Here in Paris, there are many well-meaning people who believe that we need strong carbon cuts and green energy production subsidies now and for many years to come, to get the world to move towards tackling climate change. But at the same time, these same people argue that solar and wind is already competitive, or that this moment is just around the corner.

Those two arguments are incompatible and many people who seem to be making both points are simply wrong on one or the other.

When you go shopping – whether at the corner store, or at the ritzy Galeries Lafayette or Printemps here in Paris – you expect to know what you’re spending and what you’re getting.

Strangely, when it comes to global climate treaties, our politicians like to commit to hugely expensive policies without even acknowledging that they come with a price tag.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's diversion of $1 billion of development funds to climate aid might please climate activists at the Paris summit, but it's one of the least effective ways of helping the world's poor.

What would help is support for an end to the $680 billion wasted on annual fossil fuel subsidies that not only increase CO₂ but suck dry the public purse in many developing countries, keeping funds from areas that need it.

Aquí en París, hay muchas personas bienintencionadas que creen que necesitamos fuertes reducciones de carbono y subsidios a la producción de energía verde, ahora y por muchos años por venir, para lograr que el mundo avance en la lucha contra el cambio climático. Pero al mismo tiempo, estas mismas personas argumentan que la energía solar y eólica ya es competitiva, o que este momento está a la vuelta de la esquina.

Estos dos argumentos son incompatibles y muchas personas que parecen estar apuntando a ambos simplemente están equivocadas, en uno o en el otro.

Ici à Paris, beaucoup de gens bien-pensants croient qu'il nous faut, actuellement et dans les années à venir, réduire massivement les émissions de carbone et subventionner la production des énergies renouvelables (EnR), pour que la planète puisse avancer dans la résolution du changement climatique. Mais dans le même temps, ces mêmes personnes argumentent sur le fait que l'exploitation du solaire et de l'éolien est déjà compétitive, ou le sera très bientôt.

Intet er fjernere fra Paris’ overklassehoteller end forstaden Alajo. Men bureaukraterne og politikerne her i Frankrig forhandler om en klimatraktat, der skal ’hjælpe verdens fattigste’, herunder milliarder af dollars i garantier om ’klimastøtte’ til udviklingslandene.

Jeg har i denne blog talt for, at den slags støtte ikke er det, der er ønske om. Jeg har henvist til en enorm global meningsmåling af 8 millioner mennesker, der viser, at folk i verdens fattigste lande prioriterer klimapolitik sidst efter andre politiske prioriteter.

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.

Si usted no aprende de la historia, está obligado a repetirla. Aquí, en Saint-Denis, al norte de París, es sumamente necesaria una lección de historia. 

Miles se reúnen aquí para la 21a cumbre internacional sobre calentamiento global. Los hoteles ya están casi completos, las emisoras se están instalando, los manifestantes se preparan para rugir.

There is not one single climate activist in sight here at the climate summit venue in Le Bourget on the outskirts of Paris. Understandably, the area is effectively sealed off so there’s not much of an audience.

While many planned marches have been cancelled for security reasons, there are still many protestors in the media and elsewhere, who are passionately pushing those inside the climate talks to push for a more drastic treaty.