08 Dec 2005 The Empire Strikes Back: U.N. Disrupts Distribution of Toilet Paper Emissions Credits, Seizes National Center Literature

Uh oh. The U.N. is mad at us.

Another report from our team at the COP-11 global warming conference in Montreal:

Accompanied by a security escort, Ms. Barbara Black, U.N. Liaison Officer for Non-Governmental Organizations, accused the National Center of “disruption” for handing out emission credits printed on toilet paper and temporarily seized copies of National Center literature disseminated at the U.N.’s global warming conference.

The National Center’s Peyton Knight and Ryan Balis attempted to hand out materials on the faulty Kyoto Protocol outside a discussion event on “clean energy and climate change partnerships.” Audience members included dignitaries such as Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Dr. Harlan Watson, America’s chief climate negotiator and special representative and Dr. Paula Dobriansky, Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs.

However, when the National Center staffers arrived, Ms. Black temporarily blocked the handing out of materials to audience members leaving the talk because of a complaint of a so-called “disruption.” However, in our view, two people, standing silently in the middle of a public walk-through area, holding two-inch stacks of press releases and rolls of toilet paper and passing them out to willing recipients hardly constitute a “disruption.”

After a security officer threatened to strip Ryan Balis’ conference admittance badge, the U.N. authorities seized a stack of National Center news releases that describe the toilet paper credits.

When asked which U.N. rules prohibit the distribution of materials by accredited NGOs, Ms. Black backed down. The seized materials were returned and distribution resumed.

It is not clear who alerted security to a phony disruption, but Greenpeace representatives were nearby getting their own emissions credit rolls.

I have just one question: Did the bear squeal?