Climate change falls flat in Cancun

The United Nations set up a huge conference on global warming in Cancun this past week. Here’s the good news—nobody cared.

But remember Copenhagen last year? It was there the term "climate change" came into being when the delegates realized the globe had begun to cool, as it does from time to time. Some 45,000 delegates, "activists," business representatives and the usual retinue of journalists registered for the party there.

But it’s different for this year’s beach party at Cancun. The U.N. organizers concede that Cancun won't amount to anything, even by U.N. standards, which is saying a lot.

What happened to all the Washington movers and shakers who have supported severe global warming–oops, climate change—legislation to protect us from ourselves? Consider Rep. Henry A. Waxman of California, who wrote and sponsored the cap-and-trade legislation last year He now says he'll be too busy with congressional business even to think about going to Cancun. Last year, he joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi (remember her?) and dozens of other congressmen in taking staffers and spouses to the party in Copenhagen. The junket cost taxpayers $400,000, but Copenhagen is a friendly town and a good time was had by all.

What about California’s great senators? Dianne Feinstein, another firm supporter of the fight against climate change, seems a bit vague about this year’s meeting. "I haven't really thought about [Cancun], to be honest with you," she tells Politico, the Capitol Hill daily. Barbara Boxer, who was proud to make global warming her "signature" issue only last year, would undoubtedly like to be in Cancun, but she's not even sending anyone from her staff, willing as congressional staffers always are to party on the taxpayer dime. "I'm sending a statement to Cancun." Wow, thanks, Barbara. That should deeply impress those of us who are a bit skeptical about the alarmist rants.

So that’s the good news of what isn’t happening. But there’s more good news about what is happening. There was an announcement that the House Select Committee on Global Warming would die with the 111th Congress. Mrs. Pelosi established the committee three years ago to beat the drums of the ravages of climate change. The result was the proposed job-killing national energy tax, but with the Republican sweep, there's no longer an appetite for killing jobs. Gee, imagine that—people didn’t want more jobs ruined.

I read about the final meeting of this committee. It’s hilarious. Rep. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, the chairman of the doomed committee, organized one final event this week, which starred alarmists going on about all the coming global-warming disasters. Wesley Clark was the only former presidential candidate to accept an invitation, and he was a no-show. The star witness of the afternoon session was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an "environmental attorney" who talked about how "clean energy" is nicer than the other kind. Mr. Markey himself, apparently as bored as everyone else, didn't bother to return after lunch.

So that’s where we stand on global warming, I mean climate change. In a way the poor economy has been a blessing, along with Climategate. They have awakened people to the dangers of turning our economy over to extremists who want to ruin it in the name of an untested, controversial concept. Let’s slow down and consider better alternatives to providing a good earth to our offspring.