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Justice for all at Copenhagen
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The receding snow line of the Himalayas is perhaps the best indicator of the ill effects of global warming.
I flew over the world's highest mountain range twice, in February and November, this year. The towering peaks of the range, including its highest, Mount Qomolangma, were hardly covered by snow.
I dread to think of the day when the little snow that is left completely vanishes. If the "Roof of the World" turned into arid desert, river sources would run dry, and millions of lives would be at stake.
To focus the world's attention on the impending crisis, the Nepal government held a cabinet meeting at the base camp of Mt Qomolangma recently. This followed the Maldives cabinet's decision to hold an underwater cabinet session in October.
The Copenhagen summit is yet another indicator of the world's recognition of the adverse impact of climate change. People across the globe are eagerly expecting the meet to throw up a solution to save the planet.
Yet, the question is whether politicians attending the summit will make urgent, concerted efforts to address the coming danger or simply turn Copenhagen into another protracted tug-of-war event, bickering over who should shoulder more responsibility to tackle the issue.
It is amazing to realize that, after years of struggle to put climate change on top of the world political agenda, the issue has boiled down to one of "carbon cap and trade", which, in the words of pioneer climate change scientist James Hansen, allows for buying and selling of permits to pollute.
That is a cunning way for rich, polluting nations to shirk their responsibility when it comes to cutting carbon emissions while continuing to blame developing countries.
The developed world's industries started spewing out greenhouse gases and quickly transferred their dirty factories to the developing world, keeping their own land, water and air clean in the process.
Now, they have realized the dangers of climate change. Yet, they stand aloof and point fingers at recently industrialized countries and bargain to minimize their share of the burden whilst pursuing a global solution.
What the world needs today is not trades and bargains.
People are demanding justice, commitment and action.
If we don't want to destroy the earth as we know it, we must do what needs to be done right now.
China, for instance, set a target nearly five years ago to reduce its energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent from 2005-levels between 2006 and 2010, even though, as a developing nation, it was not obliged to do so.
This was a challenging target for the most populous nation on the planet, as it was just entering a period of heavy industrialization that would normally involve high energy consumption.
Recently, China took the voluntary commitment further when it announced that it would reduce CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45 percent, from 2005-levels, within 2020. The country said it would fulfill the emission reduction target without seeking financial or technological support from developed nations.
Such commitment is praiseworthy.
I do not recall any other instance of an industrialized nation doing such a thing when it was at a similar stage of development.
The United Kingdom, for example, did not earnestly pursue pollution control efforts until 150 years after its industrialization.
China, however, spent huge money on environment protection soon after it liberalized its economy 30 years ago.
In their bid to cut carbon emissions, many industrialized countries dumped their polluting industries on poorer nations. China, on the other hand, has had to solve the issue within its own borders.
It is ridiculous when some Westerners, in a bid to politicize the issue, brag that China's pledge to cut emissions voluntarily was a result of their "diplomatic pressure".
We, the Chinese people, know what is best for our subsistence and development. We do not have to do things against our will, just to please others.
The effect of greenhouse gases on climate change is not determined by current emissions but by pollution resulting from accumulated greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over a long period, James Hansen has pointed out.
By this metric, Hansen notes, the UK is the still the biggest contributor to climate change, followed by the US and Germany, even though developing countries such as China are contributing to rising emissions currently.
Hence, it is just and fair to urge the developed world to make substantial efforts to tackle climate change.
The Himalayas, Antarctica and the Arctic are thawing even as politicians squabble over the climate change roadmap and "carbon cap and trade."
If the 11-day Copenhagen summit produces a new framework on climate change without the rich countries' conscious commitment to action, the event will merely be a waste of resources and energy.
James Hansen, who has been fighting global warming for the past two decades, is probably too disillusioned to pin any hopes on politicians, and has, therefore, chosen to boycott the summit. He cursed that it should end in collapse.
He might be cynical. But participants to the summit, and all of us who are watching the event, should try our best not to make the conference a carbon trade spree. To save our planet is by no means a business deal. Those who contributed to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the past century and more should be made to pay their due. (China Daily, Dec. 12)
https://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-37901-278336.html
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