Oil Change International

Exposing the true costs of fossil fuels

Climate Summit Opens in Bali

Some fifteen thousand people (including two from Oil Change) are in Bali for the annual two week UN Conference on climate change. This year’s meeting is the largest ever.

It also seen as the most important in years as delegates are under pressure to deliver a new post-Kyoto global agreement on how to cut rising greenhouse emissions beyond 2012. Depending on what happens over the next two weeks, it will either be seen as an historic meeting, or a useless talking shop of hot air.

UNFCCC Executive Director Yvo de Boer urged the international community to use the summit to take “concrete steps” towards curbing climate change.

“We urgently need to take increased action, given climate change predictions and the corresponding global adaptation needs,” he said in his welcome message to delegates. “In the context of climate change, projections of economic growth and increases in energy demand over the next 20 years, especially in developing countries, point to the urgent need to green these trends.”

Crucial to success is still America with the US still campaigning hard against the mandatory emissions cuts that scientists agree will be necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change.

US President George Bush – who favours voluntary mandatory targets – issued a statement saying that the nation’s emissions had fallen by 1.5% in 2006 from levels in 2005.

Bush – a dinosaur until the end – used the reduction as an endorsement of his climate policy, saying: “Our guiding principle is clear: we must lead the world to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions ..[but] must do it in a way that does not undermine economic growth or prevent nations from delivering greater prosperity for their people.”

He still doesn’t get it does he? Unless there are mandatory targets long term prosperity for everyone looks bleak. Didn’t he read the Stern report? His head is firmly stuffed somewhere where he can ‘t see what is happening around him…

Comments (1)

  1. Michael Kreiger says:

    Being a citizen of the US, it is obvious to me that the Bush Administration doesn’t want to stop global warming. As with most (all?) decisions from this administration, the almighty dollar is behind the global policy.
    Let us ask the question: What will happen if the US doesn’t dramatically reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses?
    Answer: The glaciers will continue to melt. This will dump millions of gallons of fresh water into the Atlantic. From history, we know that this is what caused the “Little Ice Age” back when pilgrams were coming to North America.
    The USofA has planned for the event of an Ice Age. It is well known that the United States will be called on to “Police the Globe”. Famine will strike. War will break out (particularly between nuclear powered Russia and China). And, all our current problems will disappear.
    If you think Oil Companies have a secret agenda, then you haven’t thought this through. The government has the planet right where it wants it to be. How sad is that, and how dumb are we?
