Dear friends
Kyoto has failed. COP17 is a sham. Our country leaders have failed us. The pretence of finding solutions for carbon emissions is now all about money, while carbon emissions continue to rise. 2010 saw the largest rise is carbon emissions on record, up 6%, according to the Department of Energy in the US. The means that CO2 levels are now higher than the worst case scenario from 4 years ago. And 50% of the jump in emissions comes from the US and China, the two major countries not participating in Kyoto and with no real plans to engage in carbon emission reductions.
So the playing field has moved from doing anything real in terms of carbon emissions, to buying off African countries and their politicians through a Green Climate Fund – a way of channelling vast amounts of money from North to South. But as I have previosuloy written, these funds are being earmarked for big so-call-green business-as-usual projects – not for real change.
And activists pushing for real change? Don’t be surprised if their activities at COP17 are disrupted by South Africa’s own intelligence services.
So what do we do? It is time to hold our governments accountable. Mass movements worldwide have brought about the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street has highlighted the plundering of the poor by the Koch brothers and friends. Perhaps it is time for a mass decent on Durban by people from all over the world. But even though that may highlight the issue, I fear even that will have no change. Until the US and China face up to the real issues, which will require a major shift in political thinking particularly in the US, COP will be a sideshow.
What we do need to do is to consider the changes coming, and how it will affect us, our families, our friends, our country and our planet, and act accordingly. If our lives reflect the same ethic that got us in this problem, namely greed and over-consumption, then truly what hope is there?
References:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/04/greenhouse-gases-rise-record-levels
http://www.sacsis.org.za/site/article/771.1
http://www.polity.org.za/article/cabinet-optimistic-of-fair-cop-17-outcome-2011-10-13
Frank
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