Updated: Fri Dec. 18 2009 20:52:14
CTV.ca News Staff
The U.S. announced late Friday that it had reached a "meaningful agreement" with China, India, South Africa and Brazil over a climate change plan. However, as U.S. President Barack Obama trumpeted the deal as "unprecedented," other leaders questioned its veracity.
The eleventh-hour framework for fighting global warming, known as the Copenhagen Accord, would ensure that rich countries would help out poor ones in bringing down carbon emissions.
"Today we've made (a) meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough in Copenhagen," said Obama on Friday evening.
He added that the deal, which focuses on transparency, mitigation and financing, will usher in a "new era of international action."
"We have come a long way but we have much further to go," he said.
Obama said that the deal was reached at the end of the conference, yet some leaders were still meeting at a plenary session late Friday. Many specifics over the plan's mechanics were also vague.
Meanwhile, poorer nations assailed the plan because it lacks any binding legal requirements and does not set strict reduction targets.
Still, Obama's last-minute plan resulted in a three-page document that pledges US$30 billion over the next three years for developing nations. The plan also sketched out a goal of pumping US$100 billion each year into the fund by 2020.
The plan also sets out to limit global warming to 2 C, which is stronger than previous declarations.
There had been several stumbling blocks in the talks, including concern over China's involvement, and leaders such as Prime Minister Stephen Harper were prepared to stay in Copenhagen longer than expected.
Earlier Friday, Obama arrived in Copenhagen, where he attended an emergency meeting with 19 other leaders. Obama arrived to drive a deal, which had eluded leaders throughout the week.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy were among the attendees. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao chose not to attend the high-level meeting, sending an envoy in his place.
Harper was not at the meeting as he was not on the guest list. A spokesperson for the prime minister said the list of countries invited to the meeting had been compiled for Obama's people as a representative mix of regions and carbon emitters.
Following the meeting, Harper had a brief audience with Obama over lunch.
The prime minister has kept a low profile in Copenhagen since arriving earlier this week. In his first public comments at the summit, he held a press conference on Friday evening and endorsed the agreement.
"There's much more work to be done but I think the toughest hurdles were cleared here today," Harper said. "It is a good agreement that achieves Canada's objectives."
On Thursday night, Environment Minister Jim Prentice addressed the UN climate talks instead of Harper, while the prime minister attended a royal dinner hosted by the Queen of Denmark.
Also Friday, Canada was stamped with the "Colossal Fossil" designation, a dubious honour given to the country by environment groups which rank its greenhouse gas target as being "among the worst in the world."
Divisions in Copenhagen
The talks in Copenhagen had been marred by a growing division between rich and poor countries, as well as between the United States and China -- the world's two biggest polluters. Delegates blamed the rival countries for the lack of a political agreement all nations were expected to sign earlier in the day.
The Chinese and U.S. leaders had also failed to announce any new commitments on slashing their greenhouse gas emissions.
Wen and Obama met privately on Friday, as world leaders pressed to salvage the summit.
Abandoning hope of a comprehensive deal, a group of about 25 countries tried to agree on a two-page political statement that would lay out critical elements. It called for spending $30 billion in the next three years to help poor countries cope with climate change, spending that would ramp up to $100 billion per year by 2020.
As talks continued, new drafts of the same document added clauses that evolved during the day. Later drafts said rich countries should cut their emissions by 80 per cent by the year 2050.
A separate group of leaders worked on a potential deal involving emission cuts that UN Environment Program Director Achim Steiner said was "doable."
But James Hansen, a professor at Columbia University who is credited with bringing global warming to the attention of U.S. Congress in the 1980s, said he doubts that measures being discussed at Copenhagen, such a cap-and-trade system, would actually force countries to produce fewer greenhouse gases.
"Emissions which had been going up 1.5 per cent per year accelerated after the Kyoto protocol to 3 per cent per year -- and I think the same thing is going to happen now," he told CTV News Channel.
"We're not going to in fact turn down the emissions with the kind of actions that are being talked about."
"As long as fossil fuels are the cheapest energy, then they're going to continue to be used, and even more so. So you have to put a price on the carbon, on the fossil fuels -- coal, oil and gas."
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
Comments are now closed for this story
pdm
Excellent 19 leaders of the world in an emergency meeting and Stephen Harper was not invited! The Canada is awarded the Colossal Fossil Award - under the leadership of this PM and government Canada has sunk to new lows and has lost far too much respect around the globe.
Dave Ottawa
China has only been polluting for the past 50 to 60 years. Therefore their impact on climate change is far far below countries that have been polluting since the industrial revolution, say the last 100 to 200 years. Those are the countries that should bear the brunt of the responsibility.That's the stuff that's hurting us today is the stack of pollution that was put there even before China was a developing nation.
Bill in BC
We can only hope that our government stands strong and prevents the fools from destroying our country in the name of soemthign green and stupic.
Mike Benefield
Mother Nature will take care of the problem- no worries. As fast as it's happening we should be able to watch the collapse of the crow population first- as a lot of crow will soon be consumed by those smug in their past experience that won't apply in the new world that will soon confront us all. No species has inherited the earth for long.As far as the future is concerned-tell your kids that you enjoyed their share along with yours while it lasted.
Canada Goose Whistler
Thank you ctv for the wonderful job you always do of reporting the news. Even though I'm pretty sure most of you at ctv lean to the right & I lean the other way. Thank you also for turning off the thumbs, the con thumb hackers can't make it look like all Canadians are uneducated, selfish polluters of the world.
Jon in London ON
As the Copenhagen climate summit comes to a close, it seems fair to say that rarely has a gathering of so many doing so little gotten so much attention. But Copenhagen does have its uses. For starters, it reminds us that environmentalism continues to be a cover for uglier agendas. Bolivian president Evo Morales was interviewed by Al Jazeera television while in Copenhagen. “The principal obstacle to combating climate change is capitalism,” he explained. “Until we put an end to capitalism, it will continue to be a big obstacle for life and humanity.”Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe proclaimed in a speech: “When these capitalist gods of carbon burp and belch their dangerous emissions, it’s we, the lesser mortals of the developing sphere, who gasp and sink and eventually die.”Right. That is, unless Mugabe kills them first.
Raj
Obama will be one term president.I can see many unahppy people in the USA right now, thinking about theitr money and where it is going.I am so happy Harper stayed away from this fiasco
ExiledCanadian
Don't you love these photo ops? Obama can promise the moon and the stars but he cannot implement any international deal unless it is ratified by the US Senate. You think the American people are not going to make their voices heard on The Hill when they see their taxes go through the roof? Only a fool would think that this is actually going to result in something meaningful. More campaigning by Obama with little results...Next year's mid-term elections in the US will be interesting to watch.
Mead
Hmmm, the deal is done, finally. And Canada was not even invited. We are so small and insignificant, we are unimportant in the land of CO2. At least Harper was there anyways, looking in the window and following Obama around.
Graham
To quote from another source regarding this deal: "Its not sufficient to combat the threat of climate change, but its an important first step, the official said. No country is entirely satisfied with each element, but this is a meaningful and historic step forward and a foundation from which to make progress. Ummm, what exactly are they happy about?
Danny Dinosaur
How can anyone actually be proud of our Prime Minister in Denmark? He did nothing - absolutely nothing. He didn't even stand up for what he believes in - whatever that is. He went to visit the Queen and put ditto marks under the U.S. policy. He was not even invited to a meeting where Canada could have had a voice. No one can honestly believe that Canada was well represented in this. The only publicity we got was public jokes and disrespect. That speaks volumes about how the world views our leadership.
