Don't be so glum, Mick. What does Agriculture have now that it didn't before COP15 (which, by the way, was long expected to be a fizzer)? We have a consensus of the major developed nations on "THE SPECIAL DEAL" for Agriculture that makes Greenies grind their teeth and the Supreme Master ("Go Green. Go Veg") blow smoke rings out her ears. We have a broad coalition of nations and institutions who 'get it' about soil carbon. This coalition includes the USA, the EU, the World Bank, the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, the FAO and the UN itself. They know that the future will not be very comfortable without it. It is inevitable because we hold the key to the future. While the scientists were wringing their hands and saying it's already too late, someone took a serious look at soil, did the sums, and decided it would be a doddle to pull 50 parts per million out of the atmosphere for 50 years. This is the bridge to the future the world has been looking for. No one can stop it now. If the developing countries don't like it (big bunch of whingers) they are condemning their farmers to miss out on the funding it would provide to transform their agricultural practices and technologies so they can meet the twin challenges of climate deterioration and feeding their people. They are also guaranteeing massive disorder and armed conflict in parts of the world where flooding and famine could lead to millions of refugees landing in other, more politically stable countries, like Australia. The rest of the world will do take the Agricultural Solution anyway, via the Voluntary Market. The Voluntary Market does not need anyone's approval - nobody can avoid a restraint of trade action if they try to block legitimate commerce. But the most significant outcome from this consensus around Agriculture is a shift in thinking from zero-sum to win-win when it comes to farmers being rewarded financially for protecting and restoring the natural resource base. The meaning behind this development is very historic: It means that - for the first time in the history of human agriculture - there has been an economic value put on Nature that is more than a notional value. It is a working capital value. The people doing the farming (and the harming) can follow their natural inclination to treat the land with the respect they have for it, rather than overtax its capacity in order to make a decent living when society doesn't wish to pay a fair price for essential food and fibre that farmers produce. The Soil Carbon Solution will be seen by future generations as the turning point, if we are lucky. The failure of Copenhagen has at least revealed the cynicism of China and India and their determination never to negotiate in good faith. Finally, the best outcome for the world from COP15 was the fact that 'they' are not going to do anything about it. Politicians can't lead, they can only follow. Environmentalists can't lead. They can only react. Only the People can lead. And right now those of the People leading the Climate Change Rebellion are taking us down a dangerous path. What will they do if Barnaby is wrong? It should be noted that the Nationals do not support the Soil Carbon Solution or the Special Deal for Agriculture. Incentives, not taxes for Methane. Incentives, not taxes for Nitrogen Emissions. Plus Soil Carbon Credits if you want them. In our wildest dreams we did not think that the deal would be this good. But Barnaby describes it as being 'a little red car for Christmas and some fairy wings'. For our grandchildren's sake it is to be hoped that he has the courage to turn that little red car around.