The truths Copenhagen ignored: Politicians have chosen low taxes and oil money today over survival

[marmar]

from the Independent UK:



Johann Hari: The truths Copenhagen ignored
The politicians have chosen low taxes and oil money today over survival tomorrow

Saturday, 19 December 2009


So that's it. The world's worst polluters – the people who are drastically altering the climate – gathered here in Copenhagen to announce they were going to carry on cooking, in defiance of all the scientific warnings.

They didn't seal the deal; they sealed the coffin for the world's low-lying islands, its glaciers, its North Pole, and millions of lives.

Those of us who watched this conference with open eyes aren't surprised. Every day, practical, intelligent solutions that would cut our emissions of warming gases have been offered by scientists, developing countries and protesters – and they have been systematically vetoed by the governments of North America and Europe.

It's worth recounting a few of the ideas that were summarily dismissed – because when the world finally resolves to find a real solution, we will have to revive them.

Discarded Idea One: The International Environmental Court. Any cuts that leaders claim they would like as a result of Copenhagen will be purely voluntary. If a government decides not to follow them, nothing will happen, except a mild blush, and disastrous warming. Canada signed up to cut its emissions at Kyoto, and then increased them by 26 per cent – and there were no consequences. Copenhagen could unleash a hundred Canadas. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-the-truths-copenhagen-ignored-1845114.html

[stray cat]

1. Exactly what their constituents would also decide

Few ask for higher tax rates for themselves and higher energy prices - and DUers are no different than any other group

[Tutankhamun]

2. It feels so surreal -- watching the world's most powerful

people actually destroy the human race in the name of convenience. And the world nods in approval.

[snagglepuss]

4. It does feel surreal. nt

[IndianaGreen]

3. K&R

This is a very good article that deserves reading in its entirety.

As Hari told towards the end of his piece:

Throughout the negotiations here, the world's low-lying island states have clung to the real ideas as a life raft, because they are the only way to save their countries from a swelling sea. It has been extraordinary to watch their representatives – quiet, sombre people with sad eyes – as they were forced to plead for their own existence. They tried persuasion and hard science and lyrical hymns of love for their lands, and all were ignored.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-the-truths-copenhagen-ignored-1845114.html

[Karenina]

7. Low-lying islands will NOT be saved. It's WA-A-AY too late.

Their best tactic now would be to arrange an orderly re-location. There is no UP side to developed nations taking ANY notice of them as long as Manhattan Island remains above the water line. :evilgrin:

[grahmhatch]

5. A 20 year old kid gets what billions of dollars never could in one simple blog post.

Here's the most rational, logical, and intelligent piece of writing you'll ever see on all of this stuff. Forget Kyoto, Copenhagen, Summits, Forums, Debates.

It's all right here, plain and simple.

http://www.mygreenelement.com/?p=412


The Many Colors of Green

White. The color of the rapidly melting ice caps, which are ceasing to be polar bear habitat and becoming…

Blue. The color of rising water tables which threaten the existence of entire cities, which are full of people who would like to do something about this except for the color…

Red. The color of the figurative tape, blocking meaningful progress on all of these issues. And then there’s…

Brown. The color of the muddy water created by hurricanes, floods and tsunamis around the world, reminding us all of the fact that the Earth is alive, and we are alive only at its mercy. A reminder that the consequence-free industrial frat party is over, and it’s time to clean up, sober up, and grow up.

After all, when a giant floating orb provides you with clean air, water, food and handy little luxuries like gravity, an ozone layer and the only known habitable conditions for the existence of your species in the universe, it seems only fair to treat such a generous orb with a little respect.

It seems rather obvious that when a species possesses self-awareness, scientists and the power of observation that such a species would want to do something when all of the above rather profoundly point to the imminent destruction of the delicate conditions which allow us to survive. Or, to be less verbose: Living good, dying… not quite as good.

“That’s the whole secret to life… not dying.” – The late George Carlin

So when you find yourself overwhelmed with green rhetoric. Green this, green that, green-shift, green-tax, green-energy, green technology. Remember, that there’s a lot more colors involved, and a lot more at stake then any election, or poll, or blog post, could ever tell you.

[winyanstaz]

6. so what? Did you really expect this meeting to be about

Mega corporations stopping the pollution coming out of their own factories? Bwhahahaa..
It's a lot more about taxing YOU out of the last of your money and establishing a foot hold and basic foundation for a one world government with the taxpayers footing the bill.
They also think it is fine to hold the developing nations back, saddling them with mega debt and making them pay to clean up the mess the mega nations made while they rape their nations natural resources.
Power and money baby..power and money.

[jgraz]

8. No they haven't

They've chosen their careers over YOUR survival. The people backing them fully expect to come through any climate crisis just fine. Whatever limited resources are left will be given to them, backed up by a military that's just slightly better-fed than the starving rabble.

Climate change policy is the ultimate Malthusian calculus. You think TPTB are trying to avoid it? They're COUNTING on it.