Buzz's Journal: The Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change

December 24, 2009. As the politicians and the chattering classes, of which Buzz considers himself a member, rake over the outcome of the Copenhagen conference on climate change, Buzz wishes to remind them that it’s all about chemistry, physics and biology, which care little about what anyone says. So, as the climate continues to warm and the politicians try to decide whether China, now the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, should be treated as a developing or a developed nation, Buzz suggests that the world’s attention be directed to adapting to climate change, rather than preventing it. Still, it’s a good idea for all of us to do whatever we can as individuals and consumers to make environmentally friendly choices for ourselves, but not to expect it to have any appreciable effect on our climate, which only can be protected by nation-states acting in concert. So, while not using paper cups might make us feel better, it’s still all about physics, biology and chemistry. Buzz’s best advice: Don’t invest in real estate in the Maldives