Fairfax Fantasy: China will sign up at Copenhagen

And a porcine aviator just passed my window. Anyway, the poor journos at Fairfax have to do something to pass the time, so they write fairy tales. Despite the fact that in the next decade, China will bring on line about 1000 average-sized coal-fired power stations, 34 times Australia's present coal-burning generation capacity, they will apparently still sign a binding emissions treaty in Copenhagen!

THE chief US climate negotiator, Todd Stern, has given his most bullish [bullshit? - Ed] prediction yet of a successful outcome at the forthcoming Copenhagen meeting, saying China is equally keen to achieve a new climate treaty.

Speaking after the first day of a US-China economic and strategic dialogue between the world’s two powerhouse economies, Mr Stern said that ‘‘on the US side, the issue has risen to the top of the US national security set of priorities’’.

‘‘With respect to prospects, you know, we’re slogging ahead … I think we will end up with an agreement.’’

Mr Stern cautioned that the perspectives of the big developing countries such as China and India were still quite different and the issues difficult, which meant an agreement would not be easy.

‘‘But I do think that we will get there, and I think that there is a lot of interest on the Chinese side fundamentally to arrive at a constructive and successful outcome in Copenhagen.’’

Don't bet the house on it.

Read it here.