Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Prof. Samuel Furfari has written a book about the "Conference of the Parties" - COPs - the annual climate conferences that are organized under the umbrella of the UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Those who come to the events are representatives of countries who are signatory 'parties' to the convention. Since they began 30 years ago, with the stated intention of reducing global emissions to save the planet, global emissions have gone up 65%. Furfari is a chemical engineer and professor of energy geopolitics for the past 23 years at universities in Europe. Furfari was front and centre to all of the activities surrounding the COPs, as he was in the European Commission's Directorate-General for 36 years, so he brings us a front-row seat view. As early as the second COP conference, the refrigerator entered the discussion. It turns out that Europeans were annoyed about the size of American refrigerators, neglecting to realize that there are few high density cities in North America where you can walk down the block to buy fresh baked bread, vegetables, meat and dairy every other day, as is the custom in most European cities. Most Americans and Canadians have large refrigerators because we have to drive to a Supermarket shop weekly or monthly; we have freezers because in winter, fresh produce can be expensive or in short supply. The incident described in this video, that Furfari recounts, shows an early understanding that the European view of climate is one of global rule and top-down regulation, while the American view is that personal freedoms should be the right of citizens within a sovereign state. Specifically, Daniel L. Spiegel, who was then-Permanent Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations in Geneva (under the Clinton administration), spoke out to the gathered masses of nations, saying, "You are not going to decide the size of the refrigerators for US Citizens." Ironically, even today, the US is fighting off the so-called "climate cartel" which the US Republican House Judiciary Committee claims has declared 'war on the American way of life' through its decarbonization/Net Zero coercion of companies. Become a member of Friends of Science Society and help us educate the public about the impacts of climate policy on you! friendsofscience.org/join.html Like, share and subscribe. Thank you!
Prof. Samuel Furfari has written a book about the "Conference of the Parties" - COPs - the annual climate conferences that are organized under the umbrella of the UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Those who come to the events are representatives of countries who are signatory 'parties' to the convention. Since they began 30 years ago, with the stated intention of reducing global emissions to save the planet, global emissions have gone up 65%. Furfari is a chemical engineer and professor of energy geopolitics for the past 23 years at universities in Europe. Furfari was front and centre to all of the activities surrounding the COPs, as he was in the European Commission's Directorate-General for 36 years, so he brings us a front-row seat view. As early as the second COP conference, the refrigerator entered the discussion. It turns out that Europeans were annoyed about the size of American refrigerators, neglecting to realize that there are few high density cities in North America where you can walk down the block to buy fresh baked bread, vegetables, meat and dairy every other day, as is the custom in most European cities. Most Americans and Canadians have large refrigerators because we have to drive to a Supermarket shop weekly or monthly; we have freezers because in winter, fresh produce can be expensive or in short supply. The incident described in this video, that Furfari recounts, shows an early understanding that the European view of climate is one of global rule and top-down regulation, while the American view is that personal freedoms should be the right of citizens within a sovereign state. Specifically, Daniel L. Spiegel, who was then-Permanent Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations in Geneva (under the Clinton administration), spoke out to the gathered masses of nations, saying, "You are not going to decide the size of the refrigerators for US Citizens." Ironically, even today, the US is fighting off the so-called "climate cartel" which the US Republican House Judiciary Committee claims has declared 'war on the American way of life' through its decarbonization/Net Zero coercion of companies. Become a member of Friends of Science Society and help us educate the public about the impacts of climate policy on you! friendsofscience.org/join.html Like, share and subscribe. Thank you!