Marg Alberta
@ Reece Thank you Reece for speaking the truth. It won't be long till we have a good,strong, educated Liberal government back in power. It's good to see our dictator Harper left in the dark while the educated world leaders come to an agreement on the climate issue. What a waste of our tax dollars sending Harper any where, unless of course it is Tim buck too, & he stays there.
James
To Vince M. Yes, it was a desperate situation 24 hours ago. It looked like the conference would be a total disaster. But Obama did manage to salvage something. It might not be great, but it's something. What did Stephen Harper do? Nothing!
Jon In London ON
The new name for promoters of the man made CO2 Global Warming Fraud. "Watermelons" - Green on the outside Red on the inside.
Vince M
Brian and his oil-free economy. You should have been in Calgary last week. -32C. You should have been in Edmonton... -45C. Oil and gas kept people from freezing to death. Canada is a cold country and without fossil fuel at this time the country would be uninhabitable. I'm sure you have an alternate energy source ready to go. What do you have for us Brian, solar, wind, David Suzuki's self esteem?
Sue
Well done Obama! Thank the lord George Bush is not still ruining the US. If he was him & Harper would be in a back room making a deal on that dirty oil from Alberta.
Vince M
We are congratulating Obama for a "meaningful" deal. What was the deal that is meanful? Has anyone seen the text or are we desparate?
Gordon
Everyone is focused on green house gas reduction and the third world feels it deserves a payout for not contributing to these emissions. Maybe we need to look at the idea that we contribute green house gases and in some cases we can't reduce those emissions. In those cases we should consider what is being done to help mother nature 'scrub' these emissions.Everyone condemns the tar sands for emissions, but what if overall they are planting more trees to help combate the problem? Are there other things that we can do to help 'scrub' the problem, so to speak?The argument is that we contibute more green house gases than other counties. Maybe we also provide more trees than other countries to help offset this. I don't know, just a thought.
reece
Its too premature to congratulate Obama since these complex issues have a way of falling of the table or being postponed indefinately. I will give Obama kudos for at least getting his hands dirty unlike Harper who again failed to show up and offer any ideas that would secure Canadas interests. He was late for photo-ops twice before and now he simply doesnt show up at all. You are a coward, Harper, and I demand that you RESIGN when you return home. If you are not up to the challenge of being a PM you have NO business in that job. You are either too afraid to speak up or you simply have nothing to offer in these talks. I have a new name for Harper....MR FREEZE. Hes too paralyzed to lead.
Mie BC
I think that we need to be seen as doing something, otherwise the same mindset that attacked the US on 9/11 (for being responsible for economic and social carnage in the 3rd world, whether rightly or wrongly) would target us. We have already proven that our borders are porous to any and all, and we don't have the financial wherewithal to do anything about it. Unless we deal with the perceived problem now, others will blame us for their problems later. This not something I would want to have to deal with in a terror attack. we have to be seen as part of the solution, not part of the problem.
June
Harper keeping a low profile in Copenhagen, not invited to meetings with 19 other countries. Hmmm I guess the real world leaders feel he has nothing to say, so he's hiding out. Didn't he do that here last winter here at home? Rumors in the news he might come back home get on his knees beg the GG to keep his job again. We should call him PM hide & seek or some thing, maybe PM Proggie! I sad today knowing the rest of the world is starting to think Canadians are filthy, greedy, scum of the earth.
Chad
I wish they would put this much effort into debating the science or lack their of behind global warming. Of course they won't because that is not the goal here. If it was, they wouldn't have such a huge carbon footprint for this conference. They would use video conferencing. The real reason for this is to redistribute wealth. Why else do they refer to countries as rich and poor. They should also look at CO2 output per suqare km for each country and consider the temperatures in each country. That would be a better measure than per capita.
Colin
A huge fraud being perpetuated on the developed nations. We have dictators holding their hands out for money they have no intention of using to develop Green technology (China included) and we have leaders willing to do that for what reason? If we want developing nations to use this money properly there should be supervision and auditing. Do you think China, Venezuela, Sudan and Zimbabwe agreeing to that? Not likley. But we have leaders like Obama naive enough to be sucked in. Hopefully Harper will not sign onto anything like this.
Doug
Don't forget it was Mr. Harper who, at ther last conference, influenced the western developed nations into agreeing that everybody had to be on board including third world nations. Why so you think the silk-stocking socialists are so much against him this time around. Axtually Canada has been influencing U.S politicians on this issue for years.What bothers me is that the same people who gave Hugo Chavez a standing ovation for calling for the end of capitalism are now demanding billions from capitalist countries.
Bryan
Wow, I had always seen Canadians as a smart bunch but by reading the comments on here, many of US are a bunch of selfish fools who have no foresight. Yeah, climate change is a problem. Do I think we're going to destroy the planet? No, I don't...the planet will always bounce back once we're gone. Do I think we're going to make the earth a more difficult place to live? Yes. Do I think millions of people are going to lose their homes, livelihoods, and even lives because of climate change? Yes. Please open your eyes and see this as an opportunity. We need to shift our focus from an oil based economy to a sustainable economy. What's the worst that could happen? Cleaner air? Healthier childern? Cheaper living expenses? All that sounds pretty good to me...maybe not so good if you're in bed with Harper and the oil companies.
James
I just heard that a new climate deal has been reached. Congrats to U.S. president Obama on saving this summit and coming back with something "meaningful". Steven Harper, you should've just stayed home. It would've been alot easier.
Stephan Martin
Dear Mr. Bush,, I mean Mr. Harper, It is now time to open your eyes to the world and stop isolating our country as it is doing us no favours. Thanks to your governance we are now known as a Corrupt Petrol State by the international community and if you stay in power we will become a banana republic. Copenhagen is the single most important meeting in recent history and you need to be the moral ethical World leader that we have had with past PM's. We are not a military or economic super power but we were a Super Power in mediation and a Super Power in respect by other World countries. Now we have lost that respect and your decision will not only impact future generations of Canadians but future generations around the World. Take a few lessons from Obama and do not come back without a Climate Treaty.
Dixie from Alberta
Climates changes and species must adapt otherwise they become extinct. Only man would be arrogant to think they can actually stop the change. Its going to happen whether we bankrupt the industrial world & give our $$ to the 3rd world. If anyone actually thinks that giving $$ to 3rd world dictatorships will help the planet, boy are they in for a surprise. A few will pocket our hard earned $$ for themselves and nothing will change.As a species we must adapt to the changing world otherwise we will go the way of the dinosaurs.If China is a developing nation, how could they afford to spend 150 million on the opening ceremony for the Olympics and millions to put snow in the Birdsnest Statium for the tourists (which was on the news this week)?
Canada Goose Whistler
I hope the US quits buying that dirty Alberta oil. The world will force Canada into climate change, hopefully Harper realizes he can only be a dictator to his own party, not the world or the other 67% of Canadians that didn't vote for cons to run our country. If Harper isn't replaced soon the whole world will boycott Canada. We will soon be worst off than Cuba & North Korea.
m.j.
From the start, it's underhanded to ask developing countries to keep a lower standard of living in order to prevent them from "potentially" creating more pollution than what the West already created. + Western countries lost credibility over future agreements when they broke Kyoto.
Sue
Of course Harper wasn't invited to the emegency meeting he has nothing to say that is worth listening to.
Mike
Keep up the good work Harper, soon the rest of the world will start treating Canada like they treat North Korea. Nobody seems to like a dictator except a handful of con voters.
