What will all those champagne corks do for carbon emissions?
Paris platitudes, captain’s calls, lessons from history and the ICAC details Fairfax likes.
Paris in one platitude. Bjorn Lomborg, Facebook, Saturday:
Outside the Paris climate conference centre, organisers have erected a “Wind Tree” which produces electricity using the power of the breeze. In doing so, they have summed up exactly what is wrong with the conference. The tree will only produce 3500 kWh per year and it costs about €25,000. So, at a production price of about seven cents a year, it will take 89 years to make up just the capital cost. Or put differently, the cost is 300 per cent more expensive than even traditional wind power, which still struggles without subsidies. The COP 21 conference is about symbolism: spending a lot of money to feel good but do very little.
Captain’s call? Fairfax, Friday:
Tony Abbott shunned the use of international carbon permits, once saying that: “money that shouldn’t be going offshore into dodgy carbon farms in Equatorial Guinea and Kazakhstan”. But in a speech on Wednesday, [Julie] Bishop said: “We recognise that international carbon markets are a key part of the global effort to reduce emissions.”
Liberal MP Craig Kelly responds. Facebook, Saturday:
We’re going to start buying “international carbon permits” … I must have ducked off to the bathroom when that was discussed in the party room, because I can’t recall any such discussions.
A somewhat clumsy choice of expression given his comments on dams and rainfall. Climate Council media statement, yesterday:
A historic universal agreement at the UN climate talks in Paris today is a watershed moment … Tim Flannery said today.
Then there’s the fine print. The Spectator blogs, yesterday:
The Paris agreement is another acknowledgment ... that the developing world will not agree to any legally binding caps, never mind reductions of their CO2 emissions ... The Paris deal is based on a voluntary basis which allows nations to set their own voluntary ... targets and policies without any legally binding caps or international oversight. In contrast to ... Kyoto ... Paris ... removes all legal obligations for governments to cap or reduce CO2 emissions. This voluntary agreement also removes the mad rush into unrealistic decarbonisation policies that are both economically and politically unsustainable.
And in other global warming news. The Mercury, Saturday:
A December dusting of snow on Mount Wellington greeted Hobart this morning.
Historically accurate maybe but do you really want to make the comparison? Chris Bowen, Australian Agenda, Sky News, yesterday:
I would challenge you to name me an opposition, with the exception of 1993, which has announced this much policy this early in the term.
Haven’t you done this one before? The Guardian, Friday:
The end is Nige: why the name Nigel is rightly doomed.
Almost. The Guardian, March 10:
High noon for Gary: why is the once-popular name on the verge of extinction?
Fairfax doesn’t cover ICAC scandals? Headline, The Weekend Australian, Saturday:
Fairfax goes easy on ICAC.
They’re more interested in other angles. Headline on ICAC story, Fairfax websites, later that day:
The fake boobs that captivated a city.