Commentary: the Copenhagen Climate Conference 2009

Just getting warmed up

Hopes are high for the United Nations' Climate Summit, though the 192 countries taking part face one of the most challenging diplomatic puzzles ever. Science tells us what needs to be done. All the participants have to do is decide who will bear the conundrum and pay for it


By LUAN GALANI (luan.galani@wavemagazine.net)
from Curitiba, BRAZIL


Here we are: it is in the ancient Viking land of exaggerated clichéd depictions of wild-haired and horned helmets explorers, merchants and pirates that the doom of our time is being decided. It is not exaggeration at all to say such a thing when exaggeration is to have great expectations of a thing clearly failing to meet any expectations.

If the worst ever thought disaster of the history of civilization is not capable of plunging the world governments to make a deal to reduce green house effect gases, then perhaps it is the case for believing that the world is wisely bound to vanish in 2012, as predicted by the Mayas (pre-Columbian people) and sealed by the blockbusting namesake from Hollywood.

Frustration is already clouding Copenhagen, showing that we are far more stupid than we are inclined to believe. Splenetic bickerings about the costs are intensifying. Proposals are unleashing a storm of protests and well-known governmental positions are not past setbacks: Sudan, speaking for the G77, demands more action from rich countries; Sweden, speaking for the EU, says of course Europe takes climate change absolutely seriously, and so on.

Europe estimates the cost of climate change policies in the developing world at 100 billion euros per years from 2020 on. The developing countries say they will need at least 240 billion euros per year. The rich countries so far haven't said how much they are willing to contribute, not even Europe. The Heinrich Böll Stiftung - a non-profit organization affiliated with the German Green Party that strives to promote international understanding - discovered that of the four billion dollars pledged to a clean technology fund not a penny has actually been paid. The World Bank's strategic climate fund, which is supposed to have 1.6 billion dollars, is still empty.

A light in the tunnel of repetitive failures

At least Brazil, EU, China and its neighbour India have voluntarily announced numerical targets for emission reduction. But differences still remain strong among countries. It is undoubtedly almost certain that they will paper over, as showed the furore on a draft agreement leaked to the Guardian.

African countries abandoned the conference, but returned after desperate insistence of the other countries that saw the conference's fate hanging by a thread. The tiny island nation of Tuvalu became the new megastar of the moment. In the position of one of the most affected by global warming, the country requires a stringent agreement. A lively Tony Blair sprang there for spreading hope but, as usual, he only chanted non-convincing statements at all.

All that said, forget about that well-earned retirement plan of living in Miami; Miami will no more exist. Habituated to the colony mentality, rich countries forget that this time we are in the same boat: a living cosmic boat which sails through Galaxy around a yellow half-aged sun.

Now science has proved itself its impotence in moving human society for life and its apparently insoluble problems. Amongst 200 billions of stars in our Galaxy, Earth is the unique in which there is no shred of doubt of life presence. And that is what we were since our childhood taught to identify as intelligent creatures. Strongly I hope to be wrong. I hope for Miami to be intact.


(Published: 18.12.2009.)