Jennifer Marohasy

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Qatar Outbids US and Australia for Soccer Matches

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The oil rich Gulf state of Qatar has out bided Australia, and even the US, for the FIFA Soccer World Cup.  According to The Australian:

“The Gulf state’s climate that will be so hot during the World Cup that the organisers admit they will need to build massive air-conditioning systems for entire stadiums, training facilities and fan zones to avoid serious health risks.”

Perhaps there are opportunities here for the carbon offsets industry?   Perhaps those who really care about Anthropogenic Global Warming should boycott the event?

After all, according to Wikipedia:

“Qatar has the highest per-capita carbon dioxide emissions, at 55.5 metric tons per person in 2005. This is almost double the next highest per-capita emitting country, which is Kuwait at 30.7 metric tons (2005) and they are three times those of the United States. Qatar had the highest per-capita carbon dioxide emissions for the past 18 years. These emissions are largely due to high rates of energy use in Qatar. Major uses of energy in Qatar include air conditioning, natural gas processing, water desalination and electricity production. Between 1995 and 2011 the electricity generating capacity of Qatar will have increased to six times the previous level. The fact that Qataris do not have to pay for either their water or electricity supplies is thought to contribute to their high rate of energy use. Despite being a desert state they are also one of the highest consumers of water per capita per day, using around 400 litres.”

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Comments

  1. spangled drongo says

    As a keen soccer supporter and ex-player I have to accept that the world cup is rather a mindless exercise in overt consumption. You would think, if CAGW is perceived by so many to be such a problem, the prize would go to the country with the most eco-friendly program.
    Imagine building all those stadiums [stadia?] and then dismantling them and setting them up in third world countries.

    Crazy! or wot?

    Australia should have just offered to put on a comp to see who could kick a bag of spuds across the Murray in bare feet.

    We mightn’t have got a vote but at least we wouldn’t have paid $45 mil for the only one we did get.

  2. toby robertson says

    More importantly what do we think about the UN comments that 2010 is the third hottest year ever and this decade the hottest ever?

  5. spangled drongo says

    The warmers are all getting in early [for Cancun of course] but also so as not to look too stupid as Nov/Dec spoils their fun. Like Hansen earlier this year with his “Hottest Evah!”

    After 12 years they’ve got the desperates.

    And like Trenberth, they are Travistated by it.

  6. Helen Mahar says

    Hey, I thought Australia had the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions. Explanation please.

    One thing to miss out on staging a soccer carnival, another to get bumped from first place.

  7. Thomas Moore says

    2010 sets new temperature records, one of the worst mass coral bleaching events on record, and all you can post is a witty anecdote about the world cup?

  8. cohenite says

    “witty anecdote about the world cup”; well, as an alternative when I see emotive clap-trap such as “new temperature records, one of the worst mass coral bleaching events on record” I try to upbraid the clap-trapper but in your case I don’t think I’ll bother.

  14. el gordo says

    Steven Goddard believes ‘the temperature record is so corrupted at this point that it is impossible to reach any meaningful conclusions. As far as I can tell, the only reason why 2010 is as high as it is, is because Greenland and Northern Canada were not as cold as normal last winter.’

  16. Thomas Moore says

    El Gordo:

    “The reason that coral usually recovers from bleaching is the conditions that interrupt the food cycle between the algae and the coral stop and the coral starts getting energy from the algae again. Once the coral starts eating again it recovers much like any other hungry animal.”

    – This isn’t true.

    “The temperatures of all oceans vary much more than that during the course of a year. It is only when the temperature changes quickly that coral runs into trouble. ”

    – This isn’t true.

    “Increasing CO2 levels do in fact have a slight impact on the ocean pH, but as part 3 will show, the ocean pH levels naturally change in response to the normal variations in the Earth’s climate. This is especially true when the climate is changing quickly.”

    – This isn’t true.

    None of the above cites an primary literature.

    “http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423100817.htm”

    – The reason this study was remarkable was because it was an exception rather than the general rule.

  17. spangled drongo says

    Thomas Moore,

    Please spare us recants from Ove HG blunders.

    He makes so many that he is hard pressed to catch up and his science of doom wears a bit thin after a while.

  18. spangled drongo says

    eg,

    Very wise not holding your breath. This is far too reassuring for the MSM:

    “In comparing the vast array of past climate changes in the Arctic with what climate alarmists claim to be the “unprecedented” anthropogenic-induced warming of the past several decades, White et al. conclude that “thus far, human influence does not stand out relative to other, natural causes of climate change.” In fact, they state that the data “clearly show” that “strong natural variability has been characteristic of the Arctic at all time scales considered,” and they reiterate that the data suggest “that the human influence on rate and size of climate change thus far does not stand out strongly from other causes of climate change.”

    And that doesn’t even consider those crazy Arctic UHIs.

  20. Malcolm Hill says

    Well whats surprising about the world cup outcome …nothing really.

    No transparency at all ..behind the scenes manuevering of all sorts going on.

    I elitist few ( no more than 21 ) deciding a major outcome with claims of bribery and corruption at every turn.

    ….sounds just like the IPCC and their various COP ‘s.

    Australia gets double crossed by a couple of oily middle eastern potentates who say one thing but do another….even thats not new or novel. Greeks and Turks have been doing that for centuries.

    You would have thought the Australian Goverment and the bid team could have worked it all out before hand that it was a waste of time … and had a very low probability of success and we could have saved our money.

    I pity the poor old poms who invented the silly game and had a top bid but evrn they didnt get a look in.