What would you like your grand children to inherit? A world that's submerging and hopes of survival diminishing, or one that ensures generations of human life to flourish. Well COP 15 (UN Climate Conference at Copenhagen) envisaged the latter but now it seems it is going for the former.
The summit started off with deep divisions within. The rich and poor countries were on different planks, richies trying to ditch Kyoto whereas poor wanting more commitment from the rich. The rich along with the host have been trying to push a new text through that requires all countries to commit to cut emmissions leaving behind the UN view point that it should be equitable. G77, with Africans in lead have opposed this idea all along.
There are some legitimate questions raised by the poorer lot and the emerging nations - How can you expect poor countries balance development and emmission cut? When major portion of CO2 emmission historically and presently have come from industrialised nations how can the rich countries expect all to reduce emmissions by the same amount? How would the poorer nations be supported in their efforts to reduce emmissions, monetary support as wella as technological support? Why the US which could spend trillions on war to save the world from bad boys and control rogue states can't support poorer nations?
Well there are more questions, but let's hope the air is cleared and consensus reached on the way forward. We are already grappling with the changes in climate - delayed to no rains, floods, hurricanes, hotter summers and colder winters. Let people come forward with initiatives as well as push their governments to take actions, so that we can leave a better world for our children.
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