BALI, Indonesia -- Never before have so many people converged to try
to save the planet from global warming, with more than 10,000 jetting
into this Indonesian resort island, from government ministers to Nobel
laureates to drought-stricken farmers.

But critics say they are contributing to the very problem they aim to
solve.

"Nobody denies this is an important event, but huge numbers of people
are going, and their emissions are probably going to be greater than a
small African country," said Chris Goodall, author of the book "How to
Live a Low-Carbon Life."

The U.N. estimates 47,000 tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants
will be pumped into the atmosphere during the 12-day conference in
Bali, mostly from plane flights but also from waste and electricity
used by hotel air conditioners.

If correct, Goodall said, that is equivalent to what a Western city of
1.5 million people, such as Marseilles, France, would emit in a day.

But he believes the real figure will be twice that, more like 100,000
tons, close to what the African country of Chad churns out in a year.

Yet SUVs, taxis and other cars sit in long lines at the gates to the
site, spewing out exhaust as they wait to get through security
checkpoints.

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