"I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it"
As Basil Fawlty said, “Don’t mention the war”, or in this case, climate change. Who’d have thought it? Climate change has been good to the UN over the past few decades, delivering the global organisation influence and power well beyond its wildest dreams, and far in excess of what it deserves.
It has also provided a healthy revenue stream to the UN, allowing its delegates to enjoy the high life, swanning around the globe to attend hundreds of climate talk-fests, almost invariably in exotic, luxury locations. And all paid for by someone else: you.
But the gravy train is coming off the rails at alarming speed. Watts Up With That reported yesterday that the US public rate “global warming” dead last in a list of priorities for 2012, after campaign finance, lobbyist influence, moral breakdown, and even general environmental issues! So much for the greatest challenge since the dawn of time.
Where the US goes, the rest of the world generally follows, so the UN is beginning, subtly, to hedge its bets. It has already flagged “biodiversity” as the next great cash cow (see here), but now it is almost embarrassed to mention climate change for fear of the world shrugging its collective shoulders:
Representatives from around the world gather in Rio in June to try to hammer out goals for sustainable development at a U.N. conference designed to avoid being tripped up by the intractable issue of climate change.
But there is concern in the lead-up to the conference, known as Rio+20 or the Earth Summit, that it risks ending up as all talk and little action.
In an attempt to avoid too much confrontation, the conference will focus not on climate change but on sustainable development – making sure economies can grow now without endangering resources and the environment for future generations.
U.N. conferences over the past decade have begun with high hopes for agreements to compel nations to cut climate-warming emissions and help adapt to a hotter world, but they often ended with disappointingly modest results. That was the case last year in the global climate change summit in Durban, South Africa. Participants at that meeting agreed to forge a new deal by 2015 that would go into force by 2020.
The “sustainable” branding for this year’s summit, rather than climate, is by design, said Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, who headed Brazil’s delegation to the U.N. climate talks in Durban and will be a chief negotiator for Brazil in Rio.
Sustainable development is an easier sell globally than climate change, even though sustainable development is a way of tackling global warming and other environmental issues, he said. (source)
“An easier sell globally than climate change.” I think that tells us all we need to know.
Australian Climate Madness 
Yeah but unlike Basil they still want to rip off your money for “THEIR” SUSTAINABILITY”!!
Sustainability. Where a Scientist tells you what you can use, and an Economist tells you when you can use it. That happened in Soviet Russia. And didn’t it work just sooooo well!
William Buckley once answered a question about how he came up with ideas for his columns he replied that the world anoyed him at least as frequently as he penned his thrice weekly commentaries. I feel the same way about the word sustainability or the word sustainable it annoys me to distraction for it misinforms the recepient of that sound that there is a goodness to be had in pursuing its repetition. Its definition requires an ex-market bevy of experts to determine if I can buy Chilean grapes in January. My view is just shut up, I’m buying those damn grapes.
Perhaps, the reply to the UN should be: If you could get that through to that dormant organ you keep hidden in that rat’s maze of yours….
“An easier sell globally than climate change.” I think that tells us all we need to know…..just about says it all.
this whole C-change Global warming thing is a farce,con,lie….these guys should be thrown to the wall for scamming the world…
“all talk and little action.” – leftism in a nutshell…
Sustainable development. What a concept.
Does that include policies that drive up energy prices so high (with a big cut for bureaucrats like the EU and the UN) that you can no longer compete in the market to make solar cells or wind turbine components?
Does it include policies to turn food into fuel, driving the cost of basic commodities to some of their highest levels in modern times so that you can make a low grade fuel ( NOT reducing CO2 in any way in the bargain) that lead to food riots and overthrow of governments?
Does it include setting up wealth distribution mechanism where wealthy countries buy the support of poor undeveloped countries with the promise of billions in compensation?
Does it include pushing indigenous people off farmland so wealth financiers can reap carbon credits for growing trees and scrub plants?
Does it include cutting down rain forests in Indonesia occupied by endangered species like Orangutans so palm oil can be grown for bio-diesel?
Does it include blocking financing for modern power stations in developing countries using domestically available fuel?
Does it include starting trade wars when failed policies in the developed countries cause them to stop being competitive with developing countries?
Does it include unilateral taxes imposed on other countries transportation using the loophole of having not signed a treaty that all your members have?
This list could go on and on. The pain and suffering caused by these self important bureaucrats is enormous. Tell me, what would a rebellion against the UN look like?
In a word Sean, YES, The United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 21 includes all of your summary and more! The UN should be abolished from the face of the earth NOW!!!
Sustainable Development Agenda 21 is the full title, it has been in Australia since 1992 the Keating Government signed us up to it.
Sustainable Development Agenda 21 has been delivered to us by our local councils as well as State And Federal Governments, We were never told about it or given a vote on it. The Howard Government were in for 12/13 years they never told us about it or removed it. So much for living in a democracy.
The upcoming referendum to make local councils the 3rd tier of Government will give councils more clout to bring in more of SD A21, and actually turn the United Nations Policies of Sustainable Development Agenda 21 into LAW, right now it is an agreement.
Tony Burke in the Federal Minister for SD A21.
the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 21 is all about ending your property rights and ultimately your freedom, by bringing in a one world government. see the link below.
http://www.republicanassemblies.org/rnc-adopts-resolution-exposing-agenda-21/
Sustainable: Wind farms are sustainable as long as there are sufficient fossil fuels around to subsidize their existence.
First it was the “Greenhouse Effect”. Then Global Warming. Then Climate Change. And now Sustainable Development. Perhaps we could have a competition to name what this socialist cash & power grab will be called next when ‘Sustainable Development’ is also proven to be a hoax ?
Going to be an interesting sell, getting six billion volunteers for the great cull..
The very best way to deliver “sustainablability’ is to avoid waste.
Avoid waste on uneconomical power supply systems,
Avoid waste on taxes that aren’t going to acheive one darn thing.
Avoid waste on illogical school building programs.
And especially……. Avoid waste on ‘green’ consultants.
etc etc
sustainability !!! red wine with dinner.. lol !!
Uh-oh. This new switch is not good.
I don’t believe in AGW. Climate change ? well, yes, it does ….
I have always worked towards sustainability, eg making buildings last, more energy efficient, flexible and adaptable, so you don’t have to move out if you need a wheelchair etc. Went to a sustainability workshop last week with some trepidation – I guess half the attendees were warmists – but it was ok. Some good programs in the offing, like “Retrofit for the rest of us” that made sense either way, so there was a consensus.
Going to have to find a new term, for when the nutters turn “sustainability” into a dirty word.