Mark Hodgson, apparently the science was settled years ago.

They keep finding things to talk about, communicate about, confer about, lecture everybody else about, inflict punitive taxes about, etc, but they still have not done anything useful or practical, about anything at all.

But they know they need yet more money, to do er... um... something about more talking, communicating, conferencing, lecturing, taxing, about reasons why they want even more money.

Martin A, those lists are depressing. Loads of unelected people flown in from around the world, led to believe they were saving the planet, at taxpayers expense, when the decisions had already been decided by a self appointed and selected elite.

It makes the EU seem like a model of democracy. I think Trump may be looking at the amount of US Taxpayers money wasted on sham democracy.

Great News! COP 23 is to be organised by Fiji!

Unfortunately, Fiji does not have enough hotel rooms to accommodate the estimated 20,000 party goers, so this wonderful event will be held in Bonn, Germany.

"Bonn is the seat of the headquarters of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC), under whose auspices international negotiations among more than 190 countries will be taking place ."

Does anyone know how it came to be that the UNFCCC became empowered to conduct "international negotiations"? Has Donald Trump signed up to it, and will he agree to pay the largest part of the bill?

Climate Action Network - Europe has a board full of people whose other jobs are working for the usual suspects. I hadn't heard of one of those, however - CIDSE International - so thought I'd have a look at them. Their website suggests that they are "An international alliance of Catholic development agencies working together for global justice." Their full title appears to be French - Cooperation internationale pour le développement et la solidarité -and they sent 9 people to COP22 in their own right.

They employ people like Ms. Giulia Bondi, Policy Officer, Climate Justice; Ms. Meera Ghani, Policy and Advocacy Officer, Climate Justice; and Ms. Sally Tyldesley, Policy Analyst - Climate and Energy Advocacy and Education Group, Catholic Fund for Overseas Development. Needless to say these 3 ladies were at Marrakech.

Their website,perhaps unsurprisingly in view of the above, has quite a large section dedicated to climate justice and climate finance etc (they're all interested in climate FINANCE - even (perhaps especially?) the religious ones). Their website says things like this:

"The people who are most affected by climate change in developing countries should be supported with reliable and effective long- term financial support.

Governments have pledged $100 billion by 2020 for climate action in developing countries and new and additional funds must be found to meet this commitment. We consider the Financial Transaction Tax a particularly relevant potential source for climate finance.

CIDSE wants to make sure that climate finance is delivered to developing countries in a timely, predictable and reliable manner. Financial support should be equally distributed between mitigation and adaptation spending. This money needs to be channeled through the Green Climate Fund of the UN, which was created at the 2011 climate summit in Durban.

CIDSE’s advocacy work on climate finance mainly focuses on the international climate negotiations at the UNFCCC, while at the EU level CIDSE is currently aiming to influence spending under the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework."

This same section of their website has articles with headings like:

Missing Pieces - Steps to phasing out dirty fossil fuel subsidies in Europe [what subsidies?!!!];

Fair Finance Briefing;

Channelling Climate Finance via Private Sector Actors; and

Transparent climate finance in the EU.

There's enough there for you to get the picture - money, money, money.

They also have a section of their website devoted to articles related to UNFCCC.

I'm anti-religious, though I accept that some religious charities do good work. But this is all rather depressing. And to find them putting their people on the board of Climate Action Network - Europe is equally depressing. Is nothing free of this taint?

Mark Hodgson, I am not a religious person, but try to respect faiths for the good that they do.

The Catholic Church has always opposed birth control, leading to unsustainable population growth in poor communities, with high employment rates for grave diggers.

The Catholic Church has endorsed the Green Blob's view that reliable coal fired electricity generation, is the work of satan or something.

When communities have the technology to turn a light on and off, at night, the birth rate comes down.

golf charlie - naturally, I agree.

I thought I would have a look at Care International, since they also have a representative on the board of Climate Action Network - Europe.

At first I thought they were going to make a refreshing change, since their website seems largely to be devoted to the sort of good works one would expect of such an organisation - a UK charity, needless to say, therefore also in effect being subsidised by the UK taxpayer. But look a little deeper, and it's the same old, same old. They sent 9 people to COP22, including Mr. Sven Harmeling, Climate Change Advocacy Coordinator; Poverty, Environment and Climate
Change Network.

