Doha UN climate talks to conclude with few conclusions

Unsurprisingly, reports coming out of the Qatari capital, Doha, are less than optimistic. It seems that the UN Climate Conference will end this weekend, no doubt after frnatic last minute over-night negotiations, with little to no progress towards preserving our collective future. Despite scientists increasingly fraught warnings of impending climate disaster politicians, diplomats and lobbyists continue to procrastinate and prevaricate over efforts to limit the effects of climate change. Environment analyst, Roger Harrabin, reporting from Doha for the BBC even suggests that this latest round of negotiations intended to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases may actually have the direct opposite effect;

But this conference - the 18th Conference of the Parties, or COP18 - will not prevent any CO2 being released into the atmosphere - that will be left to future meetings. Indeed if it does not tighten the rules on "hot air" this conference could result in an increase in emissions.

Cynical as I am about the prospects for this latest international effort I will be the first to admit that even I did not forsee a situation where talks to reduce and limit greenhouse gas emissions could ever result in an increase in those same emissions...  This has to be a new low for the UN process.

Some-one once said - "it is only when mankind is standing on the precipice, on the very brink of disaster, that he will recognise the danger and adapt." I say that moment has arrived. We are currently pearched precariously on the precipice of a number global crises - climate, population, food, energy, biodiversity etc - but still our leaders refuse to recognise the danger and adapt. I am at a loss as to why. What possible gain can come from endless rounds of negotiations dragging out year after year, never quite achieving their goal but forever offering the faint glimmer of hope that next time progress will be made. Next time...

Is it any wonder that some people begin to think the unthinkable; that certain parties - be they governments, corporations or other interest groups - are deliberately sabotaging global efforts to tackle these issues so vital to our continued 'peaceful' existence on this plant. Personally, I prefer to believe that simple fear and greed are to blame rather than some insidious 'Illuminati' conspiracy to depopulate and subjugate the masses. Blind denial of the scientific realities of our current situation can surely only be a response to the fear of facing the reality of a world ravaged by runaway climate change or a desire to profit from any situation however immoral those profits may be.

Maybe my pessimism is misplaced. Perhaps there is still hope for a sudden and dramatic turnaround in policy. Accordng to most sources we are not yet out time - not quite. Depending on who you listen to we have any-where from 48 months to maybe five years to act in a decisive and comprehensive manner. But the longer we leave it the more drastic and painful those actions will need to be.

Maybe COP19 will be the moment...