Ludwig

10 June 2010

As Ludwig observed the evening SBSTA session, his mood changed from mid-week ennui to the edge of irritation.  Clearly, what the OPECs need to do is take a lesson from the Annex I forest management folk. After all, fossil fuels are merely dead vegetation and we all know that emissions from dead vegetation need not be accounted for, or else only voluntarily. A well constructed forward-looking baseline, with all BAU fossil fuel burning incorporated into it, would obviate the need to account for any fossil fuel emissions. Zero carbon economies would then be attainable almost immediately with no behavioural change required whatsoever.  Oil would  take its proper place as the new biofuel.  There is the small matter of staying below any temperature limit at all, but in the event we could easily agree a global deal by Friday and make life a lot simpler.  Of course, as the saying goes, if the rising water swamps the other end of the lifeboat, your side will also drown.