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The Climate Deal That Failed Us
“History will be the judge of what has happened in Cancun.” These are the last lines of the Bolivian Government’s press release yesterday about the outcome of the climate negotiations here in Cancun. The talks ended here today after two weeks of negotiations by a 192 governments. It is a deal that will be remembered by our future generations as one that killed the climate treaty, unless we radically change course.
Witnessing standing ovations and applause in the closing hours over negotiating texts that basically kill the Kyoto Protocol and make emissions reductions voluntary for all governments fills me with a profound sense of disillusionment (you can view the final plenaries here). Disillusionment at the utter lack of leadership exhibited by virtually every government except Bolivia and disillusionment at the role that many environmental and development groups played in legitimizing these governments’ actions.
The compromise arrived at Cancun was a coup for the United States. The U.S. came in with nothing to offer in terms of binding commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and yet managed to effectively push for voluntary targets. The source of these targets is the “Copenhagen Accord” that President Obama negotiated by cornering a few key countries in a back room in the last hours of the climate negotiations a year ago.
“There is only one way to measure the success of a climate agreement, and that is based on whether or not it will effectively reduce emissions to prevent runaway climate change. This text clearly fails, as it could allow global temperatures to increase by more than 4 degrees, a level disastrous for humanity,” says Bolivia.
Sadly, Bolivia was set up as the scapegoat at the meeting—portrayed as the only country standing in the way of multilateralism and progress on a climate deal. “The perfect is the enemy of the good,” they said.
Manufacturing Consensus
This scapegoating is nothing new. I have witnessed it in the WTO where governments, under great pressure by powerful countries like the United States and the EU, are too afraid to speak out or too keen to be seen as constructive actors on the geopolitical theater. And theater it was last night—as country after country—applauded the President of the COP, for her “open and transparent” process and a successful outcome. Yet in reality, we all knew that the deal had been negotiated behind closed doors by a handful of countries. At times, there were 50 countries in a room somewhere in the conference complex.
But we did not know where and we did not know what they were negotiating. Civil society, unlike other UN negotiations, was not allowed in any of the drafting groups. And what governments drafted did not even seem to appear in the texts crafted by the Chairs of the two negotiating tracks of the climate talks.
In the closing hours of the COP, Bolivia made strong statements that it did not agree to the outcome and that there was no consensus. In the UN, all countries must agree and have “consensus” before a treaty or a deal is adopted. In Cancun, the deal was ceremoniously gaveled as agreed.
For civil society organizations, Cancun must be a wake up call for serious reflection. How have we been complicit in an outcome that has ultimately not respected the science of global warming? Worse still, some have applauded an outcome that lets industrialized countries off the hook from legally binding and mandatory targets to reduce GHGs—something they agreed to when they signed the Kyoto Protocol.
The 20th anniversary of the birth of the Climate Treaty is 2012 and the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. Let's ensure that by the time we get there, we have managed to shift the fundamental elements of what was agreed here in Cancun towards a much more accountable framework to address climate change.
18 Comments so far
Show AllThe US and the EU are the Boogeymen once again. Perhaps it would serve the community better if they simply admitted they overplayed their hand.
Too many scare tactics with to few results. Too many overblown results, too much declaration that there was indeed NO discussion or doubt when there obviously was. To much demonizing of anyone that disagreed. Too many folks like Gore that sang the song but didn't "walk the walk"
To many unrealistic goals. Too much scientific certainty without scientific certainty.
The fact is that too many people don't believe AGW is real. And of those that do, there are many that simply don't believe the various remedies proposed because even their proponents admit they have little effect like C&T.
Time to get a new strategy other than insulting and demonizing anyone that disagree's or claiming that the discussion is over when it is clearly not.
continuing along those lines, mighty,
too much for the human species to transition from the earth destroying culture that exists, to what is for many, a hard to envision new kind of soft existence that doesn't.
or maybe this is what the transition looks like... ?
And yes, your possibility is certainly concurrent.
Though I believe when the problem is presented properly and more evidence mounts, we can find the time to correct these little problems of survival and sharing.
mightymite, the acolyte and exemplar of Pollyanna (or is it Dr. Pangloss?)
I prefer Pollyanna! Thanks very much for the compliment!!
Any "climate deal" that is more politics and money and less about actual strategies on dealing with existing problems and preventative methods is bound to fail.
It's now nearly certain that the climate will fail us in the next decades and that a lot of us will "fail" in the process.
Homo sapiens: stupidest species on the planet.
Governments have proven to be pieces of excrement.
The rear end of societies that produce lots of waste.
The creation of populations that are seeking enrichment.
Riches and power have an appalling output of bad taste.
Our carbon waste puts our entire civilisation at peril,
while we all agree to do nothing thats hard.
Consuming societies have been possessed by the devil.
who is rejoicing at the victory of this facade.
In order to survive we must change all .
Thats what no one wants until pressed.
Convervative forces find change does appall.
Their sense of who does know the best.
It's amazing that whenever I read the comments from climate denialists, Al Gore's name comes up as if he was the only one who ever spoke or raised the issue of climate change ever. Frankly, knowledge of the phenomenon has been around a lot longer and Gore's ideas were also always fatally compromised by his own belief in the "free market" system, as opposed to climate justice.
