Climate Change Action

Such is the severity of the consequences of inaction or insufficient action on climate change, it is difficult to know weather to celebrate or dispair when real progress is made-the progress that has been made is real but also only a tiny part of what is required. Tony juniper from friends of the earth has this to say about the progress that has been made:

It has sent a clear signal that the future lies in cleaner and more sustainable technologies and is good news for people everywhere.The centre piece of the agreement is that 150 countries (excluding the US) will start talks on mandatory emissions cuts, for the post-Kyoto period (after 2012). This extension of the Kyoto protocol is the more abitious of two workstreams. The US has however finally signed up to a watered down commitment for continued climate mitigation talks, with emissions targets expressly forbidden, this is under the broader UNFCCC framework.

On the other hand...(continued below)

As stated in my previous articleThe chances of sufficent progress being made under an extended Kyoto framework are slim at best. There are many issues with the current Kyoto framework, perticularly the lack of a science based emissions cap to the global framework, the emissions cuts arrising out of Kyoto have, and will continue to arise from the base up, on by means of political 'horse trading'. There are also 'problems in practice' and these problems are perticularly accute in the areas of developmen and adaption funding. Climate change is a multi-faceted issue and one important aspect of this is clearly basic justice. The results of climate change are are the results of industrialisation, and this same process is responsible for the huge inequities in the modern world. Progress has been made on this issue, but much more has to be done, and the written progress has to become progress in action.

For the pop-press version of things check out the bbc article.  For the views of the youth oriented its-getting-hot-in-here coallition have alook here. Finally, for a more cynical (realistic?) look at things try the "Climate Justice Now!" blog.