Below are my initial impressions upon listening to Barack Obama’s announcement about the so-called agreement reached in Copenhagen. Tune in tomorrow for a full analysis of the negotiations and the outcomes.
Initial reactions:
* This was a total subversion of the UNFCCC COP process. The Obama Administration succeeded in throwing aside the legally binding Kyoto Protocol, and the two track process agreed in Bali.
* The agreement reached is not only undemocratic, it is not legally binding, it is voluntary, and its commitments made on a country by country basis.
* Obama made an agreement with “key players” in the game and essentially flipped off the rest–especially the ALBA countries. The African countries were outraged by the backroom dealings with Ethiopia by Obama and by France–which were carried out in the name of all of Africa without their consent.
Is Global Justice Ecology Project shocked at these developments? Nope. It is business as usual, as predicted. This was the reason we participated in the founding of Climate Justice Action and the organizing of the Reclaim Power action that brought together social movements around the world to begin to discuss what the new world we know we need will look like.
More tomorrow,
Anne Petermann
Executive Director
It is almost beyond my comprehension that people whose education, interests and concerns that have little to do with enviromental issues; live day to day completely insulated from climate crises, went to an event (the Copenhagen Summit) posed as ‘leaders’.
Leaders of what? Knowledgable in what?: Finance, commerce, business. Interested in what?: Economy. remaining in office, propping up and promoting corporate interests, and so on.
They are surrounded by filtered, air conditioned offices and car interiors. They are literally cocooned from strife and numerous people look after them to ensure their comfort zone. They never need to step out of this balloon of luxury. It is little wonder the talks failed in our eyes, yet many polititians and big corporations believe it was a big success. Those polititians that brought their sincere concerns and will to meet Kyoto stringent targets should be commended.