Wendy
If someone represents their self in a court, they have a fool for a client. If someone believes there thoughts are right over a scientist in regards to climate change they are also a fool.
inquisitive.
Why is it ok for developing nations to have received aid from other nations (which makes them a beneficiary of pollution) and then claim that somehow they have clean hands? I am a British Columbian but I still wonder how smug Ontario and Quebec politicians, along with their followers, will be when Alberta decides to pack up and leave? Furthermore, why does anybody think that Alberta or Saskatchewan would be willing to follow along after they are continually referred to as backwards, exploited and marginalized for the sake of political expediency. It seems to me this is a major wedge issue and I will be really sad if my country is destroyed because of a bunch of political posturing.
Jim McB
I am so proud of our PM and our team for not getting sucked into the vortex of the socialist carbon hoax and the genesis of a world government to suck up tax money and be led by the most useless organization on the planet: the UN.I will be after my federal representatives to have the charitable status of political corporations like Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, the Susuki Foundation and others, reviewed and withdrawn. They are not charities and I demand the right not to pay, in the form of taxes, for organizations that I do not support. They help nobody but themselves and serve no positive function for the country.I acknowledge their right to pursue their agendas, but not at my expense.
Vince M
zaman. Apples and Oranges. The people of India don't have to heat their houses, businesses, shops, offices half the year like Canada does. They don't need to import their food 9 months of the year like Canada does. They live highly densified and we live in clumps along the border. If we didn't need to heat everything that has a roof, import nearly all our food and travel such great distances I reckon we would be doing better than they are AND still having a great living standard.
Anne Brub
I cannot believe the narrow minded, self-indulged eco Canadians (with their own agenda, no doubt) who are tormenting and insulting Canada. Canada is guilty of 2% of the pollution. A lousy 2%! Well, no pollution would be better of course but put your aggression towards the US who pollute 20%. WHY should we, as taxpayers, pay BIG MONEY to some polluted countries such as China and India to reduce their gas emissions, when we all know, they will not oblige? At the end of the day, we will be having an even higher deficit and nothing will change. Find another tree to bark at, literally.
charlie
Western countries have been sending billions in foreign aid to the "lesser developed" countries for years and years - and every time there is any problem, we are asked for more. With all the "good" done by foreign aid, why should we think sending additional billions as climate payments will give any different or more effective result. I believe someone once said the definition of a fool is someone who continually does the same thing and expects a different result - let's not fall for this anymore. Good on you Harper - you have the guts to stand firm in the face of stupidity. You have my vote.
willowway
Great, just great! The USA and perhaps Canada can get deeper in debt to China by borrowing even more money from them so that we can give it back to them as "aid" to help clean up their environmental mess.Hmmmm... does that make any sense to anyone?
Doug @ BC
Harper should stay there if there are still talks going on. M bank account will not be safe until they are on the pollution spewing palnes,and headed home.Beside,someone has to keep an eye on Obama.He's so desperate to give something to the left wing of his party,he's likely top get hosed by the Chinese.I like him.I just don't trsut him to stand up for North American values.He's a lot 'softer" than people would like to believe. All that aside,Mr.Harper should sign nothing more than an agreement to work towards lower emissions,when possible.Anything signed by Obama is subject to ratification by the Senate and the US Congress.They have an opportunity to debate this BEFORE they are locked in.If nothing else,Harper should learn from the hosing Dion and Chretien took in Kyoto,and allow all of Canda to debate the issue BEFORE we are committed to something we cannot live up to. As to "Wendy",if Harper can "rag the puck" until China,India, and the USA agree to participate,he be my hero for a long time.People like you find t easy to agree to an agreement because you don't mind giving away the store.I want my children and grandchildren to live free.as Canadians,not as pawns to either China or the USA.A bad deal here will impoveish generations of Canadians. Harper is going to the wall to get the best deal for CANADA.That's what we pay him to do.Like our troops,I would take a bullet to defend this country.Clearly you would not.The Liberal position,if there is one,is all about optics and popularity.Unpopular as it may be,Harper must not cave,the way Chretien and Dion did when sold us out in Kyoto.
proud soldier
not a dime china and india are not third world countries and canada should say no to any deal that says other than that to give china money so they can build wepons to sell to african nations who will us OUR money to buy these weapons then we have to send our soldiers to bring peace and whatch well these guys kill our kids with wepons we helped them buy NO MONEY .
reece
"As a life long Liberal, currently without a functioning party or leader, I'm finding Harper to be a better PM over time." - - That sentiment is as convincing as somebody claiming to be an "independent" who posts messages of how great the conservative party is. By now I believe most people have seen through that thinly desguised cloak and exposed a conservative to embarrassed to admit he has right wing leanings. There are no such thing as independents or former life long liberals who praises the likes of Bush or Harper. Harper hasnt DONE anything to deserve your praise. He plagerizes speeches (twice), hes bereft of any original ideas, he waits for world leaders to make pronouncements and then copies those ideas as if they were his own, he claims the soundness of Canadas banking system was because of his policies when anybody with a memory going back 10 years will remember how he and his party lobbied hard to allow foreign (American) integration into our banking system...we all know how that would have turned out. Harper is a hack and a poser. Let me tell you what Canadas position will be at the end of the day in Copenhagen...it will be whatever Obama says it will be. Harper simply does not understand leadership. He is a hack. If you were at all a liberal in your life time Id say you were simply a confused conservative.
Inuvik Resident
To quote my politically incorrect grandfather, "opinions are like a***oles, everone has one". Forget opinions, lets see some real science!
Vince M
On Canada awarded Fossil of the Year Award: In a year where Michael Jackson is called a role model for the world by Jessie Jackson and "The Prince of Peace" by Al Sharpton, in a year where a president at war on two fronts wins the Nobel Peace Prize, in a year where a separatist party almost got to govern Canada thanks to the Liberals, in a year where Barbara Walters' Top Ten most Facinating People on the Planet include Michael Jackson's children and Adam Lambert, am I surprised we were awarded this instead of somewhere like, oh, say China or Venezuela? No I'd be surprised if we were not. 2009 was a year of everything turned on its head. Lets hope 2010 is a year of heads getting level.
Just Observing
I was going to offer that Harper should pack his bag and come home because his presence obviously isn't considered helpful there. But then he ain't doing much here either. Maybe he should head to the Caribbean for a little R 'n R instead.
John, NS
Ahhh...here's the CTV ignorance crowd...I missed you folks all day - it feels great to read your comments and realize how you all lack much intelligence at all...which means I'm great.Hopefully you folks in Alberta get the first taste of climate change and just get wiped off the map...fyi don't come east once it happens - you ain't welcome here.
Albertaboy111
Of course he will stay if talks continue. This government has gone into this meeting with one goal in mind. Sabatage. Stephen Harper will stay, but only so he can continue his attempts to de-rail any agreement. After all, Canada was named the "absolute worst country at the climate talks".
keyboard peckers
SamualThey have turned this site into a bit of a farce.Just who they think they are influencing with the constant rants is puzzling.Many seem to be here 24/7.I guess you gotta be part of the cult to see the logic of living large through a CTV message board.
eddytoronto
Obama set to bypass Congress and approve massive transfer of wealth to world government Bank..Were looking at a grab for absolute power and absolute financial control worldwide by the UN and its associated bureaucracies and 700 new bureaucratic bodies and if the agreement was signed by Obama, the U.S. would be losing its freedom to a sinister dictatorship being formed under the contrived pretext of global warming.The treaty outlines..Penalties or fines for non compliance in developed countries and the creation of an international police force to enforce its will by imposing unlimited financial penalties on any countries whose performance under this treaty they dont approve of. It amounts to a total global government takeover on an unimaginable scale and will be very hard to grasp mentally, but you will feel it financially.According to the latest news out of Copenhagen, the taxes that were included in the initial text are still in the final agreement which is set to be passed later today or in the early hours of Saturday morning. This will tell us how much taxes each and every citizen must pay..Could be from 2% to 6% for every citizen.So be ready to add %2 to 6% more for everything you buy(Consume)Climate financing will go straight into the coffers of the IMF and the World Bank. These funds will be used to bankroll the imposition of global governance...They are desperatly trying to get this through before next Finacial Collapse or War comming in 2010...Yes I say its The CRASH of 2010.
zaman
@Matteo
Sorry buddy but you are absolutely wrong with your facts. You are saying "developing countries" and especially India wants US to pay for their cleanups. But your facts are absolutely wrong. I will not refer to China or any other country but let us be specific about India at first.
