If there is global warming, understanding it is beyond the understanding of everybody, and predicting it even more so.
However, it should be noted that just the threat of it existing is allowing a lot of politicians to act statesmanlike. And along the way they get to screw up lots of things.
The American president is hoping that the 17-nation meeting – which will include G8 members and a range of other major economies who produce roughly 80% of world carbon emissions – will sign up to a pledge to prevent world temperatures increasing by more than 2C, the maximum thought permissible before climate change becomes irreversible.
So they’re keen to sign up to lessening an effect with no proven cause, and with no suggesting of how to effect that lessening.
They might as well pledge an extra hour of sunshine; we have as much clue as to how we’d do that, and it’d be a damn sight more useful.