Copenhappenin' could be all over but the pouting

Normally calm and upbeat President Obama today let show his disappointment when he spoke publicly at the Copenhagen climate talks. As most major heads of state are gathered now in Denmark, they were all hoping for...perhaps a miracle? An accord? A figleaf of political cover?

The latest draft circulating in Copenhagen for the two weeks' negotiations does NOT have any deadline for reaching a substantive agreement. Previous drafts had 2010 as the deadline. So we humans will be kicking this can down the road, pleasing fossil fuel companies, GW deniers and oil exporters. The pouting will come from those who actually dreamed the nations of the world would act. But economics has trumped every other issue at the Copenhagen talks as is usually the case in real politics. There'll be plenty of tries to make Copenhagen look like a major step forward, but not many will be buying that spin regardless of their politics. GW deniers will see their position strengthened and GW fretters will see the crisis worsening. If ever climate researchers needed a reminder that their work is part of a major political battle, they just got it.

Remember, Mr. Gaia says we should live it up, too late already to do anything abot GW anyway. Party like it's 1928, he suggests.