Let me give you the facts. I will give you the example of Canada itself out of the developing countries as it is a Canadian website and most people here are saying that Canada hardly affects global carbon emission and greenhouse gases emission. And I am giving my stats from wiikipedia and you can check it if required.
As per wikipedia, in 2007 the carbon dioxide emission per capita in India is just 1.2 metric tons while for Canada it is a whooping 17.4 metric tons per capita. Now if we check the combined emission of all greenhouse gases per capita for these countries in 2005 then India's emission stands at merely 1.7 while for Canada it is a whooping 22.6 metric tons. Developing countries are not responsible for all these problems. It is the developed countries who have destroyed nature through these years post-Industrialization for which created all these problems. India is one of the least emitters of CO2 or greenhouse gases and instead the developed countries want India to pay up for the problem they created. If you compare our per capita carbon emissions then we are emitting much lesser carbon then most poor countries leave apart developed countries. If you are saying about Canada, then it is one of the highest emitters of CO2 and greenhouse gases in the world although it has a very small population compared to many other countries. Please check the stats properly before blaming India.
Canada Owned
Harper spokesperson said the Canadian delegation had not been "formally asked to stay," Of course not. The EU, USA, China, these are the countries driving the bus. They will attempt to manipulate things so that countries like Canada are compelled to comply (pay). If you don't sign, watch for trade sanctions against "polluting nations". As a result of a One World Government, Canada will have the OWNED stamped affixed to it. I pity the naive who don't think this is coming down the pipe.
Peter in MB
$30 billion in the next three years to help poor countries cope with climate change, and this will stop pollution HOW? Oh thats right it wont because these poor countries do not intend to change anything. Would it not make more sense to spend the money here in Canada on clean renewable energy? Instead of giving it to dictators who will use it to make nuclear bombs that will destroy the earth. Just a thought
Freeman69
As a life long Liberal, currently without a functioning party or leader, I'm finding Harper to be a better PM over time. If he can lead from the center without the neo-con excess he'll get my vote next time.He hasn't sucked in to the COP15 fiasco while Obama and our pink to red Canadians have.Good job Mr. Prentice and Mr Harper come home and leave those clowns to play with Chavez, Mugabe and company
Samual
Best I can tell from this site is we only have 50 maybe 100 uneducated, weak minded people out of the 33 million Canadians.
Wendy
Harper must feel great making Canada look like scum of the earth, dirtiest country.
Paul
Should we not "hold our horse" on this conference? There is still a great debate on if there is really a climate change or not. Yes, lets reduce pollution, but I think its crazy to sign a document that give other countries money? I don't know this for a fact, but who many factories a spitting out CO2 in most african nations? Do they have a factory?
Paul R
I sent an e-mail to PM Harper yesterday, stating that he should not sign away my tax dollars in Copenhagen as it has nothing but a money grab and has, nothing to do with the enviroment. Also expect the same rent a crowd wingnuts running around the streets of Copenhagen, to be in Huntsville and Toronto next summer for the G8 and G20 summits.
Deal or No Deal?
Set your personal opinion aside and look at the actions of people rather than the rhetoric. 20 countries have a top level emergency meeting. China sends an envoy. This means nothing will come out of it, because their premier didn't attend and simply put China isn't committed. Canada, who for all would say is killing the planet is a non factor as Canada wasn't invited to the meeting. Harper should put pen in pocket and fly home.
Eve
I am proud of out Prime Minister for seeing that Climate Change is nonsense.There is real work to be done that needs real money. We need an alternative to oil. If research starts now, we may just make it. We need alternative energy, real alternatives, not solar or wind. If we invest the money now we will find a solution to the nuclear waste storage problem. The US doesn't even have clean drinking water across the country. Work on that. There are 3 Billion people on this planet without enough food, any energy, clean drinking water and education. We do not need to waste money on this carbon phobia. The planet has cooled in the 20th and 21st centuries, not warmed. C02 is not a threat. The other things are.
AR from Calgary
Our government has done such a poor job on the environmental file - from not having any sort of environmental policy at all to not defending the country's small overall impact on GHG emissions (2% of world total) to allowing premiers and mayors to air our dirty laundry on the world stage for personal political gain. We don't fight back against the European hypocrisy that has all of its multi-national oil companies (Shell, BP, Statoil, Total) making money off of the oilsands and then criticizing its environmental impact.Canada isn't contributing anything Copenhagen because we can't. We don't have the ability to convert to a green economy. Our manufacturing sector gave up innovation and productivity decades ago in favour of a cheap dollar strategy. Our business and political leaders are just happy selling off all our natural resources to the US than competing for Canada's share of the new green economy.Short-term gain for long-term pain. Copenhagen's legacy will be remembered as a defining moment in Canada's long slow slide into global and economic irrelevance.
Anne L.
Aren't you guys proud that Canada won fossil of the year award? I am because global warming is the biggest fraud being perpetrated on humanity right before our eyes. Our young people are actually buying into this propaganda by listening to Al Gore's lousy DVD. That's where they get their information from. Al Gore doesn't care about you, the young people, he cares about making money out of a scientific theory on climate that has only been proven from flaud data from the IPCC, East Anglia and other instiutions with a political agenda, NOT on facts. Cap and steal and carbon taxes are just the begining of this massive global campaign for a one world government. Being energy efficient is fine but taxes are NOT the solution to everything. This global warming hysteria is making me sick out of my stomach. Climate science is MUCH more complex and complicated than the IPCC and other political activist institutions like Greenpeace want you to believe. It's ignorant for those kinds of organisations to say that humans are the cause because that only makes us feel guilty for driving a car. Sun energy has got stronger and polar ice cap on Mars is also melting. Get the facts straight people before jumping aboard a bus full of followers just for the sake of following if you know what I mean.
Keith in Gibsons
This was just theatre in any case. A photo op for politicians, hooligans and nut bars. As long as China and the US keep up their current practices there will be no progress. It should also be quite clear by now that Obama has no magical power or sway. Charming and articulate - yes he is. Effective? Not at all.
ray
have non these so called experts ever read anything in history,the world has evolved from ice to warm back to ice and their trying to sell us this garbage,can we tie gore and our estemed david suzuki to a tree out here on the praries,in the dead of winter,as for these monetary agreemnents,shove it,the states are already broke and we will be too,who the hell is going to support us,better yet,stop all foreign funding immediately,get the hell out of afgahistan,stop sending our tax dollars to african countries,restrict immigration except for those who will swear allegance to this country and can actually afford to get a education,or buy a business and before any of you so called socialists start hollering,i have 2 foreignors on my street who are the absolute worst deadbeats around,play the game and not be responsible for anything and i'm sick of it
Dave in Courtenay
I shall be relieved that our government had the decency and good sense not to transfer my Old Age pension to some unelected group serving corrupt third world despots.
