Key now likely to attend UN climate change conference

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Mon, 30 Nov 2009 4:50p.m.

John Key

John Key

By Samantha Hayes

There are definite new signs of a warming in the atmosphere for Copenhagen watchers tonight, but it's not the poles that are melting so much as John Key's resolve not go.

Last week he was adamant there was no point in him attending the climate conference in person, but the pressure is building and the line seems to be changing.

It is looking increasingly like the Prime Minister will travel to the conference, which begins in six days' time, after all.

Mr Key's change of tune comes as climate sceptics say they have proof scientists are misleading the world.

"There's a case that might be able to be put up that is if it looks like a deal is going to be concluded," he says, "then obviously I might need to react to that and get on a plane."

Mr Key had labelled the conference a "photo opportunity", but has been under pressure from climate change activists to attend. Actress Lucy Lawless even tried to give him a $5000 cheque from Greenpeace to pay for his ticket.

"As I've always said, there's about a 5 percent chance I might go, but I wouldn't put it any higher than that," Mr Key said previously.

But just yesterday he was saying: "In the final analysis, it may turn out that a decision's made that I should represent New Zealand. If that's the case, I'll go."

As many as 90 world leaders are now expected to attend the conference, including the US president and the Chinese premier, from the world's two largest greenhouse gas emitters.

"We have technology, we have financing, we know what science is telling us," says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. "The larger lacking part is still the political will."

But a scandal has challenged climate science. Thousands of leaked emails have been pounced on by climate sceptics as proof climate scientists have been misleading about the earth's warming.

"I think they're devastating," says author and climate change sceptic Ian Wishart, "because what they do show without any doubt whatsoever is that these guys have lied to present a unified front to the public and the media about the reality of human-caused global warming."

But Labour's climate change spokesperson Charles Chauvel is calling the leaked emails a "blip in the road".

"I think that the reputable science is still very much on balance in favour that there is a problem with human-induced climate change," says Mr Chauvel.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is convinced that climate change is real, and scientists involved say the emails show nothing more than the frank discussion that goes on between scientists.

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Comments

03 Dec 2009 12:45p.m.

Warren Matthews wrote:

What' the difference between calling a changing climate, 'Climate Change' and naming the colour blue... Blue?

Knock your self out on answers to that :)

02 Dec 2009 07:00p.m.

SATAN wrote:

I have ORDERED JK to attend Cop15 why?. As your elected leader he is required to sign away the rights of every SOLE in NZ into eternal servitude to the New World Order. The alternative, If he doesn't do this the forces of darkness will Bankrupt NZ and sell everything to the highest bidder. What if we resist, You will be annihilated. It has nothing to do with Global Warming everything to do with eternal servitude!. :)

01 Dec 2009 08:50p.m.

Winston Smith wrote:

Hooray for 3 news you finally reported on Climategate.
I was beginning to think there was some sort of conspiricy.
AGW is the biggest Scam to ever be pushed on mankind. and I hope the socialist pigs that are spinning this lie end up in chains.

01 Dec 2009 07:57p.m.

annon wrote:

ClimateGate won't go away anytime soon!. CO2 doesn't drive temperature, It never has in the past!. To modify the data to fit the theory has been exposed in NZ and at CRU. The climate models have no interest in water vapor as a climate regulator. The SUN plays no part in Global Warming. No its only man made CO2, Pull the other one!.

01 Dec 2009 06:39p.m.

FFS wrote:

The climate sceptics' claims have been debunked over and over. Just ignore them, people.

01 Dec 2009 04:58p.m.

A Realist wrote:

Well said Fitzy! Greenies HAVE most definitely been played. Now the big problem fro them is that they devoted so much of their life and energy to help promote this lie WITHOUT any real knowledge of the agenda behind it that it will be a monumental psychological mountain for them to scale just to admit to themselves that it's all false! Many will go into total denial, some will implode while others will swing wildly back & forth between the simple truth that's been exposed and the perpetual lie again. I used to get quite angry that so many had swallowed the wrong coloured pill - now I feel sorry for them and hope that healing can take place for most of them so they get a grip on reality and fight on the side of truth & good now! :)

01 Dec 2009 02:19p.m.

Fitzy wrote:

The notion that 150 years of recent climate data could be faultless readjusted, by a select and concealing group of individuals, who peer reviewed each other( WTF?), to provide an absolutely factual snap shot of our climate, is ludicrous at best.
Expert advice, can never be a substitute for genuine public discretion, public transparency and sound process. The Moment the CRU declined to release their raw data, they turned down a dark road of mysticism and dogma.
That New Zealand politicians gleefully shun the scientific method in favour for a "Me First" pat on the back from the U.N crosses all political parties. Greenies you’ve been played, completely, with the ETS you get to pay for the big polluters to keep polluting.

If it wasn't so sick, it would be funny.

TV3, you've come very late into the fray, and apart from playing catch up, you've added almost nothing to a sound and fair debate on the issue. But you can still do some good, just bite the bullet, do some journalism. The counter evidence to AGW exists in volumes of reasonable research, but you better be quick about it. You yourselves have elevated your reporting of Climate scare stories, to a frenzied pace.
Come on TV3, you use to be cool, you gave TV one the finger. Do it again and show the State you're not useful idiots, show us you're real journalists.

Cheers.

01 Dec 2009 09:16a.m.

Oh Come on! wrote:

The fact is the scientific consensus on climate change has been reached through the publication of thousands of peer-reviewed papers, field research and the lifetime's work of some of humanity's best minds. It's obvious these emails didn't even go through a spell-check let alone the rigorous peer-review process. Selective quoting from ten years of personal emails proves nothing. I hope John Key does finally wake up and go to Copenhagen!

01 Dec 2009 07:49a.m.

annon wrote:

Heard the latest NIWA joke, After Dr Salinger left!. NIWA had no real scientists left or right!.

01 Dec 2009 07:17a.m.

David wrote:

If Phil Jones and Michael Mann (the main culprits in 'Climategate') worked in China and were found to be doing what the emails indicate they have been doing (lying, obstructing, falsifying data, deleting data, colluding to deceive, fraud), they would be facing the death penalty. They have not been doing science -- it has been political activism. And bringing science into disrepute. At the very least, they should face trial, and the IPCC should be disbanded. John Key should stay home. Any agreement in Copenhagen will result in reduced freedom for citizens in all countries that sign.