{"id":292931,"date":"2023-12-29T11:16:53","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T10:16:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=292931"},"modified":"2023-12-29T11:16:57","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T10:16:57","slug":"mckitrick-cop28-worse-threat-than-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=292931","title":{"rendered":"McKitrick: COP28 Worse Threat Than You\u00a0Think"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Crude Oil Reserves Concept with 3D Rendered Oil Barrels and Oil Pump Photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Science Matters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Ron Clutz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
A demonstration against fossil fuels at the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. PHOTO BY PETER DEJONG\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ross McKitrick writes at Financial Post: The only thing wrong with the globalist climate agenda \u2014 the people won\u2019t have it  <\/strong><\/a>Excerpts in italics with my bolds and added images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phasing out fossil fuels is going to cost way more than ordinary people
will accept.\u00a0 Delegates to COP28 clearly didn\u2019t understand that<\/mark><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s tempting to dismiss the outcome of COP28,<\/strong>\u00a0the recent United Nations climate change conference in the United Arab Emirates,\u00a0as mere verbiage<\/strong>, especially the \u201chistoric\u201d UAE Consensus about transitioning away from fossil fuels. After all, this is the 28th such conference and the\u00a0previous ones all pretty much came to nothing.<\/strong>\u00a0On a chart showing the steady rise in global CO2 emissions since 1950 you cannot spot when the\u00a01997 Kyoto Protocol entered into force (2002),<\/strong>\u00a0with its supposedly historic language binding developed countries\u00a0to cap their CO2 emissions<\/strong>\u00a0at five per cent below 1990 levels\u00a0by 2012<\/strong>, which they didn\u2019t do. The\u00a02015 Paris Agreement<\/strong>\u00a0also contained \u201chistoric\u201d language that bound countries to further\u00a0deep emission reductions<\/strong>. Yet the COP28 declaration begins with an admission that the\u00a0parties are not on track for compliance.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Still, we should not overlook the real meaning of the UAE Consensus.<\/mark><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

COP agreements used to focus on one thing: targets for reducing greenhouse gases. The\u00a0UAE Consensus<\/strong>\u00a0is very different. Across its 196 paragraphs and 10 supplementary declarations it\u2019s\u00a0a manifesto for global central planning<\/strong>. In their own words, some\u00a090,000 government functionaries aspire to oversee and micromanage<\/strong>\u00a0agriculture, finance, energy, manufacturing, gender relations, health care, air conditioning, building design and countless other economic and social decisions. It\u2019s all\u00a0supposedly in the name of fighting climate change, but that\u2019s just the pretext<\/strong>. Take climate away and they\u2019d likely appeal to something else.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Climate change doesn\u2019t necessitate such plans.<\/mark><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economists<\/span>\u00a0have been studying climate change for many decades and have\u00a0never considered it grounds to phase out fossil fuels, micromanage society, manage gender relations and so on.<\/span>\u00a0Mainstream scientific findings, coupled with mainstream economic analysis, prescribe moderate emission-pricing policies that\u00a0rely much more on adaptation than mitigation.<\/span>The fact that the UAE Consensus is\u00a0currently non-binding is beside the point.<\/span>\u00a0What matters is what the\u00a0COP28 delegates have said they want to achieve.<\/span>\u00a0Two facts<\/span>\u00a0stand out: the consensus document announced\u00a0plans that would cause enormous economic harm<\/span>\u00a0if implemented,\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0it was\u00a0approved unanimously<\/span>\u00a0\u2014 yes, by everyone in the room.<\/em><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The first point is best illustrated by the language around eliminating fossil fuels. Climate policy is supposed to be about optimally reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As technology gradually allows emissions to be de-coupled from fuel use, there may eventually be no need to cut back on fuels. But activist delegates insisted on abolitionist language anyway, making elimination of fossil fuels an end in itself. Such fuels are of course essential for our economic standard of living, and 30 years of economic analysis has consistently shown that, even taking account of emissions, phasing out fuels would do humanity far more harm than good. The Consensus statement ignores this, even while claiming to be guided by \u201cthe science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0second point<\/strong>\u00a0refers to the fact that all representatives of\u00a0all governments worldwide endorsed policies that will, if implemented, do extraordinary harm to their own people.<\/strong>\u00a0Where governments have made\u00a0even small attempts to take these radical steps, the public has rebelled.<\/strong>\u00a0This calls into question\u00a0whom the COP28 delegates actually \u201crepresent.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0A few elected officials did attend, but\u00a0no one voted for the great majority of attendees<\/strong>. And have no doubt: even if some heads of state, whether courageous or foolhardy, did go to COP intent on opposing the overall agenda, they would almost certainly be\u00a0browbeaten into signing the final package.