Tuvalu Squeezes Life From Titanic Metaphor, Rudd squeezes Tuvalu

The talks in Copenhagen are tracking way behind schedule. UK climate secretary Ed Miliband warned that they could descend into a bureaucratic “farce”, saying “people will be rightly furious if agreement is not possible.”

The two track approach is appearing increasingly mangled and unwieldy. Developing nations are seeking an extension of the Kyoto Protocol and rich nations a new agreement which enforces binding and verifiable cuts on developing nations.

Wednesday saw the new Danish chair, Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, drop a new draft text from the sky. The draft, developed by a small number of nations (including the U.S., Australia, and Japan) caused uproar after many negotiators had worked through the previous night on the Kyoto text.

Tuvaluan chief negotiator Ian Fry effectively summarised proceedings, getting some new life out of the flogged carcass of the Titanic/climate change metaphor. “I have the feeling of dread that we are on the Titanic and sinking fast, but we can’t launch any life boats because a member of the crew has decided that we are not sinking and that we have to have informal consultations to decide whether we are sinking or not,” Fry said.

Ethiopian PM and African Union negotiator Meles Zenawi has also polarised the talks. He secured support from Nicholas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown for a plan to fund developing nations through international aviation and shipping levies and a financial tax.

The plan also involves a three year ‘fast start’ involving rich nation funding, with 40 percent of this going to Africa, 20 percent to deforestation, and with developing nations having a say in distribution.

Zenawi is conscious this may undermine efforts by harder line African negotiators, saying, “I know my proposal will disappoint some Africans . . . It scales back the ambition in return for more reliable funding,” he said. “Because we have more to lose than others, we have to be more flexible.”

The G77 group of 130 developing nations has consistently asked for funding of US$400b per annum. Zenawi’s proposal provides $50bn a year for poor countries by 2015 and $100bn by 2020, in line with EU and UK offers.

Zenawi’s pragmatic approach captures the essence of the problem for many African nations, and the entire conference – is a bad deal better than no deal?

Awudu Mbaya, president of the Pan-African Parliamentarians Network on Climate Change, was definitely not impressed, saying, “If Prime Minister Meles wants to sell out the lives and hopes of Africans for a pittance he is welcome to, but that is not Africa’s position”.

The Australian pulled out yet more shoddy journalism. They framed the three day old tear-jerker moment of Queanbeyan-based Tuvalu Fry around his motivations as a Tuvalu representative, and his green credentials. An unlucky intern was evidently sent snooping around his house, coming up with this keen observation – “At home, he practises what he preaches with a water tank, chooks and a vegie patch in the backyard, although there’s a window-mounted air-conditioning unit down the side and a late model gas-guzzling Ford cab ute in the driveway.”

And with no source quoted, The Oz accused Fry of self interest – “Already he has forced the suspension of the main meeting in Copenhagen. But he insists his globe-trotting to tackle climate change is “not an ego trip”. It was unclear whether Fry himself used the phrase “not an ego trip”. At least they quoted his ANU PhD supervisor (the head of the renowned Fenner School, Stephen Dovers) calling such speculation “childish”).

The Australian also quoted the PM as saying that Copenhagen was like “your average ALP conference on steroids.” Judging by his reported bullying of island nations to drop their 1.5 degree temperature rise demand, it would be safe to assume he meant a NSW ALP conference.

Tuvalu Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia told the ABC that representatives of the PM’s office are pressuring him and other island leaders to back down on their demands, and that Mr Rudd has been calling Pacific leaders with the same message in the lead up to the talks.

Bolivian President Evo Morales one-upped the small island nations by demanding a one degree temperature rise limit (statistically determined as being “extremely bloody difficult”) while he, Hugo Chavez, and Robert Mugabe railed against unrestrained capitalism as the root cause of climate change. Apparently Chavez’s address received the biggest applause of the day. Penny Wong was reportedly booed and had her speech interrupted by protestors calling for “climate justice now”.

Around 200 NGO delegates, joined by a few nation delegates, also staged a walkout at the Bella Centre to coincide with the ‘Reclaim Power’ action, where around 3000 people attempted to gain access to the centre. Many were angered by the revoking of access to the centre for respected NGOs such as Friends of the Earth and Avaaz.

Picture: A tired Ed Miliband tries the oldest trick in the book to distract attention for the looming disaster at Copenhagen- “Hey, did I just see Tiger Woods and Connie Hedeggard go into that negotiating room?”