TFW has been reminded of an utterance by Lord Lloyd spoken in Britain's House of Lords less than nine months before the beginning of World War II:

 
The game of reference to committees still goes merrily on, on the principle, presumably, that a problem postponed is a problem half solved. I hope noble Lords will excuse me if I speak rather strongly on this committee question, but it is a feature which is causing grave disquiet in the country. I repeat, not only on this matter but on almost every other matter, the incapacity and lack of the quality of decision which seems to actuate His Majesty's Government to-day is causing grave disquiet.

 

The Age's Adam Morton reports that: "After the bitter acrimony of the Copenhagen conference, it is a modest result that exceeds what many involved had expected. Many of the big questions remain unaddressed, but the talks ended on a rare note of goodwill between the developed and developing world."

 

Mr Morton says: "A board will be selected, with the World Bank to initially act as trustee as it works out how to raise $US100 billion a year" looking to 2020, and "nations responsible for more than 80 per cent of emissions have made non-binding pledges - a necessary step on the road to a comprehensive pact" to the UN to slow emissions growth.

 

Furthermore, "Developing nations want the wealthy to extend the Kyoto Protocol before they consider a binding deal. Japan, Russia and Canada refuse. China says it won't be bound, regardless".

 

And then there is the local matter of the: ''truth in targets'' fight over the creative carbon accounting that is allowing Australia to meet its Kyoto goal by claiming large offsets for stopping forest clearing.

 

However, to make you hope that reductions of CO₂ emissions will be greater through the Cancún Agreement than were expended in flying the delegates to and from the resort, here is the two page media release from the conference: