World leaders failed to deliver a legally binding deal in Copenhagen that will begin to reduce the worldโs greenhouse gas emissions that are the cause of climateย change.
Itโs thatย simple.
While we can point to the attempted happy face that politicians are trying to put on the so-called โCopenhagen Accordโ that came out of this two-year negotiating process, the bottom line is that what has been delivered here is a promise to do something later on down theย road.
Politicians love to make commitments to commit to action later. This โletโs strike a committeeโ technique allows them to look like theyโre doing something while doing nothing atย all.
Outside of anything politicians did over the last two years in this negotiating process, there were a few brightย lights.
First was the coming together of disparate groups behind the single issue of climate change. Whether it is human rights groups, environmentalists or anti-poverty campaigners, almost the entire body known as civil society has now made climate change an important mandate within their organization. This has galvanized a worldwide movement that will put immense pressure on world leaders in the comingย months.
The second bright light is an outcropping of theย first.
I have never had so many people I know, everyday people who are normally not interested in the issue, want to talk about climate change. The everyday person has woken up to the issue of climate change and is interested in not only learning more about it, they are starting to question the lack of concern and desire for immediate action on behalf of theyโre electedย officials.
Combine these two bright lights: the galvanization of a worldwide movement and the concern of everyday people and you have a formula for success. If I were a politician, I would be sweating today because the days of platitudes and pretty โgreenโ photo-ops is over. Failure to deliver an international treaty in the coming months will see a lot of grumpy voters in forthcomingย elections.ย
So our politicians have failed us here in Copenhagen and anyone who says they have not needs to take off their rose-colored glasses and take this failure for what it is: an opportunity to fight like never before with the support of more ground troops than any time inย history.
There is a coming storm on the issue of climateย change.
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