Doha Climate Change Conference - November 2012
The 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC and the 8th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol will take place from Monday, 26 November to Friday, 7 December 2012 at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, Qatar.From the CIA World Factbook on Qatar: “oil and gas still account for more than 50% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas likely have made Qatar the second highest per-capita income country” and “Proved oil reserves in excess of 25 billion barrels should enable continued output at current levels for 57 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, more than 13% of the world total and third largest in the world.”
Some of the opulence in Qatar provided by its fossil fuel revenues can be seen here. Proposed stadiums for the 2022 World Cup can be seen here.
The hypocrisy of the UN COP 18 participants will be on full display during the conference. As Richard Tol has tweeted: Civil servants, lobbyists and academics are getting ready to fly to a warm place to convince us that warmth is bad and we should fly less. Can you imagine a government where 70% of its revenues come from fossil fuels is going to commit to a reduction of its CO2 emissions and leave its 25 billion barrels of oil in the ground as people like Bill McKibben think is necessary to save the planet from its non-existent fever? He says “It’s simple math: we can burn 565 more gigatons of carbon and stay below 2°C of warming — anything more than that risks catastrophe for life on earth. The only problem? Fossil fuel corporations now have 2,795 gigatons in their reserves, five times the safe amount. And they’re planning to burn it all — unless we rise up to stop them.” He says “to slow the process down and ultimately stop it — the fossil fuel industry would need to commit to keeping 80 percent of its reserves in the ground, forever, and help bring about a rapid shift to clean energy.”
Can a government that receives 70% of its revenues from fossil fuels be convinced to leave 80% of its reserves in the ground to save the planet?
Not likely.
It is about that time that the governments of oil producing countries will begin to see the merits of the skeptic’s case. They will seize on the lack of warming and lack of proof that severe weather is on the increase as evidence against CO2 being the driving force of any climate changes.
With winter daytime temperatures averaging 34C you can bet the delegates to the conference will be using their fossil fuel powered A/C full blast. Note that COP 18 is being held in November at 25N latitude and not in Oslo at 59N . Wonder why?
The CIA World Factbook reports that Qatar’s electricity generation is 100% fossil fuel based meaning 0% from renewables. That was a 2009 figure.The hypocrisy of the delegates will be on full display as they take in the hospitality of their fossil fuel rich hosts although I am sure they will note the use of solar power in Doha. Some of their sports stadiums are or will be solar powered.
Qatar will benefit from the influx of delegate dollars and will be good hosts so that the delegates will pass on their good experiences to the people back home who may now want to visit.
Has Qatar experienced any global warming? The citizens are used to 40C summer daytime highs. Would they notice a warming trend?
The delusions and good times continue in Qatar. Continue the delusions to continue the good times. It is the delegate docket.
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