The line of countries asking for handouts as part of the global warming agreement included a curious member: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is concerned that if environmentalism should ever break out, the Kingdom could suffer. Accordingly, they are quietly asking that the KSA not be forgotten in the list of needy nations.
An International Energy Agency report this week showed that OPEC revenues would increase $23 trillion between 2008 and 2030 — a fourfold increase compared to the period from 1985 to 2007. However, the Saudis insist that those figures are “biased” and do not account for the KSA’s status as a fragile economy. Of course, they also do not account for the prolific spending of the Royal family, here. Of course, payments from the impoverished family can be slow, here.
Saudi Delegate Mohammad S. Al Sabban pointed out that Saudi Arabia would lose $19 billion a year starting in 2012 under a new climate pact and “[w]e are among the economically vulnerable countries.” Recognizing that this would not go over well, he added “[t]his is very serious for us.”
He noted that the KSA is still a developing nation and any global agreement “means you will transfer the burden to developing countries, especially to those highly dependent on the exploitation of oil.”
In other news, below is the new KSA national anthem:
For the full story, click here.
Wouldn’t the middle of the desert, a.k.a. most of Saudi Arabia, be the perfect place to set up some major solar farms?
Environmentalism. The cause of, and solution to, all of Saudi Arabia’s problems.
Hmmm…. the Saudi royal family has used the billions of dollars from their oilfields to maintain an opulent lifestyle and keep the rest of the citizens poor and uneducated.
Dismantle the monarchy and set up a secular government.
Then get back to us.
The Saudis can go pound sand if we are successful in weaning ourselves off of oil. They are still financing a large portion of the terrorists in the world.
CEJ:
what is the regulatory climate in CT for utility companies? Do they have a shortage of power generation facilities? The quickest way to reduce demand is to raise prices. Are they doing it to pay for executives or are they doing it to be able to meet current demand?
CEJ,
WOW. That’s awful. The utility company here is thought by many to have rigged a mayoral election so that a person who wanted municipal, green power, didn’t win (at least that’s what the numbers said!).
In Iraq, young men are selling viable, healthy organs to pay for their wedding. I just recently saw this guy on the tube, selling one of his two healthy kidneys for just this reason. My heart breaks when I see the suffering and degradation that is happening to these people in the middle-east. Seeing the dirty, hungry faces of the children is overwhelming and almost causes me to despair. I just can’t stand to see it, it is heartbreaking.
Your Majesty:
“Just last week Texas opened the first section of the largest wind farm in the world in West Texas.”
***********
There is delicious irony in locating a hot air wind farm in Texas!
If this is not a joke, it should be.
But if this country doesn’t want to continue being blackmailed/extorted by the richer-than-God Mideast kingdoms and sultantates, we had better get on the ball.
Just last week Texas opened the first section of the largest wind farm in the world in West Texas. And guess who supplied the equipment and engineering prowess for this record-setting feat: The Germans.
Cry me a river. I so poor I could cry. Have you ever seen …I’m so lonesome I could cry.
Hi Jill,
You called it: “This is obscene.” Unfortunately this greedy mindset is not limited to the Saudis.
The state of Connecticut has the highest electrical rates in the continental U.S. In 2006 despite strong opposition, the state regulating board approved the United Illuminating’s request for a rate hike of 50%(yes,fifty!). Naturally, this caused some serious conservation by consumers. So guess what, this past year with no shame the UI company (having spent close to one million dollars writing up their greedy proposal) requested another rate hike; and sought to justify the increase by saying people were consuming less energy! The other rationale given was the need for 5%raises to the already grossly over-compensated salaried executives. (AS if in this job market they were going to quit to find better paying positions.) Fortunately Connecticut’s Attorney General Richard Blumenthal got involved and they are presently being denied; but we all know it is just a matter of time so yes we are looking into alternatives(solar).
The truth is we are in crisis here. We have few leaders with the courage or even the naked self interest to address this problem. I’m not looking to the president or the Congress for help. There are private companies who are setting up windfarms, etc. even in TX! It really scares me when people can’t even act in their own self interest. How much of a coward do you have to be to ignore a major emergency?
Dredd is correct. They will get the money. Here’s who won’t. This story is the very definition of a corrupt and stupid govt.:
“Thousands Stand in Line for Help Paying Bills in Detroit
Chaos Reigns at Detroit Aid Event
by Tammy Stables Battaglia
Thousands of people swarmed Cobo Hall in chaos this morning trying to get applications for housing and utility payment assistance from the city of Detroit.”
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/08-3
They may succeed in their request!
Some 43% of TARP / bailout money went to oil producing nations in the mid-east who are quite wealthy!
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/05/thanks-for-bailout-america-dubai.html
How about No. Does No work for you guys?
I would think the Saudi Kingdom would be grateful we are prolonging the life of their oil fields.
Let’s see, a country in a desert completely dependent on a non-renewable resource for existence. I’m not sure a handout of any size buys a happy ending.
A little shameless self promotion. I should point out, for whatever reason, my bass doesn’t come through as well as on other recordings… Anyway, I’m sure you’ll figure out why this is mildly appropriate. (Other than the humor of pimping one of my groups out in this particular topic)
http://www.co-musicproducer.com/parisianswing.html
They do have a point, funding terroism isn’t cheap.
Not one damn dime.
This is obscene. Every nation needs to immediately shift to solar/tide/wind/geothermal power. If the world bank wants to pool money from every nation for renewable energy projects and pass it out to those who request it, I’m all for it. The utter stupidity and immorality of the “leaders” in both the US and Saudi Arabia to refuse this change is appalling and stunning. Along with torture, the refusal to deal with global warming bonds us with one of our BFFś, Saudi Arabia.