| All the way back in January 2004 Sir David A. | | | | Secretary, General Ban Ki-moon, to let the |
| King, the Government's then chief scientific | | | | international community rest upon their...well, |
| adviser, described global warming, and the climate | | | | success would be too strong a word, but the little |
| change that it drives, as a greater threat to the | | | | bit that they have managed to achieve, until the |
| world than international terrorism. King, who | | | | Copenhagen climate deal. General Ban Ki-moon, |
| caused quite a stir with his comments, said that | | | | talking to the diplomats gathered to celebrate the |
| industrialized countries had a commitment to place | | | | anniversary of the UN climate panel, said that the |
| a serious effort into developing sustainable and | | | | politicians should aim to make some serious |
| carbon capture technologies. Now, over four | | | | headway before then this December in Poznan, |
| years on, the momentum that King called for has | | | | Poland. The Kyoto Protocol, which will expire in |
| not materialized anywhere but in the showboating | | | | 2012, has been largely seen as a complete failure |
| embroidery from our politicians and in the cynical | | | | in terms of reducing carbon emissions. 37 |
| green-washing from our captains of industry. The | | | | countries, all developed, signed the protocol, but |
| Kyoto agreement - which was widely seen as a | | | | there are some rather serious holes in the thing. |
| last ditch attempt to press the greed and | | | | For one, America and China have completely |
| stupidity that drive climate change every just as | | | | failed to impose any limits under Kyoto. For two, |
| much as the pollutants themselves - failed. Bush, | | | | the carbon balance sheets ignore certain, little |
| in his enlightened wisdom, decided that further | | | | things. Like shipping and air travel. Whoops. The |
| research into climate change was needed before | | | | fear caused by the knowledge that climate |
| carbon taxes could be introduced. Thus, 4% of | | | | change is already affecting us has resulting in an |
| the world's population - America - continued to | | | | increased impetus in the battle between action |
| account for over one fifth of the world's carbon | | | | and continued inaction. The one hundred months |
| emissions. A successor to Kyoto is due to be | | | | campaign ( for example, reckons that "We have |
| thrashed out in 2009 amidst the lushly upholstered | | | | 100 months to save the planet", because after |
| suites and complimentary coffee lined tables of | | | | that we "could be beyond the climate's 'tipping |
| Copenhagen's most suitable venue: the | | | | point, the point of no return.' Talking to Reuters, |
| greenhouse-like Copenhagen Congress Centre. | | | | Ban Ki-moon suggested that the Poland meeting |
| The centre will, in a completely non-symbolic | | | | should serve as a "very successful bridge" for the |
| gesture, be powered by its very own wind | | | | later meetings in Copenhagen. It is encouraging |
| turbine. So this time, you know they mean | | | | that climate change has stopped being seen as a |
| business. The reassurance of a windmill and some | | | | long term issue, and hopefully the immediacy of |
| serious political hyperbole and media speculation | | | | its effects will bring about a mature, effectual |
| have not been enough to persuade the UN | | | | political response to the problem. |