Article in New York Times: Rhetorical excess undercuts the case against global warming

Bjorn Lomborg From: The Australian November 17, 2011 12:00AM

Negotiators and activists are getting increasingly serious about the prospects of finalizing a carbon-cutting deal here in Paris. No doubt if they are successful we will see much back-slapping and exhortations of "success" in 7 days. But the bonhomie will hide a rather inconvenient truth: even if it’s successful, any deal negotiated in Paris is going to do very little to rein in temperature rises.

Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies is an obvious target for the world’s next development goals.

The world spends $548 billion subsidizing fossil fuels, mostly in developing countries. A disproportionate share of the subsidies goes to the middle class and the rich – after all, they are the ones who can afford a car in poor countries.