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« New energy-budget-derived estimates of climate sensitivity and transient response in Nature Geoscience | Main | More critical science journalism required »
Sunday
May192013

This house would stop the annual UN climate summits

The Oxford Energy Society is to hold a rather interesting debate on 28 May. The motion, 'This house would stop the annual UN climate summits' is interesting enough, but take a look at the two teams:

Proposition

Dr Benny Peiser
Director, Global Warming Policy Foundation

David Rose
Writer, The Mail on Sunday

Prof Myles Allen
Leader, ECI Climate Research Programme

Opposition

David Symons
Director, WSP Environment and Energy

Fiona Harvey
Environmental Journalist, The Guardian

Dr Chukwumerije Okereke
Reader in Environment & Development, University of Reading

That should set the cat among the pigeons.

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Reader Comments (18)

Myles Allen will end up on the winning side, whichever one it is.

May 19, 2013 at 7:37 PM | Unregistered CommenterCeed

A load of green piggies argueing over how deep they should their noses in the bucket .

May 19, 2013 at 7:44 PM | Unregistered CommenterKNR

Well, I don't know what he's up to, but on the face of it, this is a refreshing display by Prof. Allen, and I am impressed. He is willing to share a public platform and a position (or if not a position, at least a wished-for result, viz. no more annual summits) with the other 'side', people some on his 'side' would refuse to have anything to do with.

So that's refreshing. Good for him.

May 19, 2013 at 8:05 PM | Registered CommenterJohn Shade

Keep the summits going. They make it easy to explain to the man in the pub how stupid the green enterprise is. "I will stop flying when they stop flying".

Bit like Prince Charles touring the country telling us to be frugal ... in a train.
Or the biofuels crew "destroying the rainforest to save it".
Or my greenie friend wanting to leave a better future for her children by not having children.

Let then do these stupid things and we call them out on each one.

May 19, 2013 at 8:12 PM | Unregistered CommenterJack Hughes

If it pleases the gods to receive this attention, who are we to argue?

Fen Beagle Cartoon...

http://fenbeagleblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/the-arrogantauts/

May 19, 2013 at 8:22 PM | Unregistered Commenterfenbeagle

John Shade,

I agree. Good for him. To even be in the same room as a dirty "denier" is too much for some. So hat's off to the bloke. The fact that he's on the same side of the debate as messrs Peiser and Rose is all the more extraordinary.

May 19, 2013 at 8:31 PM | Unregistered CommenterJames Evans

Allen disappoints. - gavin

May 19, 2013 at 8:38 PM | Unregistered CommenterJimmy Haigh.

Bemoaning the apparent cutbacks in DEFRA climate change staff, Fiona Harvey wrote in yesterday's Guardian:

"The UK is facing a multibillion-pound bill over the next few years for the costs of adapting to the effects of climate change - including flooding, much fiercer storms, droughts, heatwaves and more extreme weather."

I hope she alarms in person more effectively than she does in writing...

May 19, 2013 at 9:09 PM | Unregistered CommenterJit

I think Myles Allen is repositioning himself.
He's bright enough to see the sea change.

May 19, 2013 at 10:19 PM | Unregistered CommenterDon Keiller

And numerate enough to have seen it a long time ago. Still, better late than never.

May 19, 2013 at 10:57 PM | Unregistered CommenterDavid S

Presumably Myles Allen will be arguing that the summits are redundant because it's time for the UN's climate futurologists to rule the world by decree.

May 20, 2013 at 12:30 AM | Unregistered CommenterJake Haye

I'll wait and see. Maybe he might argue for holding them every six months instead....

May 20, 2013 at 1:00 AM | Unregistered Commentermichael hart

Dr Benny Peiser will be the man to watch. Allen needs to earn his stripes.

May 20, 2013 at 2:18 AM | Unregistered Commentereyesonu

Heh, Myles is riding the new political wave. He is kicking up dust at a "home game" to position himself as a bridge between the activists and the UKIP. But what does this stupid yank know...

May 20, 2013 at 6:50 AM | Unregistered Commenterintrepid_wanders

Let's hear what he has to say.

One could approach such a debate with an argument that insists this issue is so crucial to humanity that summits should end and force should replace it.

May 20, 2013 at 8:44 AM | Unregistered CommenterGeckko

Cat among pigeons and leopards with never changing spots.
Of course annual UN climate summits are a waste of time and money. What is there to debate except thousands and thousands of hangers on will lose out on an all expences paid annual jolly somewhere?

May 20, 2013 at 9:08 AM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

Anybody who has been anywhere near anything to do with the UN will know what an obscene waste of other peoples' money it is.
If only the annual CO2 spewing anti-CO2 jamboree could be halted by appeal to reason.

May 20, 2013 at 4:32 PM | Unregistered CommenterSteve Jones

With that line up it looks like a slam/dunk for the proposition.

Can't wait for the video/transcript!

May 20, 2013 at 5:50 PM | Unregistered CommenterDougS

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