COP21 Week 2 - and open thread

The COP21 meeting in Paris continues this week and is due to conclude on Friday 11 December. There is a draft agreement on the table now, which runs to 46 pages including Annexes. There is also an addendum. The main document has the following at the start of the draft agreement:

1. The purpose of this Agreement is [to enhance the implementation of the Convention] [and] [to achieve the objective of the Convention as stated in its Article 2]. In order to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, Parties agree to take urgent action and enhance cooperation and support so as:

(a) To hold the increase in the global average temperature [below 1.5 °C] [or] [well below 2 °C] above preindustrial levels by ensuring deep reductions in global greenhouse gas [net] emissions;

(b) To Increase their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change [and to effectively respond to the impacts of the implementation of response measures and to loss and damage];

(c) To pursue a transformation towards sustainable development that fosters climate resilient and low greenhouse gas emission societies and economies, and that does not threaten food production and distribution.

2. [This Agreement shall be implemented on the basis of equity and science, and in accordance with the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances, and on the basis of respect for human rights and the promotion of gender equality [and the right of peoples under occupation].]

Weak protests from deniers

There is still no concerted, consistent effort from deniers to undermine the Paris talks.

The anti-environment organisation, CFACT, has put out a film appropriately called "Hustle", which contains nothing new as far as I know. I gather it's just a few denier talking heads rabitting on about how CO2 is plant food and other equally silly denier memes. It features professional disinformers like Patrick Moore. Judith Curry is said to have made an appearance too, making very public her switch to science denial.

In the USA, the denier political party is holding a Senate Committee hearing, so that it can put on public display an ugly libeling columnist from Canada, an elderly American physicist who doesn't understand climate physics (or chemistry or biology), a climate scientist turned denier and one who designs temperature charts intended to deceive.

I expect Lamar Smith is continuing to try to exert political control over the science conducted in the NOAA, but there's not been anything I've seen in the past few days. He did get a letter telling him to buck up and butt out, from leading scientific organisations:

• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• American Chemical Society
• American Geophysical Union
• American Meteorological Society
• American Statistical Association
• Ecological Society of America
• Geological Society of America
• Society for Conservation Biology

Open thread - feel free to post on and off topic comments

I'm otherwise occupied this week (more so than usual). I will try to keep demolishing disinformation from deniers, though there won't be as many in-depth science articles from me in the next few days. Feel free to discuss anything relating to climate - on and off-topic.