GOING GREEN? YEAH RIGHT

Later this week, the United Nations Climate Change Conference will be wrapping up in Copenhagen, Denmark.

A city normally filled with bicycles; a city that has retro-fitted its old buildings to be energy efficient; a city with lush greenery, it is fitting that the topic of making a more 'green world' would take place in a city that is trying to lead the way.

Ironically, the rest of the world is bringing its old methods and ideas there to poison their air.

Leaders from 192 nations planned to attend the event that will conclude on December 18 after opening on December 7. Will those leaders find housing near the conference and be walking to the event? NO. Will they be using electric or hybrid vehicles for their transportation needs? NO. Well, that's not totally true...5 vehicles have been requested for use during the event.

No...more than 1200 limousines will be used for getting participants around. This, after 140 private jets will be flown into their small airport to bring in the attendees.

So many limousines were requested, they had to drive most of them in from neighboring Germany and Sweden because Copenhagen doesn't have that many.

The airport can't hold an extra 140 jets either, so some will have to fly in, drop off their passengers and then fly off to park in neighboring countries until time to fly back in to pick up their passengers when they're ready to leave.

Even our own President isn't helping. Rather than stopping by the conference while he was in nearby Oslo to pick up his Nobel Prize, he set back his attendance date to the final day, hoping to make a more effective presentation at its closing ceremony. So he flew to Oslo, back to the States, and then will make the return trip to Copenhagen and back again.

Organizers of the event, say the total carbon dioxide count for the conference will be 41,000 tons...roughly the same as the amount of carbon emissions produced in Morocco in 2006.

We have our priorities a little off center. We have good ideas, but we often times trip on our two left feet with bad choices...setting bad examples. Let's hope some realistic goals are set at the conference and we work to make them happen.

Dan