After the complete failure of Copenhagen to reach any agreement, this insipid, toothless agreement is better than nothing. It simply formalizes the status quo. However, what this agreement does not do is:
- Recognize the Kyoto targets
- Set any specific targets by any date
- Define any carbon price or emission trading guidelines.

The optimistic view of the Greens is that it is an important "step" in building a formal agreement, and they are certain to use this as an indicator that progress is happening in the rest of the world and we need to step up to the plate.

What the Greens and Labor are almost certain to gloss over is that there is no requirement for a cut of more than 5% from 2000 or any defined mechanism such as a carbon tax.

What the Australian people want is:

NO carbon tax (specially with the TRADE aspect) bit if no 'trade' aspect and as long as the money stays IN Australia and is not a burden, and subsidises Renewable energy (Solar preferably) then it's not the end of the world.

NO "trade"...of carbon 'instruments'.

NO capitalist/socialist politicians profiting out of ANY kind of agreement.

NO 'wealth redistribution/green' fund which is not about protecting the environment, but is ALL about simply marxist redistribution of wealth.

What we have to understand is that those who cause pollution i.e. the wealthy who have the oil guzzling toys & lifestyle will not curb their excesses voluntarily. The rest of us 5¾ billion have no choice in how we live out our existense be it polluting or otherwise. The bloke who goes out fishing in his tinnie & spills a spoonful of two-stroke oil gets hit with a $500 fine, yet the wealthy who jet around the globe & burn up fuel to no end get praised & admired. Many of them even get invited to climate change forums like Kopenhagen. Some useless Australians included.

There will have to be a carbon tax to pay for the wealth sharing.
Get on the band wagon and go solar and make savings.
Home made electricity is the best thing going.[ easy ] along with the smart meter.
Clean the air up and we may get some other benefits also.

when are the 'climate change believers' going to realise that this stupid idea has had its day?
No matter how we change our emissions, any change in the miniscule percentage of our atmosphere that consists of man-made greenhouse gases will make absolutely no difference.
With the end of the drought and the wet, chilly start to summer, it appears that the climate change cycle has reached its hot, dry peak and is swinging the other way, just as climate cycles have fluctuated for millions of years.

When are the AGW deniers going to realise
that their increasingly shrill protestations
have had their day?

While Cancun doesn't go anywhere near far
enough, at least it's a start, and it shows
that the world's governments are persuaded
that AGW is real and that we all need to act
to try and ameliorate it.