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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Climate Change - Copenhagen Climate Summit

In following the Copenhagen climate summit so much is being talked about the climate change all over the Internet and the newspapers that it would seem that Climate change was the only problem afflicting this earth. In the process people seem to have to have forgotten the other problems like food shortage, poverty, water problems, illiteracy, AIDS etc. Do I hear someone say that the climate change is responsible for all this? Very convenient for someone who does not have other problems to think of.

Do we really think someone in Somalia is bothered about the emissions when he does not have any food to eat? Is some poor beggar on the Indian roads bothered about how much pollution a rich man's car is causing, as long as he gets some money from him? Is a poor child trying to study under a street light bothered about how much coal is being burnt to provide him that light? Not really.

I really do not understand what the motive of the Industrialized countries is to insist upon the less fortunate ones to follow their diktats or example. It almost seems like the developed nations are saying, "If you do not stop polluting, I will also not do so." That is a funny logic. If some country can achieve some kind of reduced emissions status and can do so conveniently, why do they just not go ahead and do it? It will surely help. Why then are they insisting on others also to follow suit?

It has something to do with control, I guess. I remember on earth day people want everyone to switch off their lights for one hour. Fat lot of difference it made to any one. Better would be to insist on people to switch off lights when they are not required. Similarly people should control emissions to the extent they can without insisting on everyone else to do the same.

The only comprehensible logic I can see to this "follow the leaders" kind of attitude is that the developed nations want to sell their advanced technology to the poorer nations and to that end snatch away the use of cheaper natural resources from them. If that was not the case the proponents of Climate change would silently be reducing their emissions and setting an example for the other countries to follow by the incontrovertible proof of a better life for their citizens. Didn't the various inventions over the history of mankind find their own followers? Why do the developed nations think that the other countries will not follow suit if they succeed in making a difference by preaching what they are trying to teach?

Under these circumstances what is the Copenhagen summit or any other summit going to achieve?

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