Copenhagen climate change talks failed, but this is no surprise. it was destined to fail.
First, UN did not do its homework right , second to expect 192 countries to accept something in unison is fools paradise. In a family of 4, it is almost impossible to accept common targets, so, for 192 countries with different vested interest to accept one common goal is dreamlike.
Sometimes, this over enthusiasm of getting the whole world in one place and accepting one single point is like taking One Size Fits All. So, the basic notion itself is wrong. What is good for US is not the best for Brazil and what is good for China is not the best for Sweden. So, why keep pushing all of them to have one size.
Secondly, the answer to this problem is not about individual countries accepting the Temperature rise of 2 deg or 5 deg. But accepting that there are certain industries which are responsible for such a climate change and these industries have to be technologically upgraded to cut the carbon emissions. This needs technology and research. So practically, the forum should short list all such industries, which have carbon emission problems and then take it from there.
Rather, then asking US to cut so much and China to cut so much and smaller countries looking for money from the richer countries in the name of climate change.
The disbursement of payments to any country would be Total Write Off. In the last 60 years , we have already seen that all such payments have finally landed into the pockets of corrupt Politicians and bureaucrats and more of them are now awaiting this God Sent Climate Opportunity.
Next, rather then Carbon Trading, which is again one extremely complicated model of trading thin air , the way forward should be actually Carbon Tax. So all the giant polluting industries will automatically collapse against cleaner technologies.
Obama was very smart to have worked out a deal with one set of countries and made a Text and walked away. At least it is still face saving grace for UN picnic party at Copenhagen. Now the party continues in Mexico next year. Till then most people in the world do not know, what is the meaning of 2deg cut in temperature and the polluting industries will still flourish and the sufferers will be you and me and our children and grand children.
Why did not one World leader get up in this conference and say that for his country, he is stopping the Plastic Bottled Water. Stopping the plastic bags at supermarkets, etc etc. This would have laid the way for other countries to follow. The biggest polluter today is plastics and the carbon emissions in making of the plastics.
There are very small changes required for getting the climate back to normal. However, first, we as individuals should take the first step. I don't buy anymore Plastic Bottled Water. I don't allow supermarkets to pack my grocery in plastic bags. I prefer to peddle my bike to office. Though I own the company. I would take a subway train or local mass transport then take a taxi for work.
Anyway, One Size Fits all will never work out. The basics of Climate Change document itself is wrong. Does not address Technology, does not address Industries causing these problems, does not address the major Individual contributions required., does not address that each day there are some xxxxx new cars are made and sold and there is neither room to run these cars, nor the fuel , nor the space in environment to accept the emissions .Yet no one gets up and says, let us limit the licensing of cars per year or put up huge taxes on cars.
Kopenhagen is a beautiful city, and specially the city square. Denmark also has one of the best environments in the world. Attest the world leaders would have got to see, what it means to have a beautiful environment. I traveled in 1998 with one environmental engineer deep into the country side and explored a few water streams and river . Samples were drawn from these places and checked and what was shocking to see that the purity of the water far better then the normal range.
Danish voluntarily accepted to give away Iceland. Where as most other countries keep fighting for territories, which historically would have not been their part.
