YouTube - Fossil of the Day - Day 2 - Cancun, Mexico COP16 (Nov 30th)

Japan wins the 1st place Fossil of the Day for reasons outlined below

Twitter / Andy Revkin

@kate_sheppard Japan's commitment to goals without 2d binding period still means death of CDM multi-billion-dollar carbon market, no?

Frank Sesno: Will the US Go Rogue if Cancun's Climate Talks Fail?

We talked to Kate Sheppard of Mother Jones to see what she sees in the Cancun's crystal ball. She reiterated de Boer's warning: "There's a possibility that if nothing happens in Cancun people will turn away from the UN process." The US and China could go rogue on the UN conventions and figure out an emissions bargain on their own.
...Politics will be the tail that wags the American dog in the climate debate for the foreseeable future. "Everyone here knows that the obama administration is not nearly as powerful as they were last year."

The bottom line, according to Sheppard is, that we need to build trust in the process: "This is an opportunity for trust building...reaffirming that everyone believes in this process and wants the reach the same goals...We need to figure out long term plan and follow can we follow through on progress from last year."

Last month was coldest November for 25 years - The Irish Times - Thu, Dec 02, 2010

RECORD LOW: LAST MONTH was the coldest November for 25 years in most parts of the State, Met Éireann has said.

November was 2nd-snowiest on record

Last month was the second-snowiest November since recordkeeping began at Billings Logan International Airport 76 years ago.

Chu's Guessing Game - Investors.com

Global Warming: The secretary of energy says the U.S. doesn't need to be 100% certain humans are heating the planet to enact policies to mitigate climate change. Apparently just a hunch will do.

Speaking Monday at the National Press Club, Steven Chu said "you don't need 100% certainty" to put solutions in effect. A mere 80% or 90%, he said, is enough. The secretary's not-so-startling comment is revealing on two levels.
...
Remember, two members of the Obama administration, neither of them Chu, have publicly said they believe that crises shouldn't go to waste — they are opportunities to force the sweeping change they favor.

Public policy should not be based on science that is unsure and still evolving. It shouldn't be based on the notion that Americans have to pay for the sin of affluence. Public policy needs a firm foundation, not the shaky ground of guesswork and ideology.