September 25th, 2009
By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
As if the dire predictions about the sad state of the planet aren’t enough, we’re now being treated to gloomy forecasts about whether our leaders have the will to do anything about it.
At the Climate Summit at the United Nations in NYC observers had hoped for a breakthrough pledge or statement from either US President Barack Obama or China’s President Hu Jintao. But the event was long on rhetoric, short on serious commitment and left many advocates muttering their disappointment, mainly because the leaders of the two most polluting nations are still playing chess.
Catherine Brahic of New Scientist noted: “Obama said once again that the US could do nothing if developing nations didn’t take steps towards reducing their own emissions. Given hopes that the summit would break that deadlock, this was almost shocking.”
Jintao, meanwhile, spoke in terms of lowering China’s carbon pollution as a proportion of GDP units, which meant that China would try not to pollute as fast as it has been. He was silent on the topic of outright carbon reductions.
Neither leader’s remarks matched the urgency or eloquence of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the convener of the UN conference, who warned that the world has only 10 years to try to avert the worst-case climate change scenario predicted by scientists and told the 100 world leaders in attendance: “Now is your moment to act.”
Obama and Jintao seemed no where near acting, or perhaps they were being great actors, delivering well-crafted speeches. (And I mean that in the worst way.)
Other global leaders at least noticed the vacuum.
“What we lack today is confidence and determination,” said French President Nicholas Sarkozy. “The time has passed for diplomatic tinkering, for narrow bargaining. The time has come for courage, mobilization, and collective ambition.” (For the skinny on all the post-summit grumblings see this WorldWatch post-mortem.)
Everyone , it seems, is beginning to worry about the chances for a strong climate agreement at the December conference in Copenhagen. Some think it won’t matter much. Some think it would be devastating.
Will this become a self-fulfilling prophecy? Is Obama just too mired in the health care debates to be bothered with a melting planet — and recall his campaign promises to put global warming high on the priority list?
When will China get over its stubbornness about being a developing country in need of help and recognize that it is both a major carbon polluter and potential great green leader?
One might ask nearly the same about the US, a country willing to lead endless military excursions, but not yet firmly grasping that we need a “surge” to save Earth.
Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media
