Monday 18 July 2016

Abolishing DECC Offends 'The Elders' ...

Of all the interventions from the audience at the delightfully fast-moving show that is British politics, this has to be one of the funniest.  It's from "The Elders".
We regret decision to scrap @DECCgovuk. #Climatechange shd be priority for UK to meet #COP21 pledges but this will not encourage leadership.
We know Ed Miliband is pretty pissed off about the demise of DECC, but wow, he's got support from The Elders!   Who?  It's Nelson Mandela (worrying from beyond the grave), Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, and Mary Robinson, to name but a few.

The whole COP21 things was itself a jolly fine festival of comedy at the time, and hasn't sobered up much since.  You will recall that last December 994 nations came up with the 'Paris Agreement', which committed them to two-tenths of bugger all.  It was to be 'signed' in April (which it was - in New York, at a big piss-up, which is the kind of thing they actually know how to do); but unless it is ratified by quite a large number of the big players by the end of one year, it will be null and void.  Has anyone ratified it?  Yes: a handful of island nations who fear disappearing off the map as the oceans rise; plus, errrr, France.  Yes, France it was who orchestrated the whole empty thing, because it is M.Hollande's legacy, don't you know.

Elder Mary Robinson has yet more to say on the subject
The likely US Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, has said he would try to unpick the deal, but Robinson said if it was ratified by the US this year “unwinding it would be very prolonged and difficult
Difficult for whom?  The Agreement states that after ratification, anyone wishing to abandon it must merely notify the registrar of ratifying countries.  Sounds rather easy to me.

The appropriate response must be the one Father Ted was obliged to give after losing a forfeit.  He had say to b*ll*cks very loudly in front of President Mary Robinson ...

ND

10 comments:

Scan said...

The Elders was started by Branson and was his first foray into Bono/Geldof quantities of sermonising sanctimony. Saying that, I found that out in his autobiography, which is bloody excellent.

Nick Drew said...

@ island nations who fear disappearing off the map as the oceans rise

The Chinese can fix that.

Anonymous said...

I thought old people's opinions didn't count, or maybe that was just for Brexit

Anonymous said...

Going a bit OT, I didn't realize how much brown stuff the italian banks were up to their eyesballs in until I read this -

http://tinyurl.com/gt6tlrj

I see also the ratings agencies were once again gold plating turds.

Electro-Kevin said...

On Elder Mary Robinson's article:

China at 20.09% of Global Greenhouse Gas emissions.

How much of that is linked to production outsourced from the West... done in response to punitive energy taxation ?

The Left always ALWAYS bring us unintended consequences.

Electro-Kevin said...

Anon @ 8.52

Banks aren't the only problem Italy has.

I was in Milan/Como a month ago and the refugee crisis there is truly shocking.

Lots and lots of pushy young men of fighting age who are clearly not Italian. I understand that these are transients making their way to Northern Europe but to the average Italian I doubt it makes a difference.

There is a curious aparthied going on - based on denial rather than racism. I would have felt very insecure were it not for the fact that Milan is now like a military state with a troop carrier on every corner and gun toting police everywhere.

Not the romantic trip I'd planned for my wife. Well, it was, but only in the sense that we felt like young and intrepid adventurers in an exotic country.

Dick the Prick said...

Ha ha - this is genuinely really amusing.

Nick Drew said...

It gets better:

Philippines won't honour UN climate deal, says president. Duterte says Paris climate pact seeks to dictate to developing countries and limit economic growth

James Higham said...

We know Ed Miliband is pretty pissed off about the demise of DECC, but wow, he's got support from The Elders! Who? It's Nelson Mandela (worrying from beyond the grave), Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, and Mary Robinson, to name but a few.

Al the reason needed to disband it.

Anonymous said...

What do you get if you set up a failed bank, and pursue policies that lead to the closure of your employer?

Step up Lord Barker of DECC. He of the Green Bank fiasco.

http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-barker-of-battle/1389