Just back from a special 1.5 hour debrief with the head negotiator for Canada's delegation again. This was an extra lengthy session to update us on where Prentice may be headed in negotiations next week. I liken it to this analogy:
If one were to give the Canadian negotiators a small plant to keep alive for one year, this would be the small plants' fate. First, Canada would burn the plant to see how much emissions it could potentially emit and sequester. Then, they would write a wordy, but completely vague report on the outcomes, analyzing means by which this could contribute 'meaningfully' to Canada's climate change plans. Following the report, they would use an international forum to "constructively discuss" how these results may be considered under national circumstances to help them wiggle out of taking on further committments under any climate change agreement. This would go on for many months, and there would likely involve further tests and further discussions, but in the end, Canada would wait to see how the US's little plant fared, and what proposal they put down before laying any concrete proposal on the table themselves. Meanwhile, Canada's little plant didn't last more than a few days. Does this make them monsters?
This is basically how the negotiations are going here in Poland. Lots of talk, lots of vague roundabout answers, lots of discussion, little action, no committments, no ambition. Russia and Japan love it. Countries that are underwater already, or soon-to-be, are less than thrilled. Canadian youth are becoming increasingly frustrated and discouraged. But we're not giving up. Pizza and Policy tonight should yeild some new enforced strategies for upping the ante in the coming week.
No comments:
Post a Comment