It is finally here. The most eagerly anticipated week of the year since the G20 in London is finally upon us. Also this week the Copenhagen Climate Conference got underway.
Regardless if you are a tree hugging liberal or cynical conservative the results of this week could have far reaching implications across the world.
But is a deal likely or even desirable?
Obviously if you are a firm believer in global warming you will see a deal as essential in much the same way a sceptic will tell you this week is a waste of time and money.
However to reach a deal a lot of divisions need to be bridged and Berlinesque walls demolished.
Unfortunately for those expecting a deal each country has entirely different expectations.
The third world needs a push in the right direction to avoid basing their entire economic future on oil.
Developing economies such as India and Brazil need to be able to expand further without compromising the future of the planet.
Meanwhile the developed world, most notably America, seems unwilling to give up the lifestyle they have carved out for themselves in the last century, although bizarrely it is they who seem to be pushing most for the global deal.
Some might say it is a bit hypocritical for nations of car drivers to tell nations of bicycle riders they need to reduce their carbon footprint.
Unfortunately some see the developing economies as the most troubling environmentally.
India, Brazil and China are producing higher carbon emissions the more their economies grow for obvious reasons and seem unwilling to relinquish this for even more obvious reasons.
However for the poorer countries to avoid falling into this trap they need foreign investment, which is not forthcoming without them making commitments first.
But should the developing world be the ones to make the first vital move?
America produces far more than its fair share of carbon and is the spiritual home of the most inefficient gas-guzzling vehicles known to mankind.
It was George W Bush who refused to sign up to Kyoto and avoid setting any kind of emissions standards. Can anyone imagine what this world would be like now if Al Gore had been declared the winner in Florida?
It is clear every country is going to have to make sacrifices if a deal is to be reached.
The developing world, most notably the rising economies will have to make assurances they will learn from the mistakes the developed world has made and look for a low carbon way to grow.
The developed world meanwhile must look for ways to make substantial changes to show the rest of the world it can be done.
Of cause none of this is likely to happen without the financial backing of the developed world, none of whom have any money to give out at the moment.
Then we come to the most obvious problem that not all people believe in it.
According to recent poll in the UK nearly 50% of people we dubious about the mankind’s effect on global warming.
The hacked e-mails from the University of East Anglia have caused a huge rift in the environmental groups and have galvanised the sceptics.
On top of this some attending the conference flat out oppose a deal being made.
BNP leader Nick Griffin, who is representing the EU at Copenhagen, has called climate change a myth and has called green taxes a money grab.
Despite whatever personal feeling you might have towards his politics he is certainly not the man people want to see representing the EU at a celebrity golf match let alone something important.
However at least he is turning up. President Barack Obama will not attend until the last days of the summit, with many saying an American commitment is the only thing that matters.
To compound all of this there is the problem of the oil producing countries.
Most oil rich countries have their entire wealth tied up in petroleum
Most oil rich countries have huge stakes in the national oil producer.
These countries who would be seen as ‘rogue nations’ if it was not for oil can now see a bleaker future on the horizon.
If it was possible to see beyond the scientific doubts of climate change the barriers still look imposing.
The developing world will not commit until America has set emissions standards and is helping them financially to secure a greener future, and the developed world will not commit or fund until they have the assurances of the developing countries.
And then you still come round to this problem of scepticism over Climate Change itself.
Is a deal desirable? On the face of it yes, although as long as there are sceptics people will find this debatable.
Can a deal be reached? On the face of it no.
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