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There are many things that are being said about the shortcomings of the Copenhagen negotiations, but with the science telling us we must take action now if we are to protect our climate as well as the people impacted by climate change and the rich bio-diversity of this planet we call home, there is little time to debate the outcome. The time has come to act.
Coming out of Copenhagen, we have a political agreement by the leaders of the largest emitter nations who, eye ball to eye ball, hammered out the Copenhagen Accord; an agreement that goes beyond Kyoto to secure first time commitments to reduce emissions from the US as well as developing countries like China, India and Brazil.
Admittedly, the agreement does not go far enough to keep the average temperature of the earth from exceeding two degrees centigrade, but these new commitments by the US and by developing countries are a historic step forward, as President Obama noted in comments after the agreement was struck. The objection to the agreement of small island nations like Tuvalu, that face extinction if further progress is not achieved, is understandable. Clearly, this first step can not be the last.
For Americans who recognize the risks of climate change, there is one overwhelmingly important task that flows from this agreement: we must pass a clean energy and climate bill in 2010, and with mid-term elections bearing down on us, it is essential that Congress act before Earth Day, April 22, 2010.
President Obama has taken the political risk to commit the United States to the vision of a clean energy future with greenhouse gas emission reductions consistent with the legislation now pending before the Congress. It is now up to us to compel the Senate to act. We must not fail, we can not fail, in taking this first step toward a clean energy future protected from the risks of climate change.
Glen Besa, has spent the last two weeks in Copenhagen as a member of the Sierra Club's delegation to the UN Climate Conference. He is the director of the Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club. |
