Latest Climate Change Conference Ends Without Meaningful Agreement

The Telegraph (UK ) is reporting a deal has been cut on climate change at the most recent international confab on global warming. When one looks at the report, however, it's clear why  these international conferences are less and less meaningful.  The commitments, such as they are, were gaveled through over the objections of  participants:

After several days of deadlocked talks, conference chairman Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah finally rushed through the package of deals which he termed the Doha Climate Gateway, riding roughshod over country objections as he swung the gavel in quick succession proclaiming: "It is so decided."

Observers said Russia had been trying to halt the extension of Kyoto, whose first leg expires on December 31. Moscow objected to the passing of the deal, and noted that it retained the right to appeal the president's action.

It doesn't say much for your agreement if you  have to ram it through in this fashion.  But more importantly, the "deal" only applies to countries with about  15% of the worlds emissions:

An extension of Kyoto was finally approved with the 27-member European Union, Australia, Switzerland and eight other industrialised nations signing up for binding emission cuts by 2020. They represent about 15 per cent of global emissions.  The protocol locks in only developed nations, excluding major developing polluters such as China and India, as well as the United States which refuses to ratify it.

Russia, Japan and Canada have all pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol, questioning why their emissions should be limited when the bulk of the worlds emissions are unregulated. 

Lord Monckton's attempt to introduce some sanity into the proceedings was much more instructive and lots more entertaining.