Kevin in Vancouver
Think about what the developed nations could do with that 100 billion. How many carbon capture systems could be built? How many tidal and wind turbines could we install? Giving this money to the poor nations is going to do nothing to reduce carbon emmissions.I am not a believer in this theory, scientists don't impress me with their guess work, remember 500 years ago the top scientific minds were absolutly positive, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the world was flat!If you do believe then use the power of the internet to organize boycotts of products from countries that do not take steps to reduce their emissions. You will pay a little more and have to work hard to find alternatives but that is the best solutions. Don't buy from China or India, use products from countries and companies that hold your values.
laurie
Our freedom is preserved for now.
Dale Frozen North
What's funny about this, Obama has flown over twice (Air Force one 2 Military transports) now to tell us about his vision, Gore flies over (private jet) gets caught telling lies. The top Democrates fly over in another gov aircraft. WHY?? Meanwhile we are told we shuldn't run our cars in the frozen north to warm them up cause the polar bears are going to die, I wonder how many died from Obama going over twice, Al's private jet and Pelosi. Now the Russians say no one read their climate reading for years, if this is so then the world reading would be wrong. If you don't calculate half the north pole, how can it be accurate? Might explain the so called warming. SHHHH Don't ask questions
Fed up
For drill baby drill: and your Lib "party" was not regional, and was not from the (formerly) "rich"east???? What a stupid comment to make. Your "poor" east is now living (surviving)off the avails of the prostitution of the west to "Drill Baby Drill." The bigotry and self serving nature of liberalism and Liberalism knows no bounds and certainly is unable to recognise let alone accept reality.
Prof. Pye Chartt
@ Rick in NB, Ste Marie: I would argue that doing "anything" for the sake of doing "something" (as your comment suggests) is the mark of an idiot. Granted, many politicians operate this way. Thankfully, at least, we have a PM that isn't willing to be swept up in all the conflicting nonsense. If we had a pandering Liberal weenie at the helm, I agree, he/she would be falling all over him/herself to create a public international display of excited participation and obedient compliance...and Canadians would end up suffering for it, economically, after all the phony cocktail-party praise has faded away.
Freedomonger
Failure at Copenhagen would be of benefit to freedom loving people everywhere. The non-existent problem of global warming has been exposed as fudged data and politically motivated scientists (see Michael Mann, George Monbiot, James Hansen, et al).Government will just use the "treaty" to tax us, redistribute wealth to third world tyrants, and control our lives.
Mandosa
""It looks as if they really are on the cusp of failure here," CTV's Tom Kennedy told CTV's Canada AM from Copenhagen. "I don't find this journalism. "Failure" to implement a bad policy based on bad science is success. Tom Kennedy should just report the facts, not interpolate them for us.
Linda in Vancouver
I get really nervous when I hear there is a last minute panic to get a deal done.I totally believe in the concept that "haste makes waste". The object of the effort should not be to sign a deal "at any cost".TO be credible,it must be a dela that works,and that every nation on the planet can reasonably live up to. As I write this,I hear the USA and China are meeting now,in a last ditch effort to get something done.THis may be the "one world government" that alarmists have been fearing for quite some time.Personally,I am not anxious to be governed by either of them,never mind both of them.I suspect that CHina is now showing Obama the stack of US IOU's they are holding, and demanding an even bigger slice of the American Pie.Without the massive debt of the USA,held by China,Obama might be able to negotiate from a position of strength.Now,I'm not so sure. Note to self: if you want to succeed in life,and be able to take advantage of opportunities that may come along, STAY OUT OF DEBT. cc: House of Parliament. & USA Congress.
Waterloo, Ontario LM
This is not about Global Warming- oh, I mean Climate Change- they can't say Global Warming amymore, because they have discovered that its actually cooling, case and point- does anyone remember the crapy cold summer we had? anyways, this is a ploy to put in place a institutional framework, disguised in the name of saving the planet, a system where billions will be paid to the higher ups, called cap and trade. wake up this has nothing to do with the environment!!!!
Charles Regina
Once again, this is just how easy it is to show that global warming is a hoax, funded by the federal reserve.You can't fix a problem if you don't have one! Whats even funnier is that by making such a lie, you automatically lean towards a resolution that will have as little impact on you. Noone wants to lose money over nature... of course!Btw, Youtube the fall of the republic if you have a chance!!!!What they should do, is simply, pass a legislation that forces Corporations, and only corporations, to have to balance their artificial CO2 emissions with an offset. Artificial is the key word as it does not include "human produced Co2". This offset should be non-monatery.They could be even smarter, and make having an email a federal law. This way, we would never have to print anything & could just email everything. Sounds stupid, but internet gives us possibilities like that.That or restart the hemp industry....Just like the declaration of independence was made with hemp paper, so could the worlds supply.
Glenn in Winnipeg
$100 Billion a year thru 2012. Then, when no dramatic climate change impacts have occurred, the 'developing' nations will want to ramp it up to the $160 Billion per year negotiated in November with the EU states. In the current warming/cooling cycle it may be 3000 years when dramatic climate change manifests itself on the globe. Imagine paying taxes for 3000 years to support rulers like Chavez and Mugabe.Maybe there will be shuttles to other friendly planets before then. Middle class people will want to get off this scheme. Barry has not heard from middle class Americans like he will hear should he sign something as absurd as this.
reece
For the record, China IS a 3rd world nation and deservedly so. The reason why they have all this money is because they dont give a damn about their people. When the machines break (people), they are on their own and they are replaced with new machines, and if they are lucky, they wont have their parts (organs) stripped off their bodies. We need a democratic nation to build our stuff. Send the work to Mexico or even India. Yes, this could mean that China might experience a civil war but you know we as nations fought for our freedom and its about time the Chinese did the same for theirs. If thats still not convincing you then maybe you are Chinese living here in Canada and undermining our democracy from within.
edd-medhat
Mr. Harper, wear your rejection from the meeting with pride, you're showing the world that you don't have to jump in bed with the GW loonies. Obama is one of the loonies and has just demonstrated that if he can't have his way with us, he will just ignore us. Imagine (Obama) thinking he is a purveyor of the democratic system. What an idiot.The Canadian people are watching and listening.
DGL
I am disappointed at the handling of this by the media. All week, we only heard the side of the environmental groups. There was no balanced reporting in order for an engaged reader/viewer to arrive at an informed position. Harper was villified in the Canadian press all week, yet as of this morning the US and China were called the bad guys. I am suspicious that this was another attempted rip off by the dictators of poor countries and others with Swiss bank accounts, but how is one to know? I'd suggest that the Canadian media try and do a better and more balanced job in the future.
