Climate Change: Copenhagen
Humankind has placed an unbearable burden on nature.
We need to respect that nature is a delicate orchestration and recognise the consequences of our consumer-driven lifestyles.
Helena Christensen
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The message I have heard has been loud and clear: The climate is changing, the changes are caused by people and, if we do nothing about it we will face grave threats to our civilisation.
As many of them struggle to cut poverty, the environment is often not a high priority.
But even here I believe there is great cause for hope.
Let us hope that in the history books our grandchildren will read, this may be seen as a time of inspiration and leadership of which they can be proud; a time when world leaders open the door to a viable future for all of humanity.
Prince Charles
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AFTER World War Two, the whole of Europe was devastated and the United States came up with the Marshall Plan which assisted those parts of the world to rise up from the ashes.
Now that the people of the world's developing countries are facing disaster, it is time to understand again that we are all connected on this Earth.
This is the time to say to the rich nations: You are not going to be able to safeguard yourself.
There is no place that is safe. If we go down, we will all go down.
This week we need a legally enforceable deal, not a political deal, where developed nations restrict their emissions by 40 per cent and I am urging them to contribute 150billion dollars a year to assist developing nations cope with climate change.
It would be enough for developing countries to combat climate change and find alternative ways of creating power that are not destructive and would not increase the temperature of the world by more than two degrees.
Scientists have worked out if you go beyond this you are in trouble.
We have hope - especially among the young - but if we mess up we are writing our own obituaries.
We must all swim together or we will all drown together.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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In as much we would like to shy away from the reality, we have to accept we have damaged the environs.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, wise words from the Archbishop, "We must all swim together or we will all drown together."
ReplyDeleteOur leaders have to come up with a resolution, but I do not get one man, Mugabe, a 59 member delegation to the summit. Is this one of his moves to get annoy the EU? Anyway stay blessed President Ashley, we await the day when you shall finally take your place at the helm of Zimbabwe, you will do great things for your country.
ReplyDeleteWisdom from the prince, most welcome move!
ReplyDeleteInteresting days ahead... As news of the suspension of the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen reached Guyana yesterday it was greeted by a flurry of mocking Facebook updates from journalists in the country.
ReplyDelete"So we gonna cut down de trees now … or sell them to the Chinese?" a former editor asked, with more than a hint of cynicism. "What happened to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS)?" another journalist quipped.
They were referring to the fate of Guyanese president Bharrat Jagdeo's LCDS, a plan by which Guyana would be paid up to $580m a year – the sum experts believe the country's rainforests are worth if cut down – to preserve its vast quantity of trees.
A man on a mission... Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Monday urged world leaders to be more flexible as a consensus looks difficult to achieve. Otherwise, the global climate summit is at risk of "failure", the Prime Minister told Sky News, according to Channel NewsAsia.
ReplyDelete"I think... to land a strong agreement in Copenhagen we are going to have to see more compromise all round - from the big developed economies as well as the emerging economies... We've got a lot of work ahead of us," the Prime Minister said.
Your blog name sums up the whole process... As We Progress... Together we can create a better world. The G77 did well by walking out yesterday at least now they can be taken more seriously. Keep up the good work Sir Ashley
ReplyDeleteThe EU and Japan may not sign on to an agreement on climate aid funding that combines short-term and long-term aid numbers without the US being clear it can do its share, sources say. A sad development. But why? The US has to be brought to book!
ReplyDeleteA legally binding global agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will take years to develop and adopt, delegates at the Copenhagen climate change conference said, citing huge differences among key players. This will be a protracted process, sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteA political deal will not be legally binding and will be more of a voluntary commitment.
ReplyDeleteOfficials here said the legally binding deal is not possible because the agreement for such ought to have been signed six months ago, which did not happen. Voluntary??? Well we might as well think of other options... sad....
I am pleased that Copenhagen won't amount to anything. It sickens me that all these poorer countries have come to receive their welfare cheques. There is NO SUCH thing as man made climate change. Get that through your head! Sara
ReplyDeleteWell Sara can you tell us what causes climate change then?
ReplyDeleteRare is the global conference where one can say without hyperbole that the fate of the earth hangs in the balance. But that can be said about this United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark which is currently taking place until December 18.
ReplyDeleteThe world hopes that the 192 governments meeting there will actually produce a binding agreement and not just inject more hot air into the atmosphere.
The Philippines is one of the noisier nations participating, fearing more extreme weather and the loss of prime Boracay real estate. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is arriving on December 16. US president Barack Obama, whom the world is looking to for leadership on climate change, is flying in on December 18, fresh from defending his country's two wars while accepting the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr. Obama if he was really serious should travel earlier and bring about peace before collecting his Nobel Peace Prize.
Sara, what world are you leaving in?
ReplyDeleteTens of thousands of more ordinary folks have been jetting in from all corners of the globe, emitting stupendous amounts of carbon while yelling at their leaders or other people's leaders to cut down. Where are their morals, protest from your own backyards!
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly to many, Canada divulged some mainstream UN-speak late on Saturday when environment minister Jim Prentice told reporters that he expected legally binding commitments to come out of Copenhagen.
ReplyDeleteNot that Copenhagen will produce a legally-binding agreement before the end of the December 2009 negotiations.
Common wisdom has it that within six months or so of the current summit such an agreement can be finalised, a fact Jim Prentice underlined.
We await to see the fruition of such a speculation.
ELUF YOU HAVE A POINT!
ReplyDeleteWe've been taking from earth for centuries...now it our time to give back what we took...we need to stand up for this great planet that we call home...we have to stand up for earth and the future of mankind...I hope that the UN talk in Copenhagen will bring out about real change and not fake promises...STAND UP FOR EARTH AND MANKIND FUTURE.
ReplyDeleteYes we need to Stand up and let our voices be heard! Eluf I understand your point, very true!
ReplyDeleteMugabe and 59 member delegation, pathetic!
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