Copenhagen a month later
The gray winter sky of New Mexico reminds me of Copenhagen. It is more than a month since returning from the UN Climate Change meeting and life here has enveloped me in winter whirlwinds.
As I offer numerous presentations on COP15 and reflect upon the meeting, the solidarity of the civic society of 192 nations gathered at this meeting continues to flow through me and motivate me in this challenging work that we undertake. Each of us is responsible for molding lifestyles that conserve and afford a future. As the t-shirt that thousands of youth wore at COP15, “Where will you be in 2050?” We all are accountable to their question.
An environment of lessened pollution offers better health. An environment with fewer CO2 emissions allows for the diversity of species and life on this amazing planet that God give us.
The basic elements of the COP15 Accord that will be worked on in more specificity now and through the Mexico meeting at the end of 2010 include:
- Keep maximum temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius;
- commitment to list developed country emission reduction targets and mitigation action by developing countries for 2020;
- USD 30 billion short-term funding for immediate action till 2012;
- USD 100 billion annually by 2020 in long-term financing;
- mechanisms to support technology transfer and forestry
Even as I write, the world community looks to the United States. If the US Congress does not pass climate change legislation this year, I do not see a way for the United States to sign onto a binding treaty of any form in Mexico.
Each of us must do our part in our homes, houses of worship and in letting our leaders know our wishes for the future. The question keeps haunting me. “Where will you be in 2050?”
This entry was posted on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 4:35 pm and is filed under Copenhagen Climate Conference. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Comments are closed.