Grumpy Climate Change Commentator - Bangkok Climate Talks
Following the tears and last minute dramas of last year’s Bali climate talks I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to write of intriguing political entanglements following last week’s United Nations Climate Change negotiations in Bangkok.
As expected, there were no major advances made, but unexpectedly there were few disagreements either. The wheels of diplomacy continue to grind slowly towards a solution which may or may not deliver some actual benefits. There are some who suspect that negotiators are biding their time until new US administration gets to work later this year. Then there is the other theory that the world has just gotten tired of seemingly never ending negotiations in tropical locations.
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In this regard, I finally decided to ignore the subject and wait until something more tangible comes out of one of the many negotiating rounds, but then something caught my eye which re-ignited my principle criticism of the whole process: reading a report from the head of the Swiss delegation Thomas Kolly, I noticed that the total Swiss entourage comprised around 1,000 government, environmental research and business representatives, all travelling half way around the world to attend the conference.
I understand that the talks take time, I understand that complex solutions can’t be found quickly, but what I can’t understand is why we need so many people to attend each discussion? Yes, face to face talks are essential, but is it really necessary to travel with a complete circus in tow? Does this really set a good example to the masses who are being encouraged to make dramatic cutbacks to their energy usage?
No. What it basically achieves is damage to the credibility of the environmental movement, not to mention all those additional emissions. To re-use an already well worn pun - the last thing we need at climate negotiations is even more hot air.
Your grumpy climate change commentator will be back with news on climate negotiations as soon as something has actually been negotiated.
Note: this article has nothing to do with the editor of Green Options refusing my travel & expenses request for the Hawaii Climate Change summit meeting earlier this year.
Photo courtesy of Flickr.
Al Gore’s new $300 million dollar initiative, intended to wake up politicians is a huge commitment. Find it at wecansolveit.org. I sincerely hope it works !
Reminds me of something I’ve always wanted to do…calculate the ecological (and might I add, Carbon) footprints of such climate meets, conferences and summits.
Why can’t we have such world getherings over video coferencing - to set some real time examples for the Governments and Corporate houses?