Monbiot tries not to get charmed by London Mayor Boris Johnson. The exchange illustrates that while green politics are about achieving environmental goals, a key ingredient remains the simmering ideological feud about consumerism. By the way check out Johnson’s reaction at 1:35 when his Rio counterpart discusses the importance of reducing meat consumption.

Aeronautics is a key high technology sector in Quebec. All in all it accounts for an estimated 250 companies and 40 000 jobs, mostly concentrated in the Montreal region. And another thing: it’s estimated that 80 per cent of its production is exported.

Has someone explained to Jean Charest that the aviation industry accounts for 4-9% of the total climate change impact of human activity?

Eric Reguly of the Globe and Mail reports from Copenhagen that Canada is clearly in the proverbial doghouse. And indeed, one gets the feeling it’s Canada’s amateur hour at the talks. Still, the seemingly unanimous chorus of disapproval is odd, considering that our reduction targets are broadly similar to those of the U.S. But the difference is: Canada ratified Kyoto. The Americans didn’t. They took their licks when the Bush administration decided to withdraw U.S. support for the Protocol. Defenders of Canada’s position tend to argue that we must not share the burden alone, or that China should do more. But remember: Countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol agreed to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. At the end of the day, Canada’s problem in Copenhagen is one of broken trust, based on its behaviour over the last few years. Both Conservative and Liberal governments have themselves to blame for that.

Stephen McIntyre is the Toronto-based editor of Climate Audit, a blog that brings a critical perspective to climate data. He was recently profiled in this Macleans article and in a Toronto Star piece this weekend. Interestingly, according to the article, McIntyre was mentioned over 100 times in the Climategate leaked e-mails from the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit. The suggestion is that McIntyre’s work is one of the motivations behind the suppression of data by climate change advocates involved in the scandal. Fans say he at least has the merit of holding scientists accountable — never a bad thing.

It’s like we were lepers or something. More fallout from the fake press release and, it now appears, the fake reaction from the Ugandan delegation that we referenced below. It seems our Environment Minister Jim Prentice can barely manage a photo op with the United States’ Energy Secretary. I understand that every government has a PR machine, but this is ridiculous — proof positive that Canada is seriously lacking in the gravitas department.

One does get a sense that the Feds are panicking and running around with their heads cut off. In a feeble attempt to deliver a substantive comment, Prentice picked up Former PM Paul Martin’s frankly silly suggestion yesterday that the United States should share some of the burden for the environmental damage caused by Alberta’s oilsands. Right, and shall we pick up the burden of all the cars we’re importing from the U.S.?