Tuesday, 4 December, 3 p.m. — It turns out that although we know enough to know for sure that the world's climate is changing, we still don't know all that much about the weather in many parts of the world, especially the local climate. There are still some parts of the world, according to the World Meteorological Organization, where weather stations are scarce and information is scarcer, particularly in the poorer countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The problem is that to tackle issues such as adaptation, information is priceless.

"It's like if we don't see a doctor," Hong Yan, WMO's Deputy Secretary-General. "We don't get the information and we can't get the right medicine."

Even the Nobel Peace Prize winning IPCC, which has issued its latest assessment on climate change over the course of the year, can tell only part of the story, Yan says. "Globally, the IPCC does give you the picture. But for regional and national forecasts, we need more data."

Yan says there is no doubt that the science of climate change shows that we are facing a serious problem, but not of the sort that the movie Day After Tomorrow depicted, where melting ice in the Arctic caused a disruption to the Gulf Stream, which in turn caused another ice age. The speed with which the ice is melting is weakening the Gulf Stream, he explained, but in the big scheme of things, it would take thousands of years to cut it off.

Tuesday, 4 December, 1 p.m. — Yvo de Boer, who heads the Climate Change Convention, in his opening speech yesterday, said the outcome of the conference "will, to a degree, determine whether Bali — and other vulnerable places — are destined to become a lost paradise, or not." The quote, referring to the work of Milton, was widely quoted in the press and a newspaper distributed at the conference splashed a big headline under a big photo of verdant Bali reading UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer: Bali may become lost paradise. And WWF headlined a flier "Paradise Lost — Beautiful Bali under threat from climate change."

-- Dan Shepard

Tuesday, 4 December, 12 p.m. — Adaptation is a big issue in Bali. With sea level rising, more droughts in some places and more intense rainfall in others, people are going to have to deal with change. Many people have already been affected by climate change, and in large part, for most people and communities who understand the risks and have sufficient resources, adapting to climate change comes rather naturally. But overall, the world is not ready to cope. That's what a new study on adaptation by 300 scientists from 50 developing countries says.

Climate plays a major role in risk, but the risk is compounded when land is degraded and human institutions fail. And it is usually the poor or low income groups that are mostly in harms way.

It will cost a lot of money to support adaptation assistance, but according to Neal Leary, who helped coordinate the Global Environment Facility supported project, many adaptation strategies are not expensive. "The greatest costs are not where the greatest benefits would be realized. Measures do not involve a great deal of resources. Just the right people."

Tuesday, 4 December, 10 a.m. — It's usually rather easy at big international meetings to tell who's a delegate and who's an NGO. But with the opening formalities of Bali out of the way, it's much harder to know who's who. Instead of wilting in the sultry tropical heat of Bali, the dark suits and starched shirts worn by delegates yesterday have yielded to much more casual attire today. Open collars and batik shirts are now the order of the day, for both delegates and NGOs. The informal dress code is likely to endure until ministers and other high level officials descend on Bali next week.