Greenwash Of The Week: COP15 In Copenhagen - A blog by The Good Human
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Greenwash Of The Week: COP15 In Copenhagen
Some say it is a greenwash, some say it isn’t. The leading climate change researcher, James Hansen, has already stated that any idea of a treaty there needs to fail as it will do literally nothing to stop climate change. “Summit talks so flawed that (a) deal would be a disaster” was said in The Guardian. So what is the hoopla over Copenhagen and its promise of saving the planet? From the Times Online:
It’s the last chance to stop global warming…until next time. The Copenhagen summit is part of a never-ending circus that is about so much more than just climate change.
Sadly, the author of that article (which is a must read for anyone who cares) hits the nail right on the head – these delegates have been doing the same thing for, well, 15 years at these summits – with barely any success or progress. What makes them think they will get much done this time?
The concept of “common but differentiated responsibilities” lies at the heart of the Copenhagen negotiations. This is a coded way of saying that only developed countries are expected to cut their CO2. China, India and other developing countries can go on increasing their emissions as long as these grow at less than the “business-as-usual” rate. With the planet-saving efforts of 190 countries being measured in two such different ways, there is boundless opportunity for accusations that some are not pulling their weight. When the circus rolls out of Copenhagen on December 18, the only certainty is that the big top will soon be re-erected in another city.
