into the non-governmental groups' reception and had a beer. Obviously I couldn't pass up the moment. After debating the issues with him for half an hour I can safely say that the chutzpa is all I found to admire and unfortunately that alone is not enough to make a great leader. We live in a time that calls for courageous and thoughtful leadership. Talking to Minister Baird tonight was a little like debating Bill O'Reilly. You have to be quick and he is clever but he doesn't listen for a second and he is more interested in scoring points than actually leading."

Continue reading at Berman's blog or The Tyee

Cross-posted at Creekside

harperco: Learning From the Best . . . .

From McClatchy Newspapers today:

'Ya gotta give stevie, john baird and company credit.

Their stance in Bali comes naturally as they follow in bushco's dirty footsteps:

Democrats accuse White House of cooking climate-change testimony

By Erika Bolstad and Lesley Clark | McClatchy Newspapers



WASHINGTON — The White House censored climate scientists and edited their testimony on global warming before Congress, Democrats charged Monday after a 16-month investigation into allegations of political interference with scientific inquiries.

The Bush administration was "particularly active in stifling discussions" of a potential link between climate change and the intensity of hurricanes, according to the findings in a draft report issued Monday by Democrats on the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

_______________


The report also charges that the administration has engaged in a "systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warning."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino called the report "rehashed rhetoric" and said that the Bush administration understands the "urgent challenge that is posed by climate change," a term the White House prefers to "global warming" because it doesn't suggest that human activity is responsible.

Perino said she was unaware of any attempts to downplay any scientific information that conflicted with the White House's politics.

_______________


The report also singles out an e-mail sent by a Commerce committee staffer for Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who oversaw NOAA's climate research when he chaired the committee.

The e-mail came from Tom Jones, who worked on the Disaster Prediction and Prevention subcommittee, then chaired by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.

In an e-mail to Noel Turner, a NOAA staffer who was writing a statement for former National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield's upcoming committee testimony, Jones suggested that the hearing be used to discredit any link between hurricanes and global warming.

"We're going to work on smacking the s(ASTERISK)(ASTERISK)(ASTERISK) out of this issue," he wrote.

In his e-mail, Jones urged NOAA staffers to write phrases for Mayfield such as, "The individuals who are implying that Katrina has something to do with global warming are just plain wrong. They don't understand the science, and they're shamelessly trying to make political hay out of a national tragedy."

_______________

Well, who would have thought it?

bushco does have a legacy after all . . . .

(Cross-posted from Moving to Vancouver)

Baird on the world stage with his head firmly up his ass.

Steve V puts the only label applicable to Canadian Environment Minister John Baird's latest little announcement. Damage Control.

Canada's environment minister has announced money to help communities deal with the effects of climate change.

Environment Minister John Baird has used a U-N climate-change conference as the backdrop for his announcement of 85.9 (m) million dollars over four years.

That would be the sideshow of Harper's so-called world stage, where he has incurred the wrath of the world for an intransigent act of denial of the facts.

What's even worse is that these guys seem to think Canadians have no memory beyond the last time the beer bottles were recycled.

The plan replaces one the Conservatives killed after they took office.

[...]

He brushed off the criticism and said he didn't come to Bali to play politics.

Which is unmitigated bullshit. First is the fact that, after watching polls, Baird realized Canadians aren't terribly happy with the international reputation the Conservatives are building for Canada and regurgitated a program they trashed. Add the fact that this announcement has no international interest whatsoever but was made from an international conference says one thing: Baird is playing politics.

And he's not even good at it.

Baird appeared caught off-guard when asked how the program will differ from the one his government killed.

He said he'd check the details.

I have a better idea for Baird. Don't bother. We can do that for you and not have to listen to the lies.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Baird, who broke a long standing tradition of allowing opposition critics to accompany ministers to international conferences, has decided to fly the true colours of the Conservative Party. I know that Baird is an asshole, but this is little more than him thumbing his nose at Canadians.

After banishing environmentalists and opposition MPs from Canada's delegation to the Bali climate conference, Ottawa has decided to allow an oil company and several business executives to join the official delegation.

Two companies from Ottawa, where Environment Minister John Baird is an MP, have been allowed to join Canada's official delegation to the climate-change conference, according to documents obtained by The Globe and Mail.

A major oil and gas producer, EnCana Corp. of Calgary, was also permitted to join the delegation.

Isn't that special. They're not even trying to hide it anymore.

Among those included on the Canadian delegation are four executives of Iogen Corp., a biotechnology company that produces cellulose ethanol, and PlascoEnergy Group Inc., a waste conversion company.

Both are based in Ottawa, and both have received substantial federal money. Iogen was given $7.7-million by the federal government last February, while Plasco has received $6.5-million from the federal government.

So, the way this little enterprize works is that you set up a company, get Conservative corporate welfare, and...

By joining the official Canadian delegation, the companies will gain a series of privileges, including access to government briefings and closed-door sessions at the Bali conference.

A nice cozy little arrangement fit only for Conservative Party supporters.

Something to keep an eye on: Who paid to have these corporations accompany Baird to an international conference he clearly intended to de-rail?

Baird should take a look down for a moment. That world stage he's standing on is made of rotting planks.

Required reading:

Far and Wide

Big City Lib

Scott's Diatribes (particularly the footnote)

CUJO goes to Bali

At Kyoto talks in Bali during which China is talking for the first time about "commitments", the new Canada, US, and Japan org, henceforth to be known as CUJO for short, could certainly use a little branding help to clarify their crappy bad boys spoilers rep on the world stage. And a dangerous rabid dog seems about right.

"In the most contentious move of the conference so far, Japan insisted it is “essential” for the world to “move beyond the Kyoto Protocol.” Just a few minutes later, in what appeared to be a prearranged move, Canada threw its weight behind the Japanese position, lending crucial support to Washington's refusal to sign the Kyoto treaty."

U.S.: the next climate agreement must be “economically sustainable” and must promote economic growth for people and nations “everywhere.”
Japan : there must be “compatibility” between environmental protection and economic growth.
Canada : there must be a “balance” between the environment and “economic prosperity.”

Synchronicity!
None of the three mentioned binding commitments or mandatory targets for reducing greenhouse gases or short-term targets for an agreement to replace Kyoto when it expires in 2012.
And yet, most amusingly, despite Canada's assertion that there must be a 'balance' between the environment and 'economic prosperity', the G&M reports that "Canada is not sending any ministers to the meetings of trade and finance ministers at Bali."
Apparently although we place the highest priority on an economically sustainable environment treaty, somehow we just don't feel like talking about it to anyone else right now.

Hopefully The Yes Men will yet make an appearance on our behalf.

Cross-posted at Creekside