Slewhigh Yendick
@ Bill in BC,,,, That has got to be the most PROFOUND comment I have EVER read in here !!!!! You are not alone in your fears, although I have not your experience,, I certainly share your fears.. We need about 100 people like you spread throughout this dominion and we could see major positive change.. Thank you very much for the inspiration Bill
Doug @ BC
Given the direction these talks were going,I am glad to hear they are unlikely to succeed. I would add,however,that I favour talks that lead to actual reductions of CO2,and all pollutants. I just don't happen to believe that's what these talks were about. Go back to the drawing board and come up with real ideas about cleaning up the environment,and quit with the payouts to those who won't. This plan was a fraud and the wealth tranfer little more than a bribe....
charlie
For all the greenies, socialists, and lefties (and to those who are truly committed with no political agenda other than concern for the planet) who see Obama as savior in these "talks" - he can't get his party together on health care spending and America is becoming increasingly wary and concerned about the amount of money that taxpayers will have to pay to clear up all the "stimulus" spending - and you think he will ever get the Senate and Congress on side to spend billions on climate change which is not even prooven to many Americans (and prop up Mugabe abd Chavez and every tin pot dictator who wants to present themselves as a developing nation to get a slice of the pie)? Dream on.
charlie
So Canada is an environmental villan and is losing cedibility around the world.- so say the green groups. Wow! that's a revelation and from such a credible source who have never told anything but the whole truth, a few hacked e-mails not withstanding. Glad that is all cleared up and extensively reported by the controversy loving media. Well excuse me, but I have to get ready for Santa's visit on the 25th - he's coming tp leave me presents under my tree - I read that in the paper, and they wouldn't mislead me, right? I feel slightly nauseous watching and listening to this spun and re-spun bullcrap. Mrt. Harper, please come home and let the whiners whine alone.
Kerry from Calgary
I am not convinced that climate change is a man made issue nor we can effect the changes in any way. I havenever heard any serious discussion on the fact that as a planet we were much warmer up until 1450 or so. Since then the earth has been much cooler and in a lttle ice age. We are now coming out of it and is this a natural cycle or a man made issue. Remember that Greenland was actually farmed for several hundred years. You still couldn't farm on Greenland today. I am also scared to death by growing divide between the wealthy democracies and the rest of the world. What is past is past and we can not change what has happened. Putting blame on the past really doesn't work, but to have the Mugabes and Chavezes lecture the democracies is shameful, and to stand by and watch as they rant and rave without calling them out is actually disgaceful. What ever happened to the truth and challenging hypocites for what they really are. Give money to these types is abhorrent to me. Stop the rhetoric, and make up something realistic. This won't happen though as the tin-pots hold the agenda.
Matteo
So let me get this straight.... China and other "developing" countries want US to pay for their cleanups?? How about they pass laws within their own countries FIRST to keep emissions down before asking for handouts! I've been to India and there is nary a garbage bin to be seen ANYWHERE. People throw their garbage on the floor and burn it in small piles at night. How about these people educate themselves and keep their own backyards clean as any normal person would.As for the 100 billion.... FAT CHANCE! Why should us taxpayers have to dole out this money to people and governments around the world when A) we dont know how the money is being spent, and B) we should us any available money on our OWN country before helping others.Harper and Co. should pick up and leave. This Coppenhagen deal is as massive scam to get you and I to subsidise what?? More weapons for these despots to kill each other with?? More money to help supress their own people?? As far as I'm concerned, if you are a developing country, you have MORE of an opportunity to implement "green" initiatives as your infrastructure/manufacturing is still being developed compared to an industial structure that has been around for 100 years (ours) and needs to "restructure".Get off your arse China et al, and pay YOUR OWN WAY.Global warming is a natural cycle, Carbon credits are a massive fraud instituted by Al Gore and other multi-millionaires to institute more control over our lives.We Canadians need to educate ourselves and see what is really going on here. Remember people, $$ talks. Businesses and governments will not do anything unless it benefits them and their agendas (and I'm a Conservative!).
ShaneO
I'm glad this is failing and hopefully it will fail.Global Warming is not an issue because it doesn't exist. Climate Change Exists. Pollution is bad for our health, and it should be reduced, but come on people, stop trying to scare everyone with boogieman tactics of exaggeration and lying.We can't even predict the weath accurately for seven days, what makes people think they can predict what's going to happen in 50-100 years?For the last 10 years we've been told over and over again that this will be the summer the northern ice caps completely melt away.... it was supposed to happen last summer, it was supposed to happen the summer before that. Now Gore just a day or so ago claims in a couple of more decades the ice will all melt.What happened to last summer? Funny how they all seem to forget or ignore all their past claims that turned out false and then recycling the same garbage to us again and again, only to slap a different date on it.Check a few Glacier Ice Core Data charts showing the temps of thousands of years ago and you'll see that it was warmer during the Roman Empire then it is today, yet they didn't use fossil fuels.How odd.
AW from Toronto
So China is a "poor nation', eh? That's not the impression it has been projecting since the Olympics. The Chinese government has been dazzling the world with the country's economic prowess in an effort to become the the next superpower, but when it comes to actually having to sacrificing anything, it suddenly groups itself with the rest of the real poor countries in demanding rich countries for money? On the other hand, Canada, with its mere 30 million people and bitter cold winters, has to radically change its lifestyle in order to help more than 1 billion Chinese people adopting a similar lifestyle - everyone driving a car and owning multiple pieces of real estate property, to name a few? BTW, this is coming from someone of Chinese extraction who constantly has to listen to relatives and new immigrant acquaintances boasting how much better it is to live in China than here in Canada. So no racism here.
Oliver
Good. Now let's get the politicians the hell out of there before this nonsense costs us another fortune.
Shal (BC)
Where are all the leftis thumbs up and down's today? This sure backfired on them and now they will think of something else to put the govt down, but I guess they are all searching for a new motive. Amazing how it works, in minutes there are so many thumbs, and all of a sudden there are not any more. Can CTV even explain?
Melanie Fox
The world is losing vision on these environmental issues. I really hope canada says their part reduces co2 emission in the environment. I think Jean charest and make the call to Stepehen Harper, so we don't lose vision in the fire of the environment-world peace- please recycle people
Jim-Surrey
The nerve of the so called developing countries to be looking for a hand out.It is NOT the rest of the world's responsibility to fix their mess. Maybe if they had honest governments (now that's a funny one as that will never happen in any country, LOL) they could take care of themselves like the rest of us. China has so many people crowded into a small area they should have tons of money for this from taxes, so where have they wasted it?This obviously is not going to happen world wide so those countries that can afford it should get started on their own first with making car manufacturers build engines that don't produce carbon dioxide or change the fuel used like propane and give the car owners a grant to convert like their was years ago!!!!No everyone can afford these so called green cars as the price tags are too high especially if you already own a vehicle that is less than 5 years old.......................
Michael
George in Calgary: Wake up George! Wake UP! What you fail to understand in all this is that the climate is changing YES, BUT IT ISN'T MAN CAUSING IT contrary to the lies, spin and indoctrination of the leftist sheepies who want to steal our economy.
Bluespades
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search Northern hemisphere temperature reconstructions for the past 2,000 yearsThe Medieval Warm Period (MWP) or Medieval Climate Optimum was a time of warm climate in the North Atlantic region, lasting from about AD 8001300. It was followed by a cooler period in the North Atlantic termed the Little Ice Age. The MWP is often invoked in discussions of global warming. Some refer to the event as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly as this term emphasizes that effects other than
Joe
CLIMATE CHANGE: Hoax, Hoax, Hoax, Hoax, Hoax.OBAMA: Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk. I, I, I, I, I, I , I.Action ZERO.Mr. Harper, just come home and let them wallow in their own crap.
Vince M
"drill baby drill" talks about this is what you get from a regional givernment. Isn't it that the opposition is regional? Bloc only in Quebec, Liberals and NDP in metropolitan areas but pretty much locked out from the west coast to the Ontario border. Conservatives a good sampling from everywhere except for the Fiefdom of Danny the Bad Seed. Greens of course are elected nowhere - I guess that makes them the least regional.
Prof. Pye Chartt
Rumor has it that Webster's & Oxford are contemplating adding a descriptive example for the word "FARCE" in their respective dictionaries that's easily and universally understood: "Copenhagen Climate Change Summit."
