We've almost made it to Copenhagen for COP15, and the news in the month or so leading up to it has been... mixed.

First we heard that no substantive deal with real emissions targets would be brokered at the summit, but that was followed by apparently strong agreements between the U.S. and China and India. Other countries have also been somewhat waffle-ish on what exactly will happen. So with uncertainty surrounding such an important meeting, I'm laying out my wish list for COP15.

In no particular order, the mostly realistic things I would like to see happen in Denmark:

1. Countries that lack hard, binding targets — like the U.S., China and recent failure Australia — make firm commitments to remedy that situation. I don't think this is unreasonable, really; most big emitters have been making grand statements recently about their intentions, and reiterating such a stance at the most public of climate summits might actually help those things happen (hint hint, Senate).
2. Right-leaning "news" outlets like Fox News keep their mouths generally shut. Thinly disguised editorials like this one aimed at nothing but questioning motives and ability of the President can easily be left out of the worldwide discussion on climate change. I'm pretty sure we'll be fine without them.
3. That we stop talking about "climategate." Seriously. Let it go. It doesn't change anything. Also, someone come up with a better name for this. You can't use "gate" for every single scandal that ever happens.
4. A climate adaptation fund for poor, at-risk countries, is formally approved. My only actual substantive wish for COP15, because it is such a good, important idea that I think most developed nations can actually agree on. Who pays for it... well, I have less faith in that getting resolved easily.
5. The news coverage of the conference raises the overall journalistic discourse on climate change. Interesting ideas like this could help an often unqualified media in writing about actual science without screwing it up too terribly.
6. BONUS WISH: Senator Inhofe's "truth squad" gets deported. I don't ask for much.