As the
United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen approaches, the issue of climate change has never been higher on the political agenda, but a global consensus on how to tackle the problem, and the political will to push through practical change, seems as far away as ever.
It seems the conference will be another example of a group of people all agreeing to do something, sometime in the future, as they all agree something needs doing at some point but cant face up to doing it just yet.
It also appears there will be
far more lobbyists from big business there than people wanting positive change.
Knowing that changes are needed it easy, committing to placing limits on pollution is not, baring in mind the practical barriers to doing so. Politically it is easy to set targets to be achieved in the future, and then find excuses at that point as to why it hasn't happened.
However, it is hard to place meaningful limits in place now, appearing to risk jobs and growth while imperilling those all important campaign contributions! It is in many ways the same for all of us, it is easy to use a bag for life or shop ethically, but hard to use less electricity or use the car less when it is integral to ones way of life.
These political barriers are raised by the fact that an
ever increasing proportion of emissions emanate from the developing world, where rapid growth is pulling millions out of poverty. This growth overrides all other concerns, including the environment and climate change. This is causing despair in environmental circles as the final nail in the planets coffin.
The fact is western nations still have a vast lead in CO2 emissions per capita e.g. the average American is responsible for 19.4 tons compared with 5.1 tonnes for the average Chinese and 1.2 tonnes for the average Indian. Much of the CO2 produced by developing nations such as China and India comes from the production of products for consumption by western nations. The hypocrisy of the western world trying to limit the third world development in the name of Climate Change, when doing very little to tackle the issue itself, seems very unfair;
imperialism in a green garb.
An example of this is in the
reaction to a new affordable car made in India, the Nano from Tata motors. The car will sell for the equivalent of £1300 and allow millions of Indians to afford their own car (a change that helped catalyse massive social and economic change in the western world throughout the twentieth century). Therefore a massive number of new cars will soon hit the road.
This Washington Post article tackled the issue in a way that
angered many, with the author stating "if millions of Indians and Chinese get to have their own cars, the planet is doomed" while highlighting how hard it will hit the struggling, gas guzzler producing, American car industry.
To be fair to the author, the article is more balanced than the reaction to it suggested, making a nuanced point about how best developing nations could build a modern, sustainable transport system rather than aping the bad habits of the west. In addition, the article tackles this subject of western hypocrisy on Climate Change, for example when quoting an Indian college student telling the author "Just when we can finally start to enjoy the things you people have had for decades - cars, air conditioners - you tell us 'Sorry, too late, you can't now'. I mean, you created this mess. You won't reduce your consumption, but you tell us we can't increase ours."
Human nature has always been to push development at all costs, with no thought as to the finite nature of resources or the implications of pumping pollution into our fragile environment. We as a species have always striven for an easier, more comfortable existence, and reversing this will be a real struggle. Human nature also dictates that major, potentially painful changes will be put off until there is absolutely no option but to change. The pessimist in me feels it will take serious, life altering changes in our environment to trigger wholesale changes in our society towards a sustainable way of living. Until then, the fear of impacting profit and convenience will override all concerns over Climate Change.
Yet another barrier to tackling Climate Change is the very real fact that the majority do not believe it is taking place. A
recent study finds that only 2 in 5 British voters believe that climate change is real and caused by human activity. The number is even lower elsewhere, and
many scientists also still deny mankinds effect on Climate Change.
Arguments put forth to support this range from the fact that the Earths climate has always been in a state of constant change, to the idea that volcanoes release far more CO2 than humankind to conspiracy theories about creating mass panic.
Without attempting to debunk these theories in detail, it seems impossible to deny the impact of humankind on the planet, the evidence is all around us and increasing daily as rainforests, resources and species disappear, water levels rise and fish stocks fall, and deserts and landfill sites grow.
Some action does need to be taken at the highest levels now to turn this juggernaut around. Much is being done in so many fields by so many organisations and individuals, but as long as current industrial practices remain unchanged,
global supply chains remain so vast and patterns of consumption are maintained, these actions will sadly remain a drop in the ocean.
It will take the vision to see that our way of life need not deteriorate in a transition to a low carbon, sustainable existence. British Recycled Products recently signed up to the
Copenhagen Communique which sets out the business case for real change, along with
ideas on how to achieve it.
Economic development will not be sustained in the longer term unless the climate is stabilised. It is critical that we exit this recession in a way that lays the foundation for low-carbon growth and avoids locking us into a high-carbon future
if a sufficiently ambitious, effective and globally equitable deal can be agreed, it will create the conditions for transformational change in our global economy and deliver the economic signals that companies need if they are to invest billions of dollars in low carbon products, services, technologies and infrastructure.Tackling Climate Change offers real opportunities to increase our prosperity, and maintain it in the future, by replacing old industrial practises and ways of thinking with new sustainable industries. So much untapped potential exists in renewable energy and transport, environmentally friendly products and recycling.
A transition towards real investment in, and eventually reliance upon, these new industries requires political will, and the bravery to face the upheaval that will inevitably take place. But upheaval is what is required, and this action needs to be taken now, as there is no time to waste. We need not fear the future, as long as we ensure that we have a fighting chance to flourish.
