Amazon rain forest felled to build road to allow 50,000 delegates to COP climate change summit to get from airport (and their jets) quicker.

It was all of eight miles from the airport to the party - sorry, conference - venue before the road was built. It's still eight miles, but the rich eco-nuts won't have to drive past smelly Brazilian plebs doing whatever it is smelly Brazilian plebs do with their time.

Surely at least some of these eco-zealots up for their annual jolly at the working-man's expense have enough self-awareness to realise how this must look?

Last year the gravy-train stopped for a good feed and knees-up in oil and gas-producing giant Azerbaijan, whose president - a no-nonsense sort - told the rich crazies that he wanted to increase Azerbaijan's fossil-fuel output.

And he did, to much eco-wailing and gnashing of teeth. The average Azerbaijani has a bit of money in his pocket these days. You don't see many Azerbaijanis wanting asylum in New York or London.

On this year's agenda, as it is every year, a plan to stop the destruction of rainforest.

You couldn't make it up.