Copenhagen

Copenhagen is less than 24 hours from ending. For those who have not been following the progress closely, rest assured, you didn’t miss much except for a few attention-seeking remonstrations and over-dramatic display of tantrum from some negotiators.

Presumably, in keeping with the tone of the summit, the majority of people at the conference have decided to put “Climate-Gate” on the back burner and instead, focus on accomplishing the one and only mission: produce a legally binding successor to Kyoto Protocol. In layman’s terms it means accurately measure and effectively control your carbon emissions. Unsurprisingly, the path is obstructed by conflicts of interest between two camps.

The impact of the man-made global warming, so we have chosen to believe, is disastrous: island nations may sink underwater; citizens in African countries may die from food shortage. But there are less obvious victims even in the developed world. Most scientists will agree that Climate Change is literally an Armageddon that spares no one on the planet; most world leaders, however, pay too little attention to one of the most-affected groups whose members are torn between living in green and living to survive. - The average Chinese citizen.

In a likely scenario where climate talk in Copenhagen eventually breaks down, The Chinese government will earn the luxury of monitoring its own carbon emission without international pressure. In return, Western economies will get more ammunition for the next wave of China bash and more power to rally stone-throwers. The average Chinese, in addition to getting rising energy prices and lower standard of living, will continue to live through life as the biggest earth-polluter; an ugly image no even Tiger Woods can bear.

If, the last minute of the conference was kissed by an angel and China became officially rule-bound,(the possibility of The U.S agreeing to provide sufficient financial assistance to developing world required multiple angels’ blessings), The Chinese officials would have no choice but scramble to meet the pre-set targets. And the result of which would be another government-led spectacle put up at the expense of Joe Public.

The first spectacle stunned every Wall Street analyst and temporarily defied economic theory: China put off the magical 8% GDP growth, an arbitrary number built on looming asset bubbles, doubtful statistics and the gloomy moods of the disgruntled citizens who ardently stand by the claim “GuoJinMingTui”. Yet Dis-accords all swiftly swept under the rug, the Chinese way.

So why be surprised by what they can do now? Sure, meeting international emission targets may require efforts to merge a few hundred more mines, nationalize a few thousand private enterprises or even shed a few more million jobs, but the tricks in the bag are more than plenty to put on another act. Bottom line: a target is met and outsiders will never have to know how they achieve it.