Bill in BC
I have been in nasty places, with people trying to kill me, many times in the service of this country but I have NEVER felt this kind of fear before. I don't fear the myth of global warming, I don't fear the claims of food riots, of displaced persons coming to Canada. What I fear is the loss of this country, it's sovereignty and economy, our laws and customs to this fraud. I may not have a PhD in science (I do have 2 MA's in history and political science) but even I can see when there is something seriously WRONG with the science. Reputable scientists don't destroy data, conceal data from scrutiny, don't block publication of material that contradicts their own work, don't engage in political games to advance a hypothesis that has been shown to be WRONG. Everyone should email the PM (at pm@pm.gc.ca) and tell him NOT to sign onto this fraud, to instead - use the national sciences system within the federal government to properly evaluate the science (we can all see there is some continuing climate change happening always but not this doom & gloom "the sky is falling" nonsense) before signing onto any agreements that will cause such damage to Canada. The potential for critical and lasting damage to Canada is extreme if we don't speak out now.
Mike Stokes
Thankfully this Copenhagen clown parade is almost over. Lets hope that no deal is signed and the crackpots like Chavez don't receive any of our hard owned cash.
Chris in Ontariariari-Oh!
The whole problem with this proposed agreement in the first place is this transfer of money from the developed countries to the developing countries with no transparency or agreed method of tracking result's.Would you willing hand over your hard earned money not knowing where it was going or if there were positive result's from it's use based on somebody's word?.In this country there are law's against scam's such as this and we prosecute people for them,so why the hell would I trust my government to do this?.China is not a poor country even though it is a developing one it is still capable of financing it's own environmental improvement's for the benefit of it's own citizen's as pollution there affect's them all.This whole arrangement stink's and has little to do with the environment and more to do with wresting wealth from the west.Oh.and drill baby drill China is raising concern in the west over it's ever increasing investment in the oil patch as it has been on a buying spree particularly in the tar sand's.Also on another note the Conservative Party is a grassroot's populist party with little or no connection to big business whether that be oil or otherwise as recent decision's they have made have not necessarily went over well with the business community.A good example of this was the decision to tax income trust's as this impacted the oil sector the greatest.You need to get your s--t together before you start spewing the typical prepackaged tripe commonly spawned by the folk's in the left wing media.
Rick in NB, Ste Marie
In an emergency meeting of more than 20 countries and Harper wasn't invited. It doesn't say Canada wasn't invited just Harper. I hope Prentice was invited or Canada has just become irrelevant on the world stage, due to Harper's inaction on htis issue. You can be pro or con, but doing nothing is stupid to the nth degree.
JFJ
No time to waste: money is another matter.
Brian fr Langley
Step 1 have a common global enemy (how about global warming) Step2 insist on wealth redistribution in order to combat common enemy. Step 3 common enemy and wealth redistribution erodes national sovereignty. Step 4 Organize global agencies and instruments to fight common enemy as enemy to big to fight by individual nations, further reducing national sovereignty. Step 5 Rule the world. Note: If world not yet ready to be ruled repeat steps 1 through 4.
john g
I feel bad for you journalists especially. It must be very hard to report on Copenhagen without being able to fall back on your usual narrative of blaming Canada for being the world's climate villian. However do you cope?
Douglas Devnich
I am proud of the Prime Minister of Canada. He shows up as the only major league thinker in the world. He is my man... he has courage and integrity compared to the bleeding heart, socialistic calamity howlers who base their anxieties on false statistics.
Just Observing
Well I hope that Obama's presence will change the complexion of the meeting and that other leaders show some leadership and commit to a meaningful agreement - it's about time. It is obvious that Harper will not be helpful so hopefully he will just hide in the background somewhere and not get in the way. Once this is all over it will be a treat to turn on my TV in the morning to catch the news and not have to watch 'Environment' Minister Prentice, with that smug look of his, staring at the camera and telling Canadians that he is 'working hard' at these negotiations and that the Harper Conservatives are so much smarter than the former government because 'we will tie our commitments to whatever the U.S. does'. Well Mr. Prentice, you either have a short memory or have been poorly briefed. The Cretien government did exactly that and got burned when the U.S. refused to ratify Kyoto. Google that Mr. Prentice and get your facts right before you again try to tell Canadians a story.
tom
I think there should be global standards for all countries with regard to the level of abuse any nation can inflict upon this planet. Such things as our tar sands and extensive deforestation should simply not be permitted. The planet has warmed and cooled in a cyclic manner many times over the millinea and will bounce back despite global warming. As one of many species we may not be so fortunate if we continue to want to "conquer nature" rather then respecting and living in harmony with it. Time will tell. I would rather see a strong deal at a later date than a weak deal come out of these meetings. It would also be good if Canada took a leading role in these matters rather than once again following in the footsteps of the USA. Mr Harper seems to have more interest in maintaining his tar sands than protecting our environment.
trunorth
The commentators, so far, give the impression that they know what is going on at these talks, and know what the solution is to this "alleged" global problem. I sure wish someone would explain it in terms that this humble nimrod could understand.
Portes
China and India have just walked out of the talks. I wonder why??I guess they did not get their palms geased enough. China saying that it does not want people in it's country to monitor anything. As I have said all along, it was a waste of time and money. Why don't the US and Canada get together and do their own deal and to hell with the rest of the wrold
Sandy NS
Iam not fond of Obama and what he says.He's all talk, but in this case, if he cant give money, that he does not have,to another country without some strings attached, then he should just walk out.He has only been there for 4/5 hours, what a joke this has all been.The pressure has been on for harper to ne there, and I can see why he didnt want to bother.Its all a joke!
David - Winnipeg
drill baby drill, enough of the partisan rhetoric! The Liberals sat on Kyoto and did nothing. The Tories inherited that mess, and get blamed by the eco-nazis fot it. Call a spade a spade, I'm all for a measured and calm approach to this. I take exception to the alarmism created by the looney-left fringe.
Asmata
Someone HAS to post a total CO2 number that this entire 2 week fiasco spewed out into the atmosphere... and charge 'em cap and trade for next time...
Frank Buchan
We probably should ignore the world for a decade and deal with out pollution problems for the sake of ourselves. The problem with this exercise this far is that to sustain positive change requires a human nature driven approach, which is appeal to the greed of the average person; sending money overseas doesn't do that.
Jesse
And, how much do these 'climate conferences' cost and how much of that cost do we subsidize via the UN? Mexico City sounds really nice! This is a complete joke and a waste of time. It is another excuse for the UN to hose the international community to keep itself afloat, some 'long-terms' employed and pensioned, and to continually feed us the 'fear factor.' The world needs a new consulting / common ground authority. An overhaul that should be completed well-clear of the current UN. Cutting emissions should be about improving the overall quality of life for Earth's citizens, not about scientific facts that are certainly now in question. And, to sign something 'hours from now' that is in question at this very moment would be completely foolish.
Rob
People have been complaining about our Prime Minister not taking the lead on Climate Change talks in Copenhagen. Well, he has taken the lead. He is the only world leader not bending over backwards to bankrupt his own country to irresponsibly send money overseas for incapable governments to disburse. The proponents of Climate Change theory are the same ones who tell us our 5 continents were one big mass billions of years ago. Continents shift, Islands rise and fall, coastlines come and go and sea levels ebb and flow - this is the earth's history. As we watch the earth cool over the next few years Canada will be glad we had a Prime Minister who appeared disengaged in Copenhagen; he should be.
