Wednesday, December 05, 2007

More than 10,000 jet into Bali for global warming conference


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/342281_bali05.html

Never before have so many people converged to try to save the planet from global warming, with more than 10,000 jetting into this Indonesian resort island, from government ministers to Nobel laureates to drought-stricken farmers.

But critics say they are contributing to the very problem they aim to solve.

"Nobody denies this is an important event, but huge numbers of people are going, and their emissions are probably going to be greater than a small African country," said Chris Goodall, author of the book "How to Live a Low-Carbon Life."

Interest in climate change is at an all-time high after former Vice President Al Gore and a team of U.N. scientists won the Nobel Peace Prize for highlighting the dangers of rising temperatures, melting polar ice, worsening droughts and floods, and lengthening heat waves.

Two big climate conferences have been held in less than a month, both in idyllic, far-flung holiday destinations -- first Valencia, Spain, and now Bali. They were preceded by dozens of smaller gatherings. In Bangkok, Paris, Vienna, Washington, New York and Sydney, in Rio de Janeiro, Anchorage, Helsinki and the Indian Ocean island of Kurumba.

The pace is only expected to pick up, prompting some to ask if the issue is creating a "cure" industry as various groups claim a stake in efforts to curb global warming.


This Global Warming hysteria is part religion and part industry, with the generous support of governments.  I can't imagine a better bureaucratic job than "Minister of Climate Change".  You can party with Hollywood celebrities and chat with presidents.  And just for fun, you can extort money from industrial tycoons to protect their industries from climate change regulations.  Meanwhile, you can start up a little Carbon Trading Institute on the side to sell indulgences to the guilty rich folks.

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