Friday, December 11, 2009

Cop 15-My First Day

I got into Copenhagen this morning and got myself all registered as a delegate. Copenhagen is a wonderful city, but I have spent most of my time thus far at the Conference itself, and it is hard not to notice one thing in particular: Every time you turn around, China has some kind of presence. From having its own pavilion boasting of what China has either done or is planning on doing, to leading the group of 77 developing nations, it is impossible to ignore the voice of China at this conference. As both a developing nation and an economic giant, it is well positioned to emerge as a broker in any successful climate talks.More importantly, China’s rise in the discussion of green development, which could give China a massive comparative advantage as we transition into a lower-carbon emitting economy in the 21st century are not simply imagined. China has invested in green tech to demonstrate an advantage to some.

While some are pointing to the “Climategate” affair as an excuse to dismiss the conference, a few sentences which are taken totally out of context do not an affair make , (nor does releasing a sexy time later) China is surely cheering on the climate skeptics who are attempting to cause the greatest market failure since the Depression. The new economic industrial order will be a green one, and the skeptics bring nothing to the depate.

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