'Enviro-hypocrites' attend Davos summit?

'Enviro-hypocrites' attend Davos summit?
Gas-guzzling limousines, SUVs, even helicopters remain transport mode of choice

Celebrity sightings may have been scarce, but the annual gathering of the world's most powerful people in Davos still managed to wrap its air of serious debate in a sheen of glamour.

For all the grave talk about the dangers of climate change at the four-day meeting of corporate and political leaders, petrol-guzzling limousines and SUVs remained the transport mode of choice for the vast majority of participants.

For the really "serious money," the road was left behind altogether in favour of a helicopter entry and departure to the small ski resort high in the Swiss Alps.

And if pop icon and activist Bono cut a lonely figure from the entertainment world, there was safety in numbers for the corporate billionaires and heads of state and government who turned up for the networking highlight of their year.

A short walk through the crowded Forum venue provided immediate confirmation of Davos's continued pulling power, with an above average chance of brushing shoulders with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, or former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov.

And then there was the presidents' club: Former presidents like Mohammed Khatami of Iran, current presidents like Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines, almost-presidents like US Senator John Kerry and aspiring presidents like Russian Deputy Premier Dmitry Medvedev.

Peace prospects in the Middle East, the Iraq war, global warming and poverty eradication in Africa were some of the weighty topics tackled by the assembled worthies, but there was also lighter fare on offer.

A seminar on "Why do brains sleep?" asked whether world leaders can get by on less pillow time than the eight hours a night recommended for lesser mortals and, if so, could they be trusted.

And a "Dialogue in the Dark" workshop offered high-performing businessmen the chance to explore how they interacted as a group when asked to assemble a Russian doll in pitch darkness.

"My group was useless ... all chiefs, no Indians," acknowledged one chastened participant.

Outside the official forum, delegates got down to some serious schmoozing -- one of the main attractions that for many alone justifies the minimum 30,000 Swiss franc (22,000 euros, 28,000 dollars) cost of attending the event.

A series of nightly parties provided delegates with endless opportunities for winding down and sucking up, while one Indian delegation event saw European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson give an uninhibited display of his Punjabi dance technique.

The talk of climate change at this year's gathering was underscored by a dearth of snow when the Forum kicked off on Wednesday -- highly unusual for such a high-altitude ski station at this time of the year.

By the end, however, the weather gremlins had relented, and the resort was carpeted in a blanket of fresh snow that provided a picture-postcard departure for the VIPs -- albeit a hazardous one for London Mayor Ken Livingstone whose car crashed on the way down the mountain.

He was unhurt.