Waste of Time, Money, and Space

 Round and Round the Doha

One of the things we have always appreciated about Greenpeace is their measured language.  It's a rare thing to encounter eco-warriors (or warriors of any sort, for that matter) speaking in reasoned tones.  Greenpeace have never been guilty of hyperbole, of exaggeration, or anything remotely approaching distortion.  Yet Greenpeace always manages to tell it like it is.  Here are a few classic examples of its mature style and responsible panache:

"Exxon hates your children"
"This is about human survival"
"An Open Letter to Barack Obama: We Are Running Out of Time"
 "Politicians need to cut the crap and cut the carbon!"
"Typhoon hits Philippines, will this be another warning for politicians"

All the above were tweets from Kumi Naidoo, who is self-styled as:  "Activist. Humanist. Speaking truth to power. Greenpeace International Executive Director."

 So how is the great carbon proliferation in Doha going?
  Exactly as expected.  Nowhere--thankfully.  The problem?  The Telegraph reports that money has run out in the West. 

Developed countries are being pressed to show how they intend to keep a promise to raise climate funding for poorer nations to $US100 billion ($96 million) per year by 2020 - up from a total of $US30 billion in 2010-2012.

Developing countries say they need at least another $US60 billion between now and 2015, starting with $US20 billion from next year, to deal with increased droughts, floods, rising sea levels and storms.  But the United States and European Union have refused to put concrete figures on the table for 2013-2020 funding, citing tough financial times.

"The EU cannot accept a text that includes a commitment to $60 billion in public money in 2015 considering the budget constraints that we face," French development minister Pascal Canfin told journalists.

Which reminds us that Baroness Thatcher was always right on the money when she reminded us that the problem with Socialism is that it eventually runs out of money--other people's, that is.  Then, the end will come.  Somehow we don't think that's the particular end of the human race contemplated by our reasoned, friendly good old boy, Naidoo.  Activist! Humanist! Speaker of truth to power!