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The UAE Consensus is the latest indication that the\u00a0real fault line in contemporary society is not right versus left, it\u2019s the people versus (for lack of a better word) the globalists.<\/strong>\u00a0A decade ago this term was only heard on the conspiracy fringe. It has since migrated to the mainstream as the most apt descriptor of\u00a0a permanent transnational bureaucracy that aspires to run everything<\/strong>, even to the public\u2019s detriment, while insulating themselves from democratic limits.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A hallmark of globalists is their credo of \u201crules for thee but not for me.\u201d<\/strong> Thousands of delegates fly to Davos or to the year\u2019s COP, many on private jets, to be wined and dined as they advise the rest of us to learn to do without.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Two sides of the same coin.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On both COVID-19 and climate change, the same elite has invoked \u201cthe science,\u201d<\/strong> not in support of good decision-making, but as a talisman to justify everything they do<\/strong>, including censoring public debate. Complex and uncertain matters are reduced to dogmatic slogans by technocrats<\/strong> who force-feed political leaders a one-sided information stream. Experts outside the process are accorded standing based solely on their obeisance to the preferred narrative, not their knowledge or qualifications. Critics are attacked as purveyors of \u201cmisinformation\u201d and \u201cdisinformation.\u201d Any opposition to government plans therefore proves the need to suppress free speech.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, however, the people get the last word<\/strong>. And despite nonstop fear-mongering about an alleged climate crisis, the people tolerate climate policy only insofar as it costs almost nothing.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The climate movement may think<\/strong>\u00a0that by embedding itself in the globalist elite\u00a0it can accelerate policy adoption without needing to win elections.<\/strong>\u00a0In fact, the\u00a0opposite is happening<\/strong>. Globalists have co-opted the climate issue to try to sell a grotesque central planning agenda that the public has repeatedly rejected.\u00a0If the UAE Consensus is the future of climate policy, climate policy\u2019s failure is guaranteed.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Phasing out fossil fuels is going to cost way more than ordinary people
\nwill accept.\u00a0 Delegates to COP28 clearly didn\u2019t understand that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":292947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Phasing out fossil fuels is going to cost way more than ordinary people\nwill accept.\u00a0 Delegates to COP28 clearly didn\u2019t understand that","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818056,691818076,691818260,691818228,691825193,691820339,691825780],"class_list":["post-292931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-climate-change","tag-co2","tag-cop28","tag-fossil-fuels","tag-greenhouse-gas-ghg","tag-ross-mckitrick","tag-uae-consensus","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0crude-oil-growth.jpg?fit=1688%2C1125&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1ecH","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":260876,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=260876","url_meta":{"origin":292931,"position":0},"title":"Guardian COP28 Circus: Our Last Hope is an Arab Oil Sheik who Plans to Increase Production","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/06\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The window is closing\u2019: Cop28 must deliver change of course on climate","rel":"","context":"In \"COP28\"","block_context":{"text":"COP28","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=cop28"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0sultan-al-jaber-le-pdg-dune-compagnie-petroliere-emiratie-v0-wbefQm_xUXaEAGIjEYPz8kbl9LqC57kjFErQrI8WAy8.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0sultan-al-jaber-le-pdg-dune-compagnie-petroliere-emiratie-v0-wbefQm_xUXaEAGIjEYPz8kbl9LqC57kjFErQrI8WAy8.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0sultan-al-jaber-le-pdg-dune-compagnie-petroliere-emiratie-v0-wbefQm_xUXaEAGIjEYPz8kbl9LqC57kjFErQrI8WAy8.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0sultan-al-jaber-le-pdg-dune-compagnie-petroliere-emiratie-v0-wbefQm_xUXaEAGIjEYPz8kbl9LqC57kjFErQrI8WAy8.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0sultan-al-jaber-le-pdg-dune-compagnie-petroliere-emiratie-v0-wbefQm_xUXaEAGIjEYPz8kbl9LqC57kjFErQrI8WAy8.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":292220,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=292220","url_meta":{"origin":292931,"position":1},"title":"COP 28: Climate Hysteric Peter Kalmus Has the Sads","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/21\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In the latest episode of what could be mistaken for a satirical comedy, Dr. Peter Kalmus, a self-proclaimed climate activist and NASA scientist, has expressed his dismay over the recent COP28 summit. His opinion piece,\u00a0\u201cCOP Out: Wrapping Up a Useless Climate Summit That Should Fool Nobody,\u201d\u00a0reads like a script from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"climate hysteric\"","block_context":{"text":"climate