According to Roger Pielke Jr, the Iron Law of Climate Policy means that “when policies on emissions reductions collide with policies focused on economic growth, economic growth will win out every time“.
As it happens, economic growth isn’t alone in trumping climate mitigation efforts.
From “Climate Prophet in Hot Water – ‘The Island President’ and Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives“, by Vikas Bajaj, March 28, 2012, The New York Times:
JON SHENK, the director of the new documentary “The Island President,” said he made the movie to give a human face to climate change, in the form of a Maldivian leader who has passionately argued that rising sea levels could wipe out his country unless the world takes action now.
But in February the film focused on another big cause — democracy — when his lead subject, Mohamed Nasheed, stepped down as president after the country’s police and army turned against him.
The threat from the ocean suddenly seemed to recede as a more immediate battle unfolded in the streets of the capital, Malé, with security forces and supporters of Mr. Nasheed clashing.
[...] Mr. Shenk said that in addition to raising awareness about climate change, he now wants his film to convince the world that Mr. Nasheed was deposed in a coup that was orchestrated by loyalists to the former dictator, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
“That might be the single most important thing that the movie can do,” Mr. Shenk [...] said in a telephone interview from his office in San Francisco.
[...] In a sense “Island President” is the biggest media event Mr. Nasheed could have hoped for, though the attention he now needs has more to do with his country’s domestic political turmoil then climate change.
The pres was on Letterman the other night. Dave is now drinking the coolaid