Climate Talks Fail - Again

About 97% of the world's scientists agree that the Earth is undergoing global climate change (commonly called global warming).   They also agree that the major cause of it is the overuse of carbon-based fuels by mankind, and unless worldwide changes are made quickly we will soon be past the point of no return and the Earth's climate will undergo even more radical changes, to the detriment of mankind.

In a world governed by rational thought, all nations would band together and make the necessary changes to stave off the worst of the global climate change.   But we don't live in a world run by rational people.   We live in a world ruled by greed and self-interest.   Major international corporations and energy companies don't want to make the changes necessary.   Those changes might cut into their profits.

This is a classic example of short-term thinking.   They want to ignore the warnings of scientists and put off the required changes (or not make them at all) so they can keep making record profits, even though this attitude may well change our way of life altogether and for the worse a few years down the road.   And sadly, national governments are allowing them to get away with this in the interest of "national self-interest and security".   The governments are as short-sighted as the business interests.

There have been several meetings to try and get all nations together so they can act to stave off the clear and coming global disaster, but so far all of these meetings have failed.   Another of these international meetings just came to an end in China.   Once again, nothing was accomplished.

This time it was because two of the worst polluters, the United States and China, were far more interested in placing blame on each other than solving the problem.   China accused the U.S. of "failing to meet its responsibilities of cutting emissions and for trying to overturn UN principles."   The U.S. accused China of refusing to allow international verification of its energy saving efforts.   Both are right (and wrong).

The U.S. has made no real effort to cut emissions, and China refuses to allow verification (which probably means they are following the U.S. lead and not cutting emissions).   Both are demanding action from the other and using the inaction as an excuse not to act.

I wish I could be sure that the global climate problems would be solved and life as we know it could continue, but I am not at all sure that the world's nations (led by these two selfish giants) will be able to do anything before it is too late.   After all, there are profits to be made in both countries, and we can see by their inaction that those profits are more important than saving the planet.