Julian Brookes: More insanity from economist Nicholas Stern

Q. What is the rich countries' end of the deal?

A. The rich countries have got to cut carbon emissions by at least 80% from 1990 levels.

Q. And the developing countries?

A. It's really the developing countries that should be setting out the terms of this agreement, because they're far more numerous than we are and less responsible for where we start. I don't think they will be willing to respond unless they see that kind of commitment [80 percent cut] from the rich world, because they're deeply angry and resentful, and understandably so, that it's the rich world that is responsible for perhaps two-thirds of the emissions on the planet, two-thirds of the concentrations that are in the atmosphere now. They need to set out credible climate change action plans, which means that their emissions will peak sometime around 2020, perhaps a bit earlier for China, a bit later for India. They'll say, "We will take on specific reduction paths provided in the next few years provided you, rich world, deliver on your promises in terms of delivery on your targets, sharing of technologies, and help with finance."

CAN SPECTER CHANGE ON CLIMATE? CAN BLUE DOG DEMS?

What will newly minted Democrat Arlen Specter do for a climate bill's chances? The consensus thus far: Not much. Having a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate would be generally cool for Democrats, but energy specifically isn't a partisan issue. As Sen. Barbara Boxer said about the Specter effect, "I don't think climate change is a matter of party. It is really more a matter of region."

More important is winning over the Democrats' Blue Dog Coalition, many of whom are from coal regions and remain unconvinced on the climate bill.

Precious Few Months to Stop Disastrous Action

Two trains are racing down the tracks and if they get to where the government wants, the results to all Americans will be nothing short of catastrophic.

Given the current global cooling now in its 8th year, declining ocean heat content at least in its 5th year, sea level rises which have slowed or stopped, record rising Antarctic ice extent and rapidly recovering arctic ice since the 2007 cycle minimum, a sun in a deep slumber, increasing evidence that CO2 is a harmless gas that is in reality a beneficial plant fertilizer, you would think that this proposed legislation and ruling would in a sane world, have no chance of passing, but there is a huge political and NGO machine and all too compliant media and carbon crusaders like Al Gore and James Hansen and literally many billions of dollars behind making carbon evil and subsidizing unwise energy and carbon control solutions.

The Energy and Commerce committee under the leadership of the clueless Henry Waxman who teamed with the equally clueless Edward Markey on the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill is considering now that legislation.