It’s been a few weeks since the U.N.’s Paris Climate Conference (COP21) ended. Mainstream media from around the globe praised the impotent agreement, as though anyone expects political promises to be kept. The COP21 agreement reminded me of the proverb A promise is a comfort for a fool.
Fantasy headlines read:
- This is the end of fossil fuels (CNN)
- Historic Paris climate pact puts world on green path (TheHindu)
- COP21 Delegates vote to adopt historic deal (EuroNews)
- COP21: President Obama celebrates Paris deal that ‘transformed the US’ (Independent)
There are many more.
But one headline made me laugh out loud. It still makes me smile. It was penned by none other than SkepticalScience’s Dana Nuccitelli, whose article was posted at his home blog SkepticalScience and at TheGuardian two weeks ago. His headline read:
The Paris agreement signals that deniers have lost the climate wars
Mr. Nuccitelli needs to ask himself why the U.N.’s climate agreement is non-binding…why the “shalls” were replaced with “shoulds”…why the teeth of the agreement were extracted…why commitments became empty promises. (See proverb above.) Answer: Republican members of congress—who Mr. Nuccitelli would most assuredly classify as deniers—would never have ratified an agreement that actually commits the United States to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
I have yet to find another post-COP21 headline that made me laugh as hard, though the Independent’s “COP21: President Obama celebrates Paris deal that ‘transformed the US’” came in a close second.
Bob Tisdale - Climate Observations 
Thanks, Bob. I needed a laugh!
I realize Dana needs to pander to his followers, but that “denier” insult sure makes him lose credibility. I prefer “individuals who refuse to accept my preferred climate sensitivity to CO2 atmospheric concentration”.
The title should be changed to “The Paris agreement signals that individuals who refuse to accept my preferred climate sensitivity to CO2 atmospheric concentration have lost the war over the climate sensitivity parameter”.
Bob,
I am a bit worried that COP21 was a headfake.
The real treaty is the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement which has Republican support and can not be modified by Congress thanks to TPA. They just released the 5,544-page text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership The agreement involving 12 countries comprises nearly 40 percent of global economic output.
Unlike some other treaties the TPP has enforcement. Worse, as can be seen if you read between the lines it has ENFORCEMENT FOR OTHER TREATIES! The Groniad says this about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement:
a href=” https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2015/october/summary-trans-pacific-partnership“>Synopsis FROM THE US GOVERNMENT
It had this nasty surprise:
THE TEETH
Bob,
I am a bit worried that COP21 was a headfake.
The real treaty is the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement which has Republican support and can not be modified by Congress thanks to TPA. They just released the 5,544-page text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership The agreement involving 12 countries comprises nearly 40 percent of global economic output.
Unlike some other treaties the TPP has enforcement. Worse, as can be seen if you read between the lines it has ENFORCEMENT FOR OTHER TREATIES! The Groniad says this about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement:
Bob,
I am a bit worried that COP21 was a headfake.
The real treaty is the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement which has Republican support and can not be modified by Congress thanks to TPA. They just released the 5,544-page text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership The agreement involving 12 countries comprises nearly 40 percent of global economic output.
Synopsis FROM THE US GOVERNMENT
Unlike some other treaties the TPP has enforcement. Worse, as can be seen if you read between the lines it has ENFORCEMENT FOR OTHER TREATIES! The Groniad says this about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement:
QUOTE
Leading arbitration lawyer, George Kahale (chairman of Curtis, Mallet-Provost, Colt & Mosie LLP, an international law firm) says there are critical loopholes in the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s investment chapter that leave Australia wide open:
….an MFN clause is tantamount to a classic wipeout move. It would enable foreign corporations from TPP states to make a claim against Australia based on the ISDS provisions in any other trade deal Australia has signed, no matter which country it was signed with. That means it does not matter how carefully the TPP is drafted: foreign investors can cherrypick another treaty Australia has signed, and sue the Australian government based on the provisions included in that treaty…..”
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/10/tpps-clauses-that-let-australia-be-sued-are-weapons-of-legal-destruction-says-lawyer UNQUOTE
I can not post what I want. (WordPress boots the comment)
So I suggest everyone look at Trans-Pacific Partnership. It is the REAL climate treaty and has enforcement
Gail, thank you for the intro to the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
BTW, there wasn’t a problem with WordPress. I moderate all comments here. It appears there are two similar comments awaiting moderation. Should I delete them?
Bob, please delete. I was just trying to post the first post information in different ways.
You called him “Mr” when his tile is “Dr”. I think this demeans Dr Nuticelli.
Frederick, according to Dana’s bio a SkepticalScience, MR. Nuccitelli has a Masters, no PhD.
Adios.
Well Gail, it looks to me that all of those bozo’s who have invested in Greenco will find their investments secure and recoverable. TTP is designed to give advantage to one narrow group and that group comprises friends of Obama and Greenco is their umbrella.
According to Dr. Marlo Lewis, on December 27, 2015:
“Dismissing the Paris Climate Agreement as a paper tiger because America’s emission-reduction and foreign-aid commitments are not “legally binding” is whistling past the graveyard. The Paris agreement is first and foremost a device for mobilizing political pressure against U.S. opponents of President Obama’s climate policies. Those would be Republicans and their fossil-fuel industry allies.”
See “Paris Agreement Is a Real Tiger: Lock and Load”, at http://www.globalwarming.org/2015/12/27/paris-agreement-is-a-real-tiger-lock-and-load/?utm_source=Cornwall+Alliance+Newsletter&utm_campaign=52245ed7c4-Never_Underestimate_Your_Opponent12_30_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b80dc8f2de-52245ed7c4-153380749