THE SOAPBOX bit
1995. Confronted by mounting scientific evidence, the UN convened COP-1 in Berlin hoping to marshal international co-operation to tackle climate change. Solving the problem sounds eye-wateringly expensive. But where there’s a will there’s a way to pay….
- $ 5 Bn invested in the CERN Large Hadron Collider. EU+Switzerland
- $ 10 Bn spent on London’s 2012 Olympics
- $ 150 Bn on the International Space Station – USA, Russia, Canada, Japan.
Justifiable expenditures all. Let’s also not forget………….
- $1,000+ Bn spent on the Iraq war by USA and UK.
Don’t be told that progress is too costly!
But as to Climate Change, Biodiversity – a preponderance of warm words and platitudes.
Since COP1,1995:
- Population has grown by a third from 5.7bn to 8bn.
- Wars as nations eye up control of dwindling resources.
- Mass Migration.
- Over 12 million deaths from malaria – half of these being infant children
- Global forest clearance for agriculture = area of Germany +France +Spain.
- 900 billion tonnes of CO2 pumped out. That’s 5 tonnes per annum for each man woman and child.
- More volatile weather, energised by a global temp. up over 1 deg C.
- Glacier loss over 20%, Coral reef loss around 33%.
- 42 thousand species heading for extinction. Rhinos, gorillas, oranutans, right whales. Plants, insects, fish, reptiles. You name it.
- Over Twenty Five COP Climate Change conferences/ junkets. Errr…enough actionable commitment ?
Many of the biggest challenges facing us have been driven by the rise in world population. We have to redouble our efforts to cope sustainably with that reality. That needs a change in our personal behaviour. A change in attitudes so clear that our political leaders have to take note.
Hmmm…… One Swedish schoolgirl has influenced attitudes more effectively than any world ‘leader’ or national government with its head buried in opinion polls and focus groups.