hysteric","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-hysteric"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0FP94OgJacAIRzli-f4f6185e0eec4f2e8d89d4178eb51dff.jpeg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0FP94OgJacAIRzli-f4f6185e0eec4f2e8d89d4178eb51dff.jpeg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0FP94OgJacAIRzli-f4f6185e0eec4f2e8d89d4178eb51dff.jpeg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0FP94OgJacAIRzli-f4f6185e0eec4f2e8d89d4178eb51dff.jpeg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0FP94OgJacAIRzli-f4f6185e0eec4f2e8d89d4178eb51dff.jpeg?fit=1200%2C903&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":289828,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=289828","url_meta":{"origin":292931,"position":2},"title":"Cop28 president says there is \u2018no science\u2019 behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/03\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"UAE\u2019s Sultan Al Jaber says phase-out of coal, oil and gas would take world \u2018back into caves\u2019 The president of\u00a0Cop28, Sultan Al Jaber, has claimed there is \u201cno science\u201d indicating that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global heating to 1.5C, the Guardian and the Centre for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Ant\u00f3nio Guterres\"","block_context":{"text":"Ant\u00f3nio Guterres","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=antonio-guterres-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/093044519-2501-45e2-b8dc-01e1098731b1.webp?fit=1200%2C804&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/093044519-2501-45e2-b8dc-01e1098731b1.webp?fit=1200%2C804&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/093044519-2501-45e2-b8dc-01e1098731b1.webp?fit=1200%2C804&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/093044519-2501-45e2-b8dc-01e1098731b1.webp?fit=1200%2C804&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/093044519-2501-45e2-b8dc-01e1098731b1.webp?fit=1200%2C804&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":291012,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=291012","url_meta":{"origin":292931,"position":3},"title":"\u201cCOP28\u2019s Fossil Fuel Phaseout: A Comedy of Errors\u201d","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/12\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In a performance worthy of the finest comedians, the COP28 climate summit has managed to turn its bold proclamation of ending fossil fuels into a farcical retreat.\u00a0Politico\u2019s recent article, dated December 11, 2023, paints a vivid picture of this tragicomic scene.","rel":"","context":"In \"Al Gore\"","block_context":{"text":"Al Gore","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=al-gore"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0laughing-people-as-an-illustration.webp?fit=1200%2C502&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0laughing-people-as-an-illustration.webp?fit=1200%2C502&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0laughing-people-as-an-illustration.webp?fit=1200%2C502&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0laughing-people-as-an-illustration.webp?fit=1200%2C502&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0laughing-people-as-an-illustration.webp?fit=1200%2C502&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":291313,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=291313","url_meta":{"origin":292931,"position":4},"title":"Hug your children today! The UN has struck a deal to end fossil fuels & save the planet!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/14\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Cop28 live: landmark deal to \u2018transition away\u2019 from fossil fuels agreed\u00a0\u2013 The delegate for\u00a0Paraguay\u00a0welcomes the agreement as \u201causpicous\u201d but points out that \u201cwe need to see a big increase in climate financing\u201d.","rel":"","context":"In \"climate financing\"","block_context":{"text":"climate financing","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-financing"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/00Screenshot-2023-12-14-191126-1.png?fit=1149%2C769&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/00Screenshot-2023-12-14-191126-1.png?fit=1149%2C769&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/00Screenshot-2023-12-14-191126-1.png?fit=1149%2C769&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/00Screenshot-2023-12-14-191126-1.png?fit=1149%2C769&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/00Screenshot-2023-12-14-191126-1.png?fit=1149%2C769&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":291577,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=291577","url_meta":{"origin":292931,"position":5},"title":"\u201cMany Will Die\u201d: Climate Scientists Respond to COP28 Fiasco","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/16\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Of course as COP28 demonstrated,\u00a0you can just wait until the most intransigent delegates are out of the room\u00a0before calling a vote.","rel":"","context":"In \"climate scientists\"","block_context":{"text":"climate scientists","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-scientists"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-2023-07-13T175226.859.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-2023-07-13T175226.859.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-2023-07-13T175226.859.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-2023-07-13T175226.859.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=292931"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":292949,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292931\/revisions\/292949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/292947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=292931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=292931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=292931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}