Reference: No change US blasted at talks, Bangkok Post, October 7, 2009

It appears that the Europeans have taken the high road scolding developing countries and blasting the USA for doing so much less than they have done to mitigate climate change (No change US blasted at talks, Bangkok Post, October 7, 2009). Europe has committed to cutting carbon dioxide emissions at least 20% by 2020 although it is not clear at this point how much of that reduction will be achieved by reducing the amount of carbon based fuels used in Europe and how much of it represents offsets purchased by rich Europeans from poor developing countries. The developing countries are in a fix. They are expected to run carbon offset programs for the Europeans that they can't claim as their own while at the same time being scolded by Europeans for not cutting their own emissions. Apparently they will be given some kind of "international development aid" by the Europeans to achieve the emission reduction targets the Europeans want but there is a monkey wrench in that program too. Both sides agree the amount needed is 100 billion Euros per year but the Europeans have yet to offer anything close to that figure. Besides, as economist and author Christopher Lingle has pointed out, international development aid is a failed model and a rat hole through which more than $2 trillion have passed in the war against poverty without measurable results. Are we expected to believe that the same program will work in the war against carbon dioxide?

Cha-am Jamal
Thailand