You have to dig deep in their website to get to it, but inevitably they have a whole section on climate change:

http://insights.careinternational.org.uk/publications/theme/climate%20change?catid=43

It contains references to a number of their publications, e.g.:

1. Twin Tracks: Developing sustainably and equitably in a carbon-constrained world - How the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can complement and support each other towards a sustainable future

This report by CARE International and WWF International highlights opportunities to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change in a coordinated way that will help countries to realise their commitments both nationally and internationally.

2. The resilience champions - When women contribute to the resilience of communities in the Sahel through savings and community-based adaptation

The main objective of this study, which was based on interviews with rural communities in Niger and Mali, is to look at the transformative potential of the VSLA (Village Savings and Loan Association) and CBA (Community-Based Adaptation) approaches in building the resilience of vulnerable households in the face of repetitive crises and to adapt to the effects of climate change.

3. Loss and damage: Climate reality in the 21st Century - This joint report by CARE, ActionAid and WWF explains the current reality of loss and damage and outlines recommendations to ensure that the international community’s response to climate change in the 21st century can adequately address loss and damage during the UN climate negotiations at COP21 in Paris.

4. COP21: Sealing a fair and just climate deal for the world’s poorest people - This paper outlines key issues on the agenda at the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, France (COP21) and summarises CARE’s key expectations.

5. Cultivating equality: Delivering just and sustainable food systems in a changing climate - This report from Food Tank, CARE International and the CGIAR Research program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) demonstrates how inequality determines who eats first and who eats worst, and how this shapes people’s ability to adapt to climate change. The report argues that solutions around food production are not enough, and demands more dialogue and action to address inequality in food systems.

6. Climate change: Tackling the greatest human rights challenge of our time - Recommendations for effective action on climate change and human rights, prepared by the Center for International Environmental Law and CARE International.

7. CARE International Priority Positions regarding the UN Secretary General’s Post-2015 Synthesis Report - This paper summarises CARE’s position on strengths and weaknesses of the UN Secretary-General’s Synthesis Report of post-2015 sustainable development consultations to date, in relation to gender, climate change, governance and accountability.

8. Tackling the double injustice of climate change and gender inequality - This report explains why we cannot deliver sustainable development without tackling climate change and why we cannot tackle climate change without tackling the root causes of poverty – one of which is gender inequality.

9. Choice not control: Why limiting the fertility of poor populations will not solve the climate crisis - This briefing paper argues that strengthening women’s and girls’ reproductive rights is a global imperative for equitable development, but it must be a priority in its own right, regardless of a country’s population growth and carbon footprint.

10. Stepping up to the challenge: Six issues facing global climate change and food security - This paper, produced by CARE International with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), outlines the complex and inter-related challenges and barriers to achieving global food and nutrition security in an increasingly variable climate.

There are many, many more in similar vein, but I thought that ten were enough to be going on with.

They make a point of claiming "Your support is what makes our poverty-fighting work possible. You can trust us to spend our funds wisely and effectively to help people in need.". Also "We’re committed to spending as much of our funds as possible on delivering lasting change in people’s lives. For every £1 raised, we spend 83p on our poverty-fighting programmes in the world’s poorest communities. We invest the rest in fundraising and the efficient running of the organisation. " Really? I do wonder. And I also wonder if most people knew how they spent their money whether they would contribute to them at all.

Mark Hodgson

"For every £1 raised, we spend 83p on our poverty-fighting programmes in the world’s poorest communities."

I think that statement could do with further scrutiny by an investigative journalist, and a possible referral to the Charities Commission.

The dividing lines between QANGOs, Charities, Advocacy, and Political Lobbying are hopelessly confused, predominantly deliberately. This is part of the Blairite Legacy that has gone wrong. It probably suits the current Conservative Government to have centre left quasi-autonomous, non-opposition politicians briefing against the current Labour Leadership,

With Trump set to review financial support to the UN and Green Blob, at the same time as the EU places expenditure on UK projects on a very low priority, the next financial year could see austerity hitting overseas aid budgets quite hard, releasing more money for actual aid, overseas.

I looked at their accounts on the Charity Commission website. In 2015, income was £51.7m, of which £14.3m came from donations - how I would define a charity!

