Deal in Durban - Day 8

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By John Streicker on 11 December 2011 - 12:37am

I and a couple thousand others just pulled an all-nighter here in Durban. We have a deal.

The deal is that we now have a follow up to the Kyoto Protocol. There are some things that are good about it... It starts right away - at the beginning of 2013 when the first phase of Kyoto is done. It runs for 5 years or maybe 7 years - that did not get worked out yet.

There was a lot of negotiation about whether or not it would be legally binding. Everyone understood that legally binding is important, but the risk, especially for the developing countries is that legally binding might impose too much of the burden on the poorer countries which have contributed much less to emissions.

The compromise language means that we won’t have certainty. What we do have certainty is that Canada and the US are not contributing to the solution. It was really the EU which led the charge and made new commitments. India, China, South Africa and Brazil contributed more to the negotiations than Canada did.

In the 8 hours of the pajama-party Durban negotiations, Canada did not speak once.

Outside of Canada and the US, the rest of the world sees a real urgency in shifting the energy economy. EU led the charge here in Durban. India and China came on board. Canada and the US did not. So here is my overall wrap:

Durban was a lot of work and in the end took a significant step forward on climate change although it left many things unanswered. Canada took some deserved heat from youth, India and Colossal Fossil. Pulling out of Kyoto was/is a specter for Canada and is a step in the wrong direction.

Thanks Durban, good luck world, get with it Canada.

Yours, a north by northwest scientist / politician reporting from the south by southeast

John Streicker

ps Durban has been lovely, but these annual gigantic chaotic meetings just do not seem sustainable.

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thanks John,

Submitted by David Lee Wilson on 11 December 2011 - 4:44am.

well, at least you do not go on about 'hope' - I can't make it out (and I thought I was following closely), if what credible people like Jim Hansen and others are saying about having to level off emissions by 2015 is true, then I would say, based upon what little I understand of the jigs and reels in Durban, that we will not do it and that we are cooked

and the bureaucrats/diplomats/politicians have done just enough to justify their continued salaries and a front row seat at the apocalypse from a $1000-a-night resort in the Maldives, or Phuket, or wherever they go these days, I only wish I were one of 'em :-)

I thank you for your coverage, I can see that you made a real effort - this became the first place I looked

be well.

ps - I have posted something here: http://whoami-whoareyou.blogspot.com/2011/12/mauer-im-kopf.html and if you looked at it and said anything whatsoever to me about it (however rude) I would be eternally grateful, would make a big contribution, whatever ...

Big thank you

Submitted by Johannes Hamels on 11 December 2011 - 11:19am.

Hi John,

I want to thank you and Elizabeht for your strong efforts in Durban. Yes, the outcome is not a firm roadpath to tackling the climate change causes. At least it is a small step on the path of mitigation for developing nations.

Great you both were there to support the Canadian youth who stood up for the majority of Canadians who want to "walk with the world".

Thank you for your continious reports and communications with the media and us.

Have a save travel back to the your "north by northwest"

Johan

 

Johan Hamels