At an estimated cost of $1bn

do we really want to have that climate conference here? What's the point of it anyway?

I have often wondered about "conferences" of any sort. Yes, I have attended a few. I have even spoken at some. Once or twice I raised a laugh but I suspect I sent people to sleep more often.

At conferences I have been informed by a very few and stimulated by no more than two or three. I have endured many more speakers who do not have their presentations in any sort of order and speakers who should never have been asked to participate.

The most useful part of any conference I have ever attended has been making contact with some of those present. I will not call them "delegates" because too many of them have not been delegated to attend at all. They are there as professional conference goers. Their presence there is expected. People will look around and say, "Where is... Isn't s/he here this time?" Then there are sighs of relief as everyone realises that someone is not present and cannot bring up arguments everyone else has heard before. There is also relief when the very-VIP has opened the event, circulated briefly and left. Other participants know these people are all too often there for nothing more than the photo opportunity, the news story, the party policy.

The massive cost of running the COP climate conferences is ridiculous. We have been told that this small city could have an influx of 55,000 people and the cost could be a billion dollars. It is madness to think we could do this. If we actually spent that billion dollars on reforestation we would do far more for the environment than any conference would. Conferences are about talk, not action. Yes, we need to talk about what needs to be done but not at conferences like that. Scientists are quite capable of communicating without that sort of thing. They do it all the time. 

There is talk of the other major party in what is known as "the Coalition" here also dumping the idea of "net zero". It would be the best thing they could do. They could then make some actual environmental plans that might work, that might actively involve the rest of us.

Our local Mayor is at the current COP right now. I wonder why she is there. Chatting to others perhaps - or falling asleep during the presentations?