Pirate's Cove

Interestingly, what’s not mentioned in this bit of Cult of Climastrology proselytizing is that the vast majority of nations aren’t even close to upholding their Paris climate agreement pledges

How Trump is emboldening other countries’ ‘bad behavior’ on the climate crisis

The origins of the world’s historic agreement to tackle climate change, in Paris in 2015, have some familiar themes. Back in 2007, there was a Republican president in the White House who had long been hostile to any action on climate change.

George W Bush had refused to give US backing to a new global roadmap on the climate. (snip)

Delegate after delegate pleaded publicly and privately, there were even tears, to no avail. Then finally, to loud cheers, the representative from Papua New Guinea summed up the whole developing world’s frustration as he called to the US officials: “If you’re not willing to lead, please get out of the way.”

That stung. And what followed, in December 2007, was a dramatic moment on the international stage, as the White House – under Bush – publicly backed down. The UN’s resolution passed and the so-called Bali roadmap, precursor to the Paris agreement, came into effect.

Bali? Would that be the UN IPCC Conference on the Parties where so many attendees took private jets that they head to deadhead (fly without passengers) them to other islands, because there was no place to park them? You ever wonder where the skeptic meme saying “the exotic vacation spot of …” in relation to COPs comes from? It was Michelle Malkin who coined that term due to Bali. And then Trump came along

Donald Trump began the process of withdrawal from the Paris agreement in June 2017, but for legal reasons it will take effect only on 4 November this year, the day after the US presidential election.

The withdrawal comes at a crucial point, as the Paris accord requires countries to come forward this year with new strengthened commitments to cut emissions, ratcheting up their inadequate initial targets from 2015. Only with fresh commitments from all nations can the aims of Paris be fulfilled, as current pledges would take the world to a potentially catastrophic 3C of warming.

“This really is absolutely vital,” says Mary Robinson, twice a UN climate envoy and ex-president of Ireland. “How can we reach the level of ambition that we need? We need leadership.”

You know, for all the anti-US sentiment around the world, they sure look to the U.S., eh? If they need leadership, why don’t they look at themselves and practice what they preach? Surely their subjects, er, citizens, won’t mind the economic devastation, right?

The possibility of a Trump delegation blinking at the last minute, as Bush did, is remote. The 45th president pays far less respect to a rules-based international system than his Republican predecessor. But some in the developing world are sanguine about the prospect of a US withdrawal.

What rules? Obama unilaterally signed Paris, which was set up in a way to avoid the US Constitutional requirement of getting the approval of the US Senate.

Opponents of Paris have viewed it as an opportunity, however, and that is where the real impact has been felt. Trump’s stance has emboldened other populist leaders and countries with previously veiled hostility to Paris. Last year’s UN climate talks in Madrid sputtered to a close without agreement on the key issues after Brazil held out, with Australia, Saudi Arabia, Russia and India accused of assisting in the obstruction at various points.

Many nations are realizing that they don’t want to tank their economies. And, again, the vast majority of nations who signed Paris are failing to keep their pledges, just like with the Kyoto Protocol.