If there is agreement to come out of the climate change conference beginning today in Paris, it will not be legally binding.  That fact, along with the enormous chasm that separates countries like China and India and the Western industrialized powers, means that there will be a lot of hoopla but not much substance in reducing carbon emissions. Instead of a treaty, like the failed Kyoto accord of the 1990s, there will be a series of promises by nations to reduce their emissions.  This has angered climate activists, who staged a protest in Paris yesterday, despite the government using its emergency powers granted because of the terrorist attack to curb the demonstrations. New York Times: The French government is using the sweeping emergency powers it gained after the Paris terrorist attacks to clamp down on any possible disruption to the two-week global climate conference that starts on Monday, limiting public demonstrations, beefing up security and placing two...(Read Full Post)