What the World Needs to Do

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS TO DO

by Antonio C. Antonio

December 16, 2014

Three days ago in Lima, Peru, the United Nations members have reached an agreement on how countries should tackle climate change.  Delegates present approved a framework for setting national pledges to be submitted in a climate change summit in Paris, France next year.  The culmination of the conference was delayed for two days because of differences over the draft text.  Environmental groups denounced the framework as a weak and an ineffectual compromise.  Unfortunately, the strategy of Greenpeace (an international environmental advocacy group) did not do much to stress their concern after they desecrated a UNESCO Heritage Site in Peru.

In the Paris summit next year, the expected international pledges on decreasing carbon emissions and reducing greenhouse gases is aimed at limiting global warming to the target threshold of 2 degrees Centigrade.  Most attendees are not too optimistic whether the target pledges could be realized in the Paris summit especially now that the rich countries feel harassed.

The controversy drew bold lines between rich and poor countries in the world.  Poor countries basically demanded for (a) the rich countries to dramatically bring down their carbon emission and (b) assist poor countries severely affected by climate change.  This was almost demanding the more economically advanced countries to “pay” which was largely viewed as pinning the blame on them.

At this crucial stage, finger-pointing will only serve to polarize and divide the international community on the issue of climate change… and will not be good for everyone.  Simplifying things, the rich countries should seriously commit to substantially reducing their greenhouse gasses and carbon emissions; and the poor countries should stop whining and unduly burdening the more developed countries on their individual environmental woes.  It should be every country’s responsibility to look into doable mitigation measures with whatever resources they have within their territorial boundaries.  We all need to give the Paris agreement next year a chance.  This will be the ideal “middle ground”… this is what the world needs to do.

Just my little thoughts…

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