Scientists must be idiots and all of them must be part of some groupthink or in on the conspiracy! Indeed, Glenn Beck has rode all this conspiracy theories (except of course 9/11) for all their worth. Since most of them were peddled by the same powerful economic forces that support his Birch-style lunacy, it all comes together very nicely to push a reactionary agenda.
So we then sit on our hands do nothing, and pat ourselves on the back that our American lifestyle never came into question, while letting other people shoulder the burden of our noxious gaseous and mental emissions. Again. I mean, a century of genocidal war and plunder wasn't enough, we can now let others die by the millions as a byproduct of our consumer lifestyle.
"Most people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so." - Bertrand Russell
I would add that when facts are advancing and can no longer be avoided, many people will then defend error to the death as if their psyches are being invaded and facts are enemy troops.
ceti
"It's amazing that whenever I read the comments from climate denialists"
A perfect example of what I was trying to say. You disagree and believe this strategy is working?
Gore presented himself as the face of GW and the GW community was delighted to let him, an unfortunate choice that can't be taken back.
Who is it that is "shouldering" the burden? Frankly I don't see anyone doing mich of anything anywhere except proclaiming and setting goals that no one meets. Who are you thinking of?
I dislike Al Gore; therefore global warming does not exist.
Makes perfect sense, eh?
That's about as deep as most U.S. citizens care to think about this issue.
More important to get rich and be wasteful than envision a long-term future of happiness, beauty and meaningful work that could be our grandchildren's. Shame, shame.
Waste of time these so called Climate conferences. The operative word is CON. The World's so called leaders are being paid to actually thwart any real action. The Planet however couldn't care less what these fools agree to not do or do. In 50 yrs. when this whole thing is starting to careen toward an out of control runaway climate catastrophe nobody will remember the cowardice that brought us to that day.
"In 50 yrs. when this whole thing is starting to careen toward an out of control runaway climate catastrophe..."
Far fewer than 50 years. In less than ten years, possibly much less, it will be clear (to all but the most starkly insane denialist Rapture-awaiters) that in 2010 it was already far too late to turn from climate catastrophe.
Around 2005, field reports began to show clearly and consistently that the climate is changing FASTER and becoming MORE UNSTABLE than had been predicted by the most alarmist modelers.
"Careening toward an out of control runaway climate catastrophe" is present-day reality, and will only intensify. It sure ain't gonna suddenly restabilize. Enjoy the ride!
The same disgusting back-door procedures that took place in Cancun mirror those of the Bush & Obama Administrations. The official script at Cancun precisely follows the way decisions are now made in the Homeland Security State.
Mighty: Your attempt to appear even-tempered by granting an equivalence between global warming deniers and those who have studied the effects is mortifying; but then you do this whenever the U.S. is criticized about anything.
Since the U.S. adds more CO2 to the atmosphere than any other nation (albeit China is catching up), while it does slim to NOTHING to green its own infrastructure, it deserves to be called to the mat... or worse.
Doesn't it bother you that the U.S. elites traffic in global arms deals, essentially spreading around the very weapons that are apt be used against our own soldiers, the ones you love so much, when the ally today becomes the enemy tomorrow (straight out of George Orwell's cautionary tale)?
You can't seem to get that there's a MAJOR difference between what a corrupt government in bed with insidious corporate predators is doing in our names, and what our country is AT essence. The two are NOT the same.
Your mind's ability to bypass facts to retain its pre-established positions always stuns me.
SR
The US has little to do with this or what I'm talking about.
Lets see if I can make it clearer. I'm saying that calling people names (deniers) , allowing the claiming of things that aren't true (see variouis Gore, UN, Indian Scientists claims, etc) and claiming there is NO scientific doubt, that the discussion is over because we say so.....NO LONGER WORKS. Simple as that. For now, because of the things I just listed, this is over. Nothing wsill happen for a coupler of years at least.
My point is simply that this is NOT working and you cannot follow the same path hoping that by magic it will bergin to work again.
"Doesn't it bother you that the U.S. elites"
Our elites on both sides bother the daylights out of me. The difference is that I see little difference between an elite that claims one thing and does another, no matter his "label." Liberal elites are responsible for our poor educational levels if anyone is, conservative elites put us into Iraq and Afghhanistan...neither are on my side.
"You can't seem to get that there's a MAJOR difference between what a corrupt government in bed with insidious corporate predators is doing in our names, and what our country is AT essence. The two are NOT the same."
Never doubted it. But this "America is the well of all evil in the world" mindset displayed here often enough is such infantile BS and I can't help but refute it a bit when it comes up with little reason. :) Or when a cesspool of a mind calls soldiers "Babykillers" etc, I react to such crass adolescent thinking. So cut me a little slack if it appears I defend my country a bit more than others.
But please read what I'm saying without preconcieved frames.
All I really said was that blaming the US is silly and that the strategy used for years no longer work's, will not work in the future and its silly to keep trying to follow it.
"Your mind's ability to bypass facts to retain its pre-established positions always stuns me."
I don't think I really do that, but if I can "stun" a beautiful woman in any way...works for me!!