Thank goodness that's all over for another year. \u00a0How effective the meeting will prove to have been we shall see in time, but on balance I remain positive. \u00a0As good as might realistically have been hoped for, given all the interests to be balanced. \u00a0In this, I\u2019m reserving my final thoughts \u00a0for the self-righteous and self-important folk who cluttered up the meeting.<\/p>\n
They were the ones who spent their time singing, dancing, waving and prancing; the zillions of hangers on (aka COP28 activists) who spent their days waving posters and placards. \u00a0They must have been up half the night colouring them in. \u00a0No one seemed to glue themselves to anything though. \u00a0Odd, that.<\/p>\n
And what did they contribute \u2013 apart from a huge donation to the Dubai economy? \u00a0Zilch I'd say. \u00a0Were the Chinese intimidated? \u00a0Did the Russians quake in their fur-lined boots? \u00a0Were the Saudis really pushed protesting over the line by the prancing and posters? \u00a0As if!<\/p>\n
And then there's the stratospheric air miles. \u00a0There is something utterly grotesque about travelling all that way using fossil fuels to protest about the use of fossil fuels. \u00a0The zealots said that they wanted fossil fuel use stopped immediately \u2013 although not until they'd got home of course.<\/p>\n