As the Paris climate summit draws to a close, lingering questions and wide rifts keep nations from agreeing on a path to fight a change considered to be the most potent threat to the planet. Host France termed it a meeting to decide the future of the planet. French President Francois Hollande said so when the meeting opened in the French capital, and yesterday underscored the need for international leaders to come to an agreement on the vexed issue: “They are not there simply in the name of their countries... they are there to sort out the issue of the future of the planet.”
A pact, apparently elusive, would have nations agree on an effective path to fight climate change that is leading to floods, droughts, and storms. From China to Chile, soaring temperatures and rising sea levels are threatening rich biospheres and scuttling the diversity of flora and fauna. With temperature inching up, rapidly melting glaciers threaten the survival of island nations like the Maldives, which would go under water due to rising sea levels.
Climate change has acquired deep political tones. The burning of fossil fuels is an issue directly linked to large and developing economies like China, India and Brazil. Despite hopes that the 11-day meet would help narrow differences between the developed and developed world on climate change, nothing substantial seems to have come about. United States, which remains a major polluter by virtue of burning fossil fuels in humongous amounts, has again failed to relent. US Secretary of State John Kerry’s contention that not only some, but all countries should join hands in fighting the scourge, apparently sounds justified. His argument would not stand up to scrutiny if the history of climate change is considered. Post-industrial revolution temperature rise has been substantial with fossil fuels contributing the most to carbon emissions. The industrial prowess of the United States has come about after burning unfathomable amounts of fossil fuels. China doesn’t seem to be in mood to hold back its gargantuan manufacturing apparatus from spewing toxic fumes. Its southern neighbour India does so on a less extensive scale, probably with a little more inhibition.
Smog levels have been recently throwing life out of gear in the Chinese capital. Kuala Lumpur was smothered by smog resulting from burning forests in Indonesia. Amazon rainforests in South America have been threatened by massive deforestation — not only threatening wildlife but even tribes so important for anthropological reasons.
The necessity of conferences and meetings in battling the scourge cannot be overstated. However, nations will have to rise above short term interests in standing up to the common enemy. The fight has to be taken up on a sustained basis and made a leitmotif of domestic policy in polluting nations. Only then will the world gain from the assault on climate change.
As the Paris climate summit draws to a close, lingering questions and wide rifts keep nations from agreeing on a path to fight a change considered to be the most potent threat to the planet. Host France termed it a meeting to decide the future of the planet. French President Francois Hollande said so when the meeting opened in the French capital, and yesterday underscored the need for international leaders to come to an agreement on the vexed issue: “They are not there simply in the name of their countries... they are there to sort out the issue of the future of the planet.”
A pact, apparently elusive, would have nations agree on an effective path to fight climate change that is leading to floods, droughts, and storms. From China to Chile, soaring temperatures and rising sea levels are threatening rich biospheres and scuttling the diversity of flora and fauna. With temperature inching up, rapidly melting glaciers threaten the survival of island nations like the Maldives, which would go under water due to rising sea levels.
Climate change has acquired deep political tones. The burning of fossil fuels is an issue directly linked to large and developing economies like China, India and Brazil. Despite hopes that the 11-day meet would help narrow differences between the developed and developed world on climate change, nothing substantial seems to have come about. United States, which remains a major polluter by virtue of burning fossil fuels in humongous amounts, has again failed to relent. US Secretary of State John Kerry’s contention that not only some, but all countries should join hands in fighting the scourge, apparently sounds justified. His argument would not stand up to scrutiny if the history of climate change is considered. Post-industrial revolution temperature rise has been substantial with fossil fuels contributing the most to carbon emissions. The industrial prowess of the United States has come about after burning unfathomable amounts of fossil fuels. China doesn’t seem to be in mood to hold back its gargantuan manufacturing apparatus from spewing toxic fumes. Its southern neighbour India does so on a less extensive scale, probably with a little more inhibition.
Smog levels have been recently throwing life out of gear in the Chinese capital. Kuala Lumpur was smothered by smog resulting from burning forests in Indonesia. Amazon rainforests in South America have been threatened by massive deforestation — not only threatening wildlife but even tribes so important for anthropological reasons.
The necessity of conferences and meetings in battling the scourge cannot be overstated. However, nations will have to rise above short term interests in standing up to the common enemy. The fight has to be taken up on a sustained basis and made a leitmotif of domestic policy in polluting nations. Only then will the world gain from the assault on climate change.