£23.5m came from the Department for International Development.
£3.2m came from another part of DFID
£1.6m came from the EU (some of which presumably was supplied by the UK)
£7.8m is described as "other"

Their expenditure is interesting, mainly for being opaque. The top-level accounts show £15m going to humanitarian and emergency relief, £30m on development and £600k on advocacy.

However, the notes give a slightly different breakdown that comes to different totals:

The humanitarian and emergency relief section, for example, has £85k going to food security and climate change.

Ihave no objcection to disaster relief activities but I do object to £30m, most of which has come from some governmental agency, being spent on nebulous "development" activities. The section in the report that talks about their goals is more than a little nauseating as well as nebulous. Have a look, if you
want

http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/FinancialHistory.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=292506&SubsidiaryNumber=0

diogenes

Many thanks for your helpful input and for the link. I noticed that some of their funds were donated by Oxfam and by Save the Children. We seem to be entering a Kafkaesque world where charities are making donations to other charities!

I share your concern along the lines of "when is a charity not a charity? Answer - when it receives a significant proportion of its income from the taxpayer rather than from voluntary donations by people who support its aims." At least they do seem to recognise the problem themselves, but not because they are concerned that they are in effect an arm of Government, but rather because over-reliance on a single source of income makes them vulnerable:

"An over-reliance on DFID funding and insufficient diversity in the programme portfolio: CARE International UK has carried out a review of its approach to bidding for institutionaL funding for programmes, the recommendations of which are under implementation with a view to mitigating this risk, alongside continued investment in growing our income from private sources."

It's a sorry state of affairs, not least because in my opinion they do some good work. But might they not be better off merging with Oxfam, with whom they seem to work closely? That might save their £4M+ p.a. cost associated with raising funds, as stated in their accounts. There would then also not be any need to pay a chief executive in excess of £100,000 p.p., nor fancy auditors at the end of every year, etc, etc...

Meanwhile there's still plenty to look at regarding Climate Action Network and its spin-offs. I tried looking at the Latin American part of CAN (after all, they sent 7 people to COP22), but my pidgin Spanish isn't really up to their website, and the translation offered by my computer is quaint, to say the least. Still, I saw enough to see that they too have a section of their website dedicated to climate finance, and its summary (kindly provided in "English" by my computer) is as follows:

"Facing Climate Change adequately means having a large amount of resources, which are often not considered in the expenses that each country contemplates for its operation, so from the CANLA climate network we have proposed to inform the community about International instances that are being generated to allocate funds to countries in the region that are increasingly vulnerable to climate change."

At least they're honest I suppose - "we need money!"

So I thought I'd have a look at Climate Action Network Australia instead (even though they did only send 4 delegates to COP22). The scary bit for me was taking a look at their "members". Despite having a population of fewer than 25M, they certainly seem to have more than their fair share of climate change organisations:

1. Community & Public Sector Union and CSIRO Staff Association (the link on their website gives this name - their website calls them the Commonwealth Public Sector Union, which looks like a mistake).

2. Australian Farmers for Climate Action. I can't be bothered to look at all the individual members in detail, but I think this statement from their website just about nails it - "We are determined to see farmers and agriculture get the support and investment it needs to adapt to a changing climate, as well as be part of the solution." As usual, in other words - "send us money".

3. Blacktown District Environment Group. (Actually I quite like these people, based on their website. They look like good old-fashioned environmentalists. It's just a shame they seem to have felt the need to get tangled up with CAN Australia).

4. Doctors for the Environment Australia. Here's their website if you want to take a look - they're fully signed up to the climate agenda: http://dea.org.au/

5. Green Music Australia. This is great! "What if the music scene went green? What if solar panels conspicuously sat on venue and studio roofs? What if venues and festivals stopped stocking plastic water bottles and replaced them with filling stations for reusable bottles? What if all lighting was LEDs and all fridges were green-cooling? What if bands’ merchandise was plastic free, organic and fair trade? What if the ARIA awards had a green carpet instead of a red carpet, and the whole industry started actually walking the talk?

Green Music Australia is here to make that vision a reality."

