A postcard from Copenhagen

21 September 2017: A bilious despatch from an international conference in preparation for the 2009 conference of the UNFCCC.

Boffins are worrying that when Australian farmers can sell carbon sequestration, they might prefer to earn more doing that than growing wheat. That will increase the world price of wheat. So the farmers will grow wheat. So what happens to the carbon?

But we can do both; increase yield by increasing soil carbon

"I don't believe in win-win situations, because if they are there, why aren't people doing it?" Dismal, or what?

Eat less meat, says dismal. No, that would increase greenhouse gas emissions for many people in many parts of the world, says Win-win.

Is it any wonder nobody can decide what on earth to do.

We need life-cycle assessment tools that are specific enough to tell the difference between eating a hamburger in Australia versus eating a hamburger in the US versus eating a hamburger in Denmark, says We-need-more-research.

There is agreement, he adds, on the need to monetize carbon, despite the debate between Texas and Cap'n Trade.