House white and impending doom

Conference season never really begins until that first drop of house white hits the senses, so it's on that note that we grab the nearest glass and unwind to the theme of impending doom that usually surrounds climate change debate. And remember folks, regardless of what year we're in, impending doom is just around the corner.

Three months out from the next round of international climate change negotiations in Poland, and looking forward to late next year when a new international deal on climate change will be signed in Copenhagen, our expert panel discussed his issues at hand and mused on what the UK should be bringing to the table.

Climate change talks are always heavy on the statistics, but Christian Aid's Eliot Whittington manages to cut through the numeracy as he opens the event. Christian Aid is observing real life climate problems on a local level in many developing nations: things like salinity of water and disappearing coastlines.

Eliot also describes the lack of drive for low carbon economies among the countries that have the biggest footprints. So not only should the UK, Europe and the US be reducing their own carbon emissions, but they should also be supporting reductions in the carbon emitting giants, India and China.

Then it's over to WWF's Kit Vaughan, whose apocalyptic predictions include the being able to sail over the arctic by 2020. If this is the 'science' of the issue, no wonder the UK is in 'individual and national denial' of the problem.

Blending science with analogy is no new trick in environmental discourse (Brazilian rainforest and football fields anyone?), but the reality is that the political and social rhetoric simply is not matching the scientific evidence. ippr's warm words report tackles the issue of climate change rhetoric, and is a must read for those seeking to change public behaviour on climate change.

Kit Vaughan rightly states that society is waiting for bold leadership on climate change from the Government, and that time is running out (impending doom still very much around the corner).

Liberal Democrat environment shadow Steve Webb spoke of running the green thread through all areas of policy, and bringing transport, environment, energy policy together government. On the issue of engagement, he points out that 'enlightened self-interest' (ie scare tactics) don't work, so the government must work towards changing the norms in society to reflect the behaviour change needed to combat climate change. Again, it's the call out for 'bold leadership'.

Thanks to all our speakers for our first day of conferences. Now it's time for the dying minutes of Match of the Day, and in honour of tonight's debate I'll be watching it with the lights out.

So... which one of you guys HASN'T calculated their carbon footprint?