Airport scene
[image credit: Wikipedia]
From one so-called crisis to another. Net zero CO2 obsession takes a back seat to pressing political needs.
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The UK’s minister for climate will make a 6,313-mile round trip to take part in the government’s crunch vote on Rwanda, Number 10 has confirmed.
Graham Stuart has been in Dubai for the COP28 summit, where leaders from around the world have been discussing the best ways to tackle the climate crisis, says Sky News.
But key talks have stalled over commitments to phase out fossil fuels, with negotiations carrying on through the night to try and find agreement between different nations.
. . .
NGOs (non-governmental organisations) at COP have accused the UK of going “AWOL” at a key time, claiming the British government had let millions of people down.
Confirming the decision to summon Mr Stuart, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Ministers have a number of roles, the negotiations continue and he will return to COP.”
The return flight is the equivalent of travelling from London to Edinburgh and back 10 times, and will emit around two tonnes of CO2, according to environmental charity Treedom.
Asked about the carbon emissions from the flights, the spokesman added: “This government is not anti-flying.” [Talkshop comment – especially if it’s illegal immigrants to Rwanda].
“We don’t lecture the public to that regard. The most important thing is the outcomes of COP, which minister Stuart is obviously leading for the UK on.”
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The return of Mr Stuart was the subject of ridicule from shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper as the debate began on Mr Sunak’s bill.
She told MPs: “The climate minister called back from the Dubai COP before the vote?
“Well, I guess they can say at least one flight has taken off as a result of this legislation.”
Full article here.
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
The Guardian has got its knickers in a twist!
There are ZERO emissions in his trip, because the plane was going anyway. Apparently Guardian readers are too stupid to have worked this one out!!
Guardian: Cop28 live: UK accused of ‘outrageous dereliction of leadership’ as climate change minister leaves conference
Fury as Graham Stuart returns to London as Caroline Lucas says UK has ‘obliterated its moral authority’
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2023/dec/12/cop-28-live-latest-updates-climate-conference
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What fun! Majorities in Parliament trump ‘moral authority’ on climate – who knew?
COP28 has already passed its ‘official’ closing date/time.
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-climate-summit-overtime-fury-mounts.html
Bribing with bacon rolls
The desperation with which the Prime Minister and his whips had to corral support, at one stage even resorting to bribing dissenters with bacon rolls, carried the distinct whiff of the last days of Theresa May’s premiership. Flying climate minister Graham Stuart back from Cop28, a 6,824-mile round trip, in a frantic bid to make up the numbers was a similarly bad look.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/12/12/what-this-means-for-rishi/
In the end, it passed by a comfortable 44 votes
If Labour and Green MPs thought he shouldn’t have flown back, they should have offered to “match” his vote. But then they wouldn’t have been able to mouth their empty platitudes. The idea China and India will now do something different because he flew back is beyond absurd.
The return flight is the equivalent of travelling from London to Edinburgh and back 10 times, and will emit around two tonnes of CO2, according to environmental charity Treedom.
Key word: *flight* as Paul H pointed out — many other passengers. To the moaners who took flights to COP: if it’s so bad, why do that?
Morano on COP28 – ‘‘Net Zero is a Soviet-style central planning technique that has to be roundly defeated’’
— https://www.climatedepot.com/2023/12/13/watch-morano-on-fox-on-cop-28-believing-a-un-climate-pact-is-going-to-save-us-is-literally-psychotic-net-zero-is-a-soviet-style-central-planning-technique-that-has-to-be-roundly-defeated/