Focus on the 5%!

Today Engineering News has a really cheering story about the up-and-coming COP meeting in Durban. http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/major-polluters-say-2011-climate-deal-not-doable-2011-04-28/al_id:69914

After a meeting of the Major Economies Forum, (an informal group of 17 countries including the world's top polluters, China and the United States) US climate negotiator Todd Stern and European climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard played down the chance of a breakthrough.

Hedegaard said the EU would push for the Durban talks to make progress on tackling the emissions from ships and planes. "It is not enough for Durban just to implement what was agreed in Cancun," she said. "Inclusion of shipping and aviation – these kind of topics we will also push for."

Oh yes! Aeroplanes and shipping. Just the thing to take the major polluters' emissions offshore. Just the thing to make the cost of developing nations doing business with the developed greater. Focus on the 5% and ignore the 80%. What a wonderful plan to save the world!