50 DAYS LEFT TO SAVE THE WORLD - ARE WE ABLE TO DO IT, OR WILL WORLD LEADERS FAIL?

We have 50 days left to save the worldup with a Copenhagen Protocol to prevent global
Prime Minister Gordon Brown from Great Britain putswarming and climate changes.
fuel into the fire before the big meeting inThe Climate Conference will take place in the Bella
Copenhagen in December.Center. The conference centre is placed not far from
Gordon Brown states a warning before the ClimateCopenhagen and near the Copenhagen Airport,
Summit starting on December 7th 2009.Kastrup.
The world has only 50 days left to save the worldGovernmental representatives from 170 countries are
from global warming he states the other day.expected to be in Copenhagen in the days of the
Mr. Brown launches a catastrophe scenario with heatconference accompanied by other governmental
waves, floods and periods of droughts unless therepresentatives, NGO's, journalists and others. In total
Climate Summit agrees on common goals during this8000 people are expected to Copenhagen in the
meeting.days of the climate meeting.
Brown counted down from 80 days as well, andGordon Brown has said the Copenhagen climate
stated the seriousness in making a green climatechange summit in December is "a profound moment
agreement in December.for our world" - but does it have a chance of
He speaks to 17 top nations around the world, andsuccess?
concludes that if there is no agreement during the 12We can differ in opinion, whether it will be a success
days long Summit, much of the hope for a greeneror not, however, we just have to hope the skeptics
planet is over.amongst us will be proven wrong, otherwise we are
There is no Plan B for the earth. During a certainin for a rough ride the next decades to come, and
period of time there is only one to two times nationswe all will be suffering.
meet to make agreements that can change history,We all know if not USA, China and India together
the Summit in Copenhagen is one of these events.with Russia can make the commitments and follow
He points out that there will not be any futureup on any agreement, any text signed in Denmark
meetings that can straighten out the destructionthis year will be a dead document.
already started around the world, and it has toChina’s policy changes to combat climate change
happen fast.are a positive element but there are still many
Mr. Gordon Brown states that in the year of 2080challenges to overcome.
around 1.8 billion humans will suffer from lack ofAccording to a report compiled by the U.N. Office for
water, and its not only the poor countries that will bethe Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the
touched by the climate crisis coming up on us.Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), it is
At this trend, Great Britain will have problems only inestimated at least 20 million people have been
few decades, he warns us.displaced due to climate change.
The purpose of the Copenhagen Summit inFor developing states such as China and India the
December is to continue and improve the existingmain issue is how to cope with climate change
Kyoto agreement from 1997, which ends in 2012.without compromising economic development.
The last time a similar meeting took place was underDeveloped states have long enjoyed the benefits
the coordination of United Nations Frameworkfossil fuel for decades and caused the offset of
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bali inclimate change. Developing nations feel they are at a
2007. This meeting really did not accomplish thedisadvantageous position without the provision of
needed changes in the Kyoto agreement.alternative energy supplies, and find it unfair to
Despite the 1997 Kyoto Protocol's status as theemphasize on reducing carbon emissions.  Developing
flagship of the fight against climate change, it hasnations house 80% world population but produce only
been a failure in the hard, expensive work of actually40% of the world's emissions, while 60% of global
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.emissions originate from the rich nations that house
Its restrictions have been so gerrymandered that20% of the world's population.  Developing states do
only 36 countries are required to limit their pollution.not necessarily have the technology or resources to
Just over a third of those -- members of the formercombat climate change, and feel developed states
Eastern bloc -- can pollute at will because their limitsshould offer more aid to compensate this gap. 
were set so far above their actual emissions.Developing states and developed states remain at
China and India, whose fast-rising emissions easilyodds as to how to spread out greenhouse emission
cancel out any cuts elsewhere, are allowed to keepcurbs, and how much rich nations should pay poor
polluting.nations in coping with climate change.
And the biggest polluter of all, the United States, hasWhile the European Commission recently proposed
simply refused to join the treaty.that the EU should provide $2-15 billion annually to
That leaves Western Europe, Canada, Japan andpoor nations to protect themselves from climate
New Zealand to do the work of the world. Theirchange, it falls short of UN estimates of $100 billion
emissions are rising despite their commitment, startingfor poor nations to effectively adapt to climate
next year, to reduce them by an average of roughlychange. Joris den Blanken, climate and energy policy
8% from 1990 levels.director of Greenpeace-EU has criticized that the EU
Fixing the flaws of Kyoto has become an urgentis just leaving “a tip” instead of “paying
crusade, to create the successor to the treaty,the bill for climate change”.
which expires at the end of 2012.China plays a significant role in combating climate
The scientists say there is no leeway for weakchange, as it is one of the biggest carbon emitters
measures. The push has come from a series ofand emerging state.  China and USA each account
landmark reports by the U.N.'s Intergovernmentalfor 20% greenhouse emissions. The EU accounts for
Panel on Climate Change that concluded that14% emissions, followed by India and Russia 5%
greenhouse gas emissions must begin declining in theeach.  China has taken a positive step forward
next decade to prevent a dangerous temperatureduring the G20 summit. China’s President Hu
rise. The panel laid out a framework for reducingJintao revealed plans of curbing carbon emission per
emissions that could cost trillions of dollars over theunit of GDP (i.e. carbon intensity) to a “notable
next two decades.margin” by 2020. China plans to tackle climate
The UN climate summit in New York on Septemberchange by developing renewable energy, and plant a
23rd did make one concrete step forward. But theforest the size of Norway. China also plans to acquire
step has nothing to do with reduction goals or15% of its energy from clean energy (hydro, wind,
greenhouse gases. Instead, it has much more to doand solar energy) by 2020. In comparison EU has set
with one simple political realization: Forgetits target at 20%.  However, China has been
Copenhagen.criticized for not providing specific target numbers in
US President Barack Obama addressed