King Canute at the G-8

King Canute at the G-8. WSJ Editorial
World leaders tell the Earth's temperature not to rise.
WSJ, Jul 10, 2009

"When King Canute of lore wanted to teach his citizens a lesson, he set his throne by the seashore and commanded the tides to roll out. Canute's spirit was back in business this week at the G-8 summit in Italy, where the assembled leaders declared that the world's temperature shall not rise: 'We recognize the scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2 degrees [Celsius],' or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, said the summit declaration.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

As for how they will achieve this climate-defying feat, well, the leaders were somewhat less definitive: 'we will work . . . to identify a global goal for substantially reducing global emissions by 2050.'"