Thom Yorke's hazy take on climate talks

Reuters

THOM YORKE: 'Neither you or I know what the f... is going on in those negotiating rooms.'

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A long coat covering his red jeans, rock star Thom Yorke brought his own expletive-ridden brand of optimism to the United Nations climate change talks in Denmark.

Having only about 10 reporters at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen yesterday would have been a comedown for the Radiohead frontman, whose "office" is usually a packed stadium.

But the diminutive Yorke was trying to remain positive, apart from saying officials and politicians had been "a..... around".

"Neither you or I know what the f... is going on in those negotiating rooms," he said.

"This is quite a thing to have to achieve. In theory we've been going at for, like, 20 years, but this is the first time you've got this level of political pressure."

Yorke was adamant things were different this time. "They think they've got their nice little f...... boys' club going, but this time it ain't going to happen because there's no way they can write a deal and we won't see the whole thing. And that's what's dawning on them."

Market-based solutions such as carbon off-setting were not going to wash, he said, and developing countries would not allow it.

Developing countries and small island states had the potential to walk out.

"A lot of countries know the consequences for their governments if they fail," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News