6. The Verb. From their website: "Within the UNFCCC process, The Verb’s broader philosophy challenges people to overcome passivity and pessimism and strive for collective and active participation in the world’s global problems. The Verb’s writers focus on solutions to the problems of negotiation. They aim to give the reader a portal into high level negotiations on diverse topics. From climate change to urban planning, women’s health to transport, Verb articles highlight the key interests at play and advocate solutions."

7. Get Up. From their website, inter alia: "In a crucial decade for our planet, GetUp members are leading the way on action against climate change and for a renewable energy future."

8. Search Foundation. From their website: "The SEARCH Foundation seeks to contribute to efforts to develop a new collective and strategic set of values and ideas and a new collective political practice for a 21st Century alternative to capitalism. The SEARCH Foundation bases this vision on the best of the socialist tradition and the struggles for workers’ rights and human rights, the lessons of the modern women’s liberation movements, the historic anti-racist struggles of our times, and the profound insights of the movements for ecological sustainability. This collective and strategic politics would oppose corporate globalisation with global social responsibility for peace and justice."

9. Alternative Technology Association. From their website: "The Alternative Technology Association (ATA) is a not-for-profit organisation that enables, represents and inspires people to live sustainably in their homes and communities. Established in 1980, the ATA provides expert, independent advice on sustainable solutions for the home to households, government, industry and corporate clients."

10. 350.org Australia. 350.org seem to have sent 17 people to COP22 themselves. This is just the Australian bit though. From their website: "350 Australia is one part of a global movement taking action to halt the climate crisis. We work with a network of campaigners and local groups across the country to help coordinate online campaigns, grassroots organising, and mass public actions.

The number 350 means climate safety: to preserve a liveable planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 400 parts per million to below 350 ppm.

We believe that a global grassroots movement can hold our leaders accountable to the realities of science and the principles of justice. That movement is rising from the bottom up all over the world, and is uniting to create the solutions that will ensure a better future for all.

350 Australia is helping build this movement from our corner of the globe."

11. Australian Youth Climate Coalition. From their website: "The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is Australia’s largest youth-run organisation, our mission is to build a movement of young people leading solutions to the climate crisis."

12. Corena. Stands for "Citizens Own Renewable Energy Network Australia Inc. Solar by the people"

13. Quit Coal. "QUIT COAL – VOLUNTEERS CAMPAIGNING FOR A COAL AND GAS FREE VICTORIA"

14. Solar Citizens. From their website: "Solar Citizens is an independent, community-based organisation bringing together millions of solar owners and supporters to grow and protect solar in Australia.

Together, we take action to protect the rights of millions of Australians with solar to cut bills, create clean power and take energy generation back into our own hands."

15. The Sunrise Project. From their website: "We think the earth is an amazing and beautiful place. We think clean air, soil and water are important. We think the world should be left a better place for our children.
Global warming is the defining challenge of our time. We need to cut greenhouse pollution as fast as humanly possible while supporting vulnerable communities to adapt to a changing climate.
The mining and burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of global warming. It’s time to keep fossil fuels in the ground and shift to 100% renewable energy. And we are running out of time."

16. ARRCC (Australian Religious Response to CC). [Yes, really]. From their website: "The Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) is a multi-faith network taking action on the most pressing issue of our time. In the face of ecological damage and social injustices, we affirm our love for this planet and its inhabitants and our deep reverence for life."

17. Catholic Earthcare Australia. [Yes, really]. From their website: "Catholic Earthcare is the ecological agency for the Catholic Church in Australia. Our purpose is to enable a loving and sustainable relationship with the natural world through environmental education, research, national networks, advocacy and transformation. Through our work, including key initiatives such as ASSISI, the National Energy Efficiency Network and the Global Catholic Climate Movement, we promote the understanding that our environment is sacred and endangered and must be protected and sustained for present and future generations.

We invite all people of goodwill to journey with us in the most critical and urgent of tasks – of safeguarding the integrity of Creation, acting on climate change, protecting Earth’s fragile ecosystems and providing a voice for the victims of environmental degradation, injustice and pollution."