Mead
Instead of all these silly games of cap and trade, or pay a 3rd world country a big wad of cash, why not just make coal fired power plants illegal. Nuclear / hydro / wind / solar only. Forget all the games. Forget all the politics. Not to say I believe in anything, I'm just sayin... get real. We all breath the same air. Say NO to the big UN scam.
allan
What a joke! Sure, we are going to believe countries like Iran, who is already hiding their nuclear destruction policy, Venezuala under the despot Chavez, Mugabe, etc., etc.,As insignificant as it might be, I will not vote for any party that gives my money away to thesedirtbags!
Portes
annieI am sorry to tell you that acording to the BBC this morning they last past the weekend unless an agreement is reached. I can't understand how the world leaders have so much time to waste on something like this. They should be back in their own countries solving problems at home. Waste of time waste of money. Our money
NOBama
What ever the issue, if Obama is trying to do the fast sell and ram it down our throats, you have to know it is not going to be good.
simon
QUOTE. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was not invited to attend the emergency meeting held Friday, according to a list of attendees provided by the White House. UNQUOTE. Any wonder Why he was NOT INVITED? Perhaps everybody now realise that Harper does not have any constructive opinion to offer...
allan
Looks like the U.S. and Canada have similarapproaches, but Obama will be treated like the second coming, and Mr. Harper will be demonized. Big farce, come home Mr. Harper
Paul in Saskatoon
Perhaps Obama's sudden lack of excitement has a little bit to do with advisors whispering in his ear that the whole IPCC story on global warming is a scam; that if he pushes too hard there won't hardly be a Democrat left standing come the 2010 elections. By the time Sentator Inhofe is done and the lawyers have started their dirty but necessary work, even the climate shills in the media will be taken aback by the depth and breadth of the AGW scam. Hopefully, the chief scammer, one Dr. Pachauri, will be caught in the net ... after all, his many "green" companies and associates are lined up like pigs at the trough to reap billions from carbon trading. As well, by the time this is all done, perhaps the greens so dedicated to destroying our economy will also be forced to face the fact that carbon trading, which would make the corporate sector trillions while doing next to nothing in curbing CO2 emissions was the goal of the IPCC all along. Just ask yourselves ... why were banks, hedge funds, and big oil lining up at the trough? Why were they pushing for "success" at Copehhagen more than anybody else? Like always, follow the money and it will lead you to the source of trouble. Clearly though, Obama is getting nervous now that the CRU leak let the cat out of the bag and the first rats are starting to slink off of the ship. Only die-hard true believers are going to ride this one to the end.
Old Ted
China has a million man army, the nuclear bomb, a space programme and a big chunk of the world's manufacturing. They and their multi-national buddies can more than afford to do something about cleaning up their environmental problems. India, Pakistan and others can also afford the bomb, and big armies. What's their problem. The US, well, they are bankrupt, so I can sort of see where they are coming from. As for us, Canada, we are only thirty four million amongst billions. The little bit of pollution that we do is really nothing in the grand scheme of things, but at least we too can do our share in cleaning up the environment.
syko
The sooner they all fly home in their private jets the better.
SK Doctor
China had more money than anyone and has a massive carbon foorprint...they need to pay up or shut up...
Warren in toon town
For once I agree with Obama in that the whole world needs to be online if they are going to spend the kind of money they want. Although the world is not going to come to and end and flood like all those alarmists are trying to tell us. Looks like Mr. Harper is right we need to work together especially with the US on this matter and not to have a Kyoto Protocol mess like the Liberals handed us before.
Michael (Ottawa)
"A growing tension between rich and poor countries has also undermined the ongoing negotiations.">>Of course there was tension because this fraud is now been seen for what it is and the people of the world are speaking out against this glo-"bull" fraud. Its a good sign Canada wasn't invited to the secret meeting of the socialist elite, we have that to be thankful for.Mr. Harper, come home now and leave these socialist fraudsters to there own.
drill baby drill
Canada has been a complete embarrassment. Electing a regional government to govern a national agenda gets you these results.The conservative/reform are a sham with a few strategically placed figure heads in the east to give the illusion of a national party.But make no mistake they take their lead from ivory towers in oil rich west. Nobody should be surprised a regional party looks after its own yard first.The stunning thing is much of the rest of Canada seems completely ignorant about their agenda.We would expect a Bloc government would push a Quebec agenda so why be stunned the Tories are advancing Alberta"s.
Robbo
What did you expect? Putting tremendous time pressure on, having the world leaders show up on the last day, professional protesters disrupting as much as they can, and no solid scientific consensus on how much, what happens, why it happens, how to fix it. Cap and trade is stupid, it will not reduce pollution, rich companies will just by more "credits" if they need them, and 4000 year old "developping" societies throwing absurd amounts ($100,000,000,000) that self made prosperous countries should pay...fly home, and next time, have a Webex.
Slewhigh Yendick
So, it boils down to USA and China eh? The rich VS the poor. But which is which?Just thought of something, is there any international 'chapter 11' bankrupcy provisions? It is a given that USA owes trillions to China. Could an agreement at Copenhagen affect this debt in anyway?? Conversely is this debt affecting the talks in any way ??Inquiring minds want to know....
Dan.D.
I would like to see C.T.V. reports on the massive fraud that is taking place with cap and trade in the E.U. Some group goes into a country and buy carbon credits, sell to another country and keep the taxes, move on to another country and start all over, leaving the tax payers with the bill.
George in Calgary
Climate change is a problem for sure and it will continue to be a problem. Spurious scientific emails aside it is quite obvious that the world's climatic temperature is rising and weather patterns are changing.For this dollar amount each developed nation should put forward perhaps it should be based on their affect on the world. I think Canada's level in the grand scheme is rather low. Simple multiplication would show that even at $100 billion per year required our contribution would be many dollars but affordable. So how do we get the money? Without being specific I think we all can see that even with some government slimming down that this figure could be met very easily.On an individual basis perhaps if wind generators and solar panel systems were more affordable then more of us would change over. I know I would. Although I haven't exactly priced it out I have heard figures close to $50,000 (let me know). If that were in the $5,000 range then I would jump without hesitation.
Mead
Right now China puts out as much CO2 as the USA, but China has 4x the population. If China is protected as a 'developing county' then imaging the CO2 chart shooting up 4x as China grows. And where does Canada sit on the CO2 map - we are the tiny dot way down on the bottom.
annie
Thank goodness that's finally over with.
Adam, Montreal
Ah, just let mother nature deal with it herself. She we will know how to get people to cut down on pollution. Unofrtuneatly she doesnt seem to like to negotiate verywell when the time comes.
Chris
The Pro-Socialo-Communist Radicalist in action!!
Portes
Suprise. Suprise. China does not want anyone within their borders as they can say what they want, but will do what they want. These talks are a failure, it just show that a lot of people do not belive in the scam that is going on. I would like all of the climate people to come out and give us figures that are true and not ones they make up. How about it , the truth, that will never happen. I can't afford to pay any more taxes so I hope the Government does not expect us to do so,I will go to jail first
MikefromHalifax
Mr. Harper. If its that hard to convince yourself that this is a deal worth making, then chances are, it's not. Don't rush into signing an agreement for the sake of producing some future legacy for yourself (remember Jean Chretien). This is too important to everyone to let egos prevail. If it feels wrong, it probably is.
you wanted you got it
Weell , it looks like we'll be subsidising Hugo Chaves and Robert Mugabe as well as every other crackpot dictaor on the planet . Are they going to buy weapons with our tax dollars . We should feel proud . We can help the developing nation , China , build the largest military on the globe and put more sattelites in orbit . yay .
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