Climate Summit’s U-Turn – From Heroic Vows to Muffled Whispers
In a performance worthy of the finest comedians, the COP28 climate summit has managed to turn its bold proclamation of ending fossil fuels into a farcical retreat. Politico’s recent article, dated December 11, 2023, paints a vivid picture of this tragicomic scene.
Dramatic U-Turn in the Land of Oil
The article begins with a dramatic setting: the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, where the once-loud calls for a fossil fuel phaseout have been reduced to mere whispers of ‘reducing’ them. This grandiose plan, initially supported by environmental groups and certain nations, has fizzled out, much to the chagrin of activists and self-proclaimed environmental saviors. As Politico puts it,
“The prospect of a deal to end fossil fuels faded…when organizers…released a draft proposal that merely suggested reducing them instead.”
A Chorus of Discontent
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, in a statement that reeks of hyperbole, declares, “COP28 is now on the verge of complete failure.” Meanwhile, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, during a fractious meeting, laments that the draft
“really doesn’t meet the expectations…in terms of the urgently needed transition to clean sources of energy.”
The irony here is thick – the very champions of these policies seem shocked that their unrealistic expectations are unmet.
The Realists Strike Back
In a twist of practicality, representatives of countries including China and India firmly oppose any language suggesting a phaseout or phase-down of specific energy sources. These nations, perhaps more anchored in reality, recognize the impracticality and economic harakiri such policies would entail. The article notes,
“Negotiations…were expected to continue through the wee hours…the scheduled final day of the summit.”
The Green Disillusionment
Environmental advocates and some EU members view this change as a betrayal, their utopian dreams clashing with the unyielding wall of reality. The Marshall Islands’ John Silk melodramatically states,
“The Republic of the Marshall Islands did not come here to sign our death warrant,”
highlighting the emotional, rather than rational, underpinning of such arguments.
A Middle Ground or A Mirage?
While some, like Mohamed Adow of Power Shift Africa, see the deal as laying “the ground for transformational change,” others express skepticism. French Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher melodically laments,
“I don’t know what will happen to my kids tomorrow if we stick to this text.”
Conclusion: The Theater of Absurdity
The COP28 summit, as outlined in Politico’s report, emerges not as a forum of rational discourse and pragmatic solutions but as a theater of the absurd. The retreat from a fossil fuel phaseout to a vague suggestion of ‘reducing’ them is not just a policy failure; it is a testament to the unrealistic and often theatrical nature of the climate debate. It lays bare the chasm between the lofty ideals of environmental activism and the pragmatic realities of global energy needs. One can’t help but appreciate the humor in watching these climate crusaders grapple with the inconvenient truth that their lofty alarmist aspirations often crumble under the weight of practicality. Welcome to the real world, where good intentions meet the hard road of reality.
Addendum: Michael Mann has the sads.
As the 28th United Nations climate summit (COP28) draws to a close in Dubai, after another year of devastating heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms and record high global temperatures, the entire process is threatening to break down. Not only has COP28 failed to meet this moment demanding dramatic and immediate climate action — it has made a caricature of it.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-12-11/climate-summit-dubai-cop28