18. Sisters of the Good Samaritan.

19. Uniting Church, Justice & International Mission.

20. Climate Justice Program.

21. Edmund Rice Centre.

22. Global Voices.

23. Greenpeace Australia Pacific.

24. Oxfam Australia.

25. Climate and Health Alliance.

26. Bathurst Community Climate Action Network.

27. Climate Action Hobart.

28. Climate Action Monaro.

29. Climate Action Newcastle.

30. Climate Action Now! Wingecarribee.

31. Climate Action Moreland.

32. Climate Change Australia.

33. Climate Change Balmain-Rozelle.

34. Climate Rescue of Wagga.

35. Lake Macquarie Climate Action.

36. Lighter Footprints.

There are numerous more in this vein. Apparently oblivious of the overlap between their objectives (why not just have one group) they all presumably think they are achieving something and serve some purpose. I've just lost the will to live. If I can be bothered and have time, I'll get back into this tomorrow.

Don't forget about Climate Oriented Natives (cons, for short), or the vital NGO, Climate Revolution Action Program, and of course the Better Institutions Climate Housing program that is making such an impact. And of course the Climate Revolution Energy Efficiency Program. COP always attracts the best!

Robin Eubanks has many posts @ invisibleserfscollar.com about how education is melded and permeated with climate alarmism propaganda, and is the way the beliefs in catastrophe are are to be re-inforced and sustained in a growing corpus of the body politic.
============

Mark Hodgson 7:58

after all of the mis-selling scandals, I wonder if some of these Climate Action Network scam artists could end up being sued by their own recruits. They were promised free holidays and lots of money, simply for wailing on demand.

After the praiseworthy attempts by Greenpeace and others to ban whaling, it is sad they too have become commercial wailers. I think Trump is correct to take the financial incentives out of the commercial "only-in-it-for-the-money" wailing industry, but the unemployed wailers may still seek the compensation they were assured they were entitled to, and I don't think Trump is going to agree to any more US Taxpayers money being wasted.

The Guardian really ought to campaign against Charities profiting out of wailing, with a campajgn demanding Disinvestment. Those Charities wasting money on wailing, that was generously donated to aid the suffering, really need their Heads of Finance examined.

Nuke the Wails.
===========

kim, we need to nail the wukes aswell. Greenpeace can stuff the whales, instead of their pockets.

kim

Thanks for the link. Another one to study if/when I get a few more quiet moments.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, members of Climate Action Network Australia. A little more detail on those I listed but didn't elaborate on:

18. Sisters of the Good Samaritan. I can't see anything on their website about climate change, nor did they send anyone to COP22, so far as I can see. I have no idea why they are members, other than that it seems to be necessary these days to make obeisance in due form to climate alarmism - especially if you want to stand any chance of receiving public funds.

19. Uniting Church, Justice & International Mission. Almost ditto, though if you search diligently you can find on their website things like this:

"Hope for Creation is a coalition of faith groups campaigning for action on climate change and care for God’s creation http://hopeforcreation.com.au/"

And this:

"The theme for World Environment Day in 2014 is “Raise your voice, not the sea level” focusing on the threat climate change presents to many creatures, human and other, who dwell in low lying land regions, especially those on small islands. We all face the challenge of climate change - it connects us globally in a way we have not had to deal with before. In raising our voices on climate change, we also give voice to our Creator who calls s into a relationship with all things."

20. Climate Justice Program. They sent 4 representatives to COP22. They include the following among their supporters:

Climate Action Network Australia
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)
Friends of the Earth International
Greenpeace International
WWF International
Australian Conservation Foundation

So they are members of Climate Action Network Australia, who in turn are among their supporters. Financial supporters? The website isn't clear, but it seems possible. If so, note the possibility of charities again donating funds to other charities, given their list of supporters. Sometimes it's not so much Kafkaesque, more Alice in Wonderland.

21. Edmund Rice Centre. "We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia as the traditional owners and custodians of the land. We commit ourselves to actively work alongside them for reconciliation and justice. We pay our respects to the Elders; past, present and future. As we take our next step we remember the first footsteps taken on this sacred land." Fair enough. But they seem to be big in Pacific Calling Partnership (which seems to have attended COP21, though not COP22). "The Pacific Calling Partnership (PCP) supports the efforts of Pacific Island communities to make their voices heard and educates the Australian community about the impacts of climate change on the Pacific. The PCP supports the efforts of Pacific Island communities to make their voices heard through training programs for young activists from Kiribati, Tuvalu and elsewhere in the Pacific, such as the annual Kiribati-Tuvalu-Australia Exchange Program (KATEP). The PCP also supports Pacific Island communities' participation in international conferences such as the 2015 Paris conference (COP21). To educate Australians about the impacts of climate change in the Pacific, the PCP runs workshops and presents talks for schools and community organisations.

