def METHOD_NAME(metric_tuples, host, port=2003):
    """
    Sends a list of metric tuples to a carbon backend.
    :param metric_tuples: A list of metric tuples in the form
                          [(path, (timestamp, value)), ...]
    :param host: IP address of the carbon backend
    :param port: The carbon backend UDP port
    """
    # pylint: disable=W0601
    global carbon
    try:
        carbon
    except NameError:
        carbon = socket.socket(_socktype_from_addr(host), socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
        carbon.connect((host, port))
    _logger.debug("sending carbon metrics to [%s]:%s: %r", host, port, metric_tuples)
    try:
        for packet in metrics_to_packets(metric_tuples):
            carbon.send(packet)
    except socket.error as error:
        _handle_error(error, host, port)