Victoria Ibanga
8 November 2009
Just as the world's financial markets are experiencing a serious mood swing, from exuberance to gloom, so, is the environment. It is no more news that the earth is heating up, and climate change and weather patterns across the world have also changed. According to environment experts, the earth's average temperature has increased above what is considered normal leading to ozone layer depletion, greenhouse effects, drying up of rivers and rising sea levels.
The factors responsible for this are human activities such as lifestyles, industrialization, urbanization, attitudes, civilization as well as growing population. In addition, the process of exploring and extracting minerals, the new craze for biofuels, which is propelled by mounting anxieties over soaring oil costs and climate change, gas flaring, the destruction of the eco-system, conversion of rain forest into cattle pastures, burning of forest and a whole lot of activities that expose the earth to danger are posing serious threats to humanity.
The developing world is looking up to the industrialized world to lift the gloom by subscribing to the climate change initiative to check the deteriorating climate conditions that have enveloped the world. The new initiative is towards having a binding agreement that would compel nations of the world to act immediately to save the earth.
In line with this, after the landmark agreement, referred to as the Kyoto-Protocol, which will expire in 2012, meetings had been held by world leaders in New York, Pittsburgh and Bangkok, but with little or no success. The U.S. is said to be the single largest culprit as well as a financial power house whose co-operation would not only stem further deterioration, but give impetus for compliance by other countries.
The United Nations Summit on Climate Change (COP15), which is scheduled to hold in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December, is the next major Conference that will provide a platform for negotiations on how to restore dignity to the environment and its inhabitants.
It is figured that it will be an event characterized by apprehension, anxiety, enthusiasm, and serious politicking, given the signals at the just concluded Global Editors' Forum, which took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, between October 9 and 11. It was jointly sponsored by Project Syndicate and the Government of Denmark with the theme: "From Kyoto to Copenhagen: Confronting Global Warming and Achieving Energy Security."
As a prelude to the main event, it attracted world leaders, scientists, environmentalists, experts in green revolution and was witnessed by over 300 media professionals drawn from 119 countries. The consensus at the forum was that unless something drastic was done soon, the world would be heading for catastrophic consequences arising from the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. However, there was optimism that though grim, the situation was not beyond salvage.
Friday (October 9) night's reception at the Royal Opera House, where the former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso and Danish Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, addressed the gathering, signaled the beginning of the event.
Annan, who was one of the keynote address speakers, called for global co-operation to avert the grave consequences that may result from the impact of global climate change, warning that if this was not done, the world may witness a catastrophe.
The former United Nations scribe said there was a duty of solidarity to help the most vulnerable countries implement policies to adapt to climate change as failure to do so would have negative impact on all countries of the world irrespective of their status.
Annan said as the dangers of climate change, such as rising sea levels, drought and other extreme weather conditions were growing, the world was under a serious threat, adding that the least developed world would suffer most from the impact of climate change despite accounting for less than two per cent of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and having the least means of resources of tackling it.
Speaking on the importance and the consequences of any failure of the forth-coming COP15, he said "the decisions taken or ducked at the climate conference will have the most profound impact on our world and our future generations", adding "the task of constructing a post-Kyoto agreement is not one, which can be left to politicians alone. It is the responsibilities of us all to create the conditions where obstacles are overcome and the decisions taken are followed through."
In addition, he pointed out that actions capable of preventing damage and destruction on a colossal scale would transform not just the economies of the world, but would affect every aspect of lives even as he warned about the dire consequences of climate change. "Earlier this year, 2,500 scientists warned that on the present emission levels, the world was edging towards potentially catastrophic climate change...No country will escape its impact, directly or indirectly," Annan said.
Continuing he said: "Rising temperatures, the increase in droughts, storms and sea-levels will damage economies and quality of life, bring new health risks and add new pressures to food and fresh water supplies", adding "the increased stresses of climate change will see rising tensions and conflict across the globe. Last year alone, more than 20 million people were displaced by climate-related disasters, and this number will grow."
Providing the basis for negotiations, Annan said any future agreement must be based on climate justice and fairness, adding "climate justice demands that a new agreement must be perceived by all participating countries to be equitable, that industrialized countries meet their historic responsibility for the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while all countries need to take steps to reduce emissions, the developed economies must take the lead by making the most dramatic cuts; they must ensure that global emissions peak by 2020 and fall by at least 50 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050."
He also said climate justice would require a major additional transfer of resources to help meet the cost of adaptation and mitigation in such nations, while cautioning that in a desperate effort to tackle climate change, action should not be taken at the expense of the millions trapped in abject poverty, pointing out that climate justice and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were mutually reinforcing.
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