The PCP often collaborates with people, governments and organisations who work on raising awareness of the impacts of climate change, both in the Pacific and more broadly. The PCP is open to forming new relationships."

22. Global Voices. They sent 6 people to COP22. The first name among those 6 is Matt Pucius (Environment & Sustainability Program Manager). This is what the Global Voices website says about him:

"Matt is studying a Master of Environment at the University of Melbourne. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Melbourne and the University of Manchester. He has previously interned at the Clean Energy Council, the Moreland Energy Foundation, as well as a fellowship with social enterprise Pollinate Energy. He is a current committee member of the Australian Institute of Energy Melbourne Chapter and a Climate Leader with Al Gore’s Climate Change Leadership Program. Matt is passionate about technology and its ability to change and improve people’s lives."

As for funding: "Global Voices scholarships are funded through partnerships with Australia's leading tertiary institutions and our corporate partner, Qantas." OK for Qantas, but what of the "leading tertiary institutions"? Presumably much, if not all, of their funding comes from the taxpayer.

23. Greenpeace Australia Pacific. They don't appear to have attended COP22 in their own right, though as you might expect, Greenpeace International sent 47 delegates. I suspect I need say no more about them. Of course, their website contains the usual spiel: "Climate change threatens everything we hold dear – our homes, our health, our planet. Our addiction to burning coal for energy is pushing us into an urgent crisis. But safe, renewable-energy can power our future – it will be cheaper and healthier for our families and our planet. "

24. Oxfam Australia. Again, they don't appear to have attended COP22 in their own right, though Oxfam International did send 16 delegates. There's all the usual climate change stuff on their website, including the following:

"We need to find a fair global solution to climate change.

This is why we’re campaigning for the Australian Government to urgently increase its contribution to international climate action, in line with keeping the global temperature rise to within 1.5˚C, beyond which many countries have said they will face unmanageable suffering and devastation. Australia’s contribution should include:

A commitment to reduce Australia’s domestic emissions by at least 45% below 2000 levels by 2025 and at least 65% by 2030;
A commitment to achieve zero emissions well before mid century, including developing a concrete plan to phase-out coal from Australia’s energy supply;
Substantial support towards climate change adaptation and low-carbon development in poorer countries, beginning with a strategy for scaling up current contributions to reach a fair share of the international goal to provide $100bn a year by 2020
We also partner with communities, supporting their calls for stronger action, and their determined efforts to deal with the impacts of climate change."

They admit that 20% of their funds go on fundraising, media and marketing and that 10% goes on administration. Lots of people there obtaining benefit from charitable donations, no doubt.

25. Climate and Health Alliance. They didn't attend COP22, though one of their number did under the Climate Action Network Australia banner. "The Climate and Health Alliance is a coalition of health care stakeholders who work together to see the threat to human health from climate change and ecological degradation addressed through prompt policy action. The membership of CAHA includes organisations and individuals from across the health sector, with organisations representing health care professionals from medicine, nursing, public health, social work and psychology, as well as health care service providers, research and academic institutions, and health consumers."

Given that, shouldn't they just get together with Doctors for the Environment Australia?

26. Bathurst Community Climate Action Network. "The Bathurst Community Climate Action Network was established in 2006 by members of the local community concerned by what they were learning about greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on the global climate. It came about from a group of individuals who sought to be involved in the Bathurst Region response to one of the greatest challenges facing life on earth." I can't find anything on their funding.

27. Climate Action Hobart. "Climate Action Hobart is a volunteer, grassroots climate action group formed to promote community involvement in achieving strong climate policy and action in Tasmania." "Join the Petition Storm to the new Federal Government, to insist that:
* We face a climate emergency
* We call on our political leaders to declare a climate emergency
* We need the government to follow through with the necessary resources and action to fully address the crisis at emergency speed".

Enough said.

28. Climate Action Monaro. "Climate Action Monaro (CAM) was established in 2011 to inform and educate the Monaro community and decision makers about the science of cllimate change [Funny thing is, aren't we all swamped with this from the MSM? Why do we need another group to "inform and educate" us about it?]. CAM lobbies government to take action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It holds two public meetings a year, mostly in Cooma. It issues regular media releases and has letters published in the local press. CAM issues a weekly email bulletin to those interested. "

29. Climate Action Newcastle. "Pacific visitors bring home effects of climate change
Climate Action Newcastle members were proud to organise a dinner reception and tour of Newcastle and Hunter Valley for a delegation of Pacific Island Young Leaders from Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji 12-13 June. See the Herald’s coverage here.

The group were participating in the Pacific Calling Partnership program organised by the Edmund Rice Centre which is aimed at strengthening Pacific connections around climate change and to improve the advocacy skills of their young leaders.
The group were interested to see Newcastle's coal loading infrastructure and Hunter Valley mines up close, and to hold some actual pieces of coal in their hands - a first for all. They also saw the CSIRO facility, a large solar farm in Singleton as well as meeting with local activists, politicians. Ex-coal miner Peter Kennedy met the Young Leaders in Singleton and guided the group to see coal mines in operation.
Most importantly the group told us stories of sea-inundation of their homes from global-warming induced sea level rise, and requested that we strengthen our efforts to stop coal mining and exports on their behalf, to reduce the threat of global warming to their island homes."

More links within links there then. Talk about Group Think!

30. Climate Action Now! Wingecarribee. A substantial website. No mention of funding. All the usual stuff.

31. Climate Action Moreland. "We’re a group of people living in the Moreland area who are working locally to take action on climate change. Our members have come together out of concern about the lack of meaningful political action on climate change, and a recognition that we need to take responsibility for our future." "We believe that we need a rapid transition to a zero carbon society to prevent severe climate change that will have a devastating effect on our lives and those of future generations. Current scientific evidence indicates that to avoid this we need to stabilise atmospheric carbon at 300 parts per million, which is below the amount of carbon we currently have in the atmosphere. To achieve this we need to transition our energy supply to 100% renewable energy by 2020." They seem to be a little out of date. I thought we had hit 400ppm. Strange the calamity hasn't struck yet, then...

32. Climate Change Australia. I suspect this should read Climate Change in Australia:

https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/

It seems to be an Australian Government website. Oh dear...

33. Climate Change Balmain-Rozelle. "Climate Change Balmain-Rozelle is a collective of local parents and residents who have come together out of mutual distress over Australia's excessive greenhouse gas emissions and the world our children will inherit." Distress? How sad.

34. Climate Rescue of Wagga. "Climate Rescue of Wagga (CROW) Inc. was started after a series of informal café meetings held over about a year. The topics discussed revolved around Climate Change and our responses individually and as a community.

By October 2006 it became clear that there was a need [a NEED?] for a community group to take on that work. A Public meeting was called, a workshop on the ways in which we might go was run and a steering committee formed.

CROW was officially launched in October 2006."

35. Lake Macquarie Climate Action. "LMCA was formed in 2007 by a group of local residents concerned about the threat and lack of action to mitigate climate change.

LMCA works with our local council, businesses and other like minded organisations to achieve our aims.

We meet monthly at LMCC chambers in Boolaroo.

Actions include projects undertaken by different sub committees or individuals, organising events as well as sending letters to government, businesses and the media."

They're all at it, aren't they?

36. Lighter Footprints "Lighter Footprints is a local Climate Action Group which aims to be a leader in stimulating action to ensure a safe climate future, influencing a paradigm shift in the attitudes and opinions of the community and all levels of government."

37. Mackay Conservation Group. "The Great Barrier Reef and our climate are in crisis. Rising carbon pollution from coal, oil and gas are fuelling climate change which is leading to more extreme weather events -- from super storms and floods, to bushfires and extreme heat. August was the hottest month on record, and marks the 11th record setting month in a row. Our Pacific island neighbours are already facing sea level rise and salt-water intrusion which is threatening livelihoods and culture. This year, the largest coral bleaching event in history, caused by global warming decimated the Great Barrier Reef. Almost one quarter of the reef did not recover.

To avoid the worst effects of global warming we must plan for a rapid phase out of coal and gas fired power and its replacement with renewable sources, like solar and wind. Investment in renewable energy will create thousands of long-term sustainable jobs across the region and will help safeguard precious icons like the Great Barrier Reef for future generations."

38. The Mount Alexander Sustainability Group. "The Mount Alexander Sustainability Group was established in 2006, by a passionate group of locals who wanted to see coordinated action on climate change and support the Mount Alexander Shire Community to work towards a sustainable future.

MASG has over 200 voting members: local people taking action to combat climate change. "

39. Parramatta Climate Action Network. "We are a diverse community group working with all members of the public through:

Organizing forums, Ecofests and Climate Summits to inform and show what can be done for a sustainable future for all.
Acting with others on local, regional and national environmental issues of great concern, such as protecting our water, no new coal or coal seam gas mining, saving icons such as the Great Barrier Reef.
Briefing political, community and business leaders on issues and solutions.
Educating young and old alike on the dangers of fossil fuel dependence and possibilities for change.
Reducing our own environmental footprint and showing everyone how to do it.
Supporting efforts for renewable energy, energy efficiency, divestment from fossil fuels and dropping fossil fuel subsidies." [What fossil fuel subsidies?]

40. Sustainable Living Armidale. "Living in Armidale NSW Australia, we are part of the global Transition Towns movement that addresses the twin challenges of peak oil and climate change at a community level. We are made up of action groups each with a specific focus, currently these are:

Energy
Transport
Community Garden
Armidale Local Food
Armidale Urban Rivercare Group
Armidale Action on CSG And Mining"

More tomorrow, if I can face it! I have family in Australia and visited them a few times when I was younger. I even considered emigrating. If the above are representative of what Australia has become, I'm glad I stayed where I am (and I though we had problems of our won with climate alarmists and snouts in troughs).

Mark Hodgson

"Hope for Creation is a coalition of faith groups campaigning for action on climate change and care for God’s creation http://hopeforcreation.com.au/"

Mann is under the impression he created God in his own image.

Mark Hodgeson re " 40. Sustainable Living Armidale. "Living in Armidale NSW Australia, we are part of the global Transition Towns movement that addresses the twin challenges of peak oil and climate change at a community level. "

Many of my former undergraduate srudents were quite taken with the "Transition Towns" concept, and I believe Totness in south Devon is a UK example. The concept of being as self-sustainable as possible, regardless of the fallacy of the reasons for adopting such measures, should engender support. I would have thought, however, that the core beliefs of the movement would have precluded their supporting the sending of delegates or observers to an overseas boondoggle.

Supertoll (welcome back and Happy New Year to you).

Yes, that was my point really. I have tried on occasion to suggest that some of the groups I'm highlighting are probably comprised of decent people who want to do good things - and in some cases might well be achieving something positive. However, they are all, bar none, signed up to climate change nonsense, and even if they have not sent delegates to COP22 themselves, they eagerly support others who do. Many of them are a contradiction in their own terms.

Mark Hodgson & Supertroll, if you wanted a free holiday in Marrakech, tough luck! You missed out on numerous opportunities to win a free ticket like this:

http://climatetracker.org/trackingcop22-campaign/

CLIMATE TRACKER IS LAUNCHING ITS JOIN NOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FULLY FUNDED TRIP TO COP22 TO BECOME A NEGOTIATOR TRACKER.

Quite how civilisation has survived without enough "Negotiator Trackers", I don't know, but it will be interesting to see if more freebies are on offer to entice people to COP 23 in Bonn.

Climatetracker.org looks like a large organization. I wonder how they are funded. Mark you may already have come across them, but I don't have the willpower, nor can I conjure up the incentive, to plow through this thread. I particularly "enjoyed" the links being forged in (young?) climatetracker minds between the fossil fuel industry , tobacco, and climate
- plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

I wonder how many COP attendees smoked.

Mark. My lack of willpower and incentive does not reflect upon the quality of your work on COP attendees, rather it indicates the deep despair it has provoked as I read through all of the products of your industry. I am also vastly impressed with your tenacity - I would have given up long ago (or turned to drink). I do hope you manage to tie things together at the end of your efforts and thereby forge something of very real value.

Supertroll, no need to hit the bottle, when hitting google keeps providing depressing stories

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4078904/The-fattest-charity-fat-cat-Foreign-aid-boss-MILLIONS-1-5billion-handed-charity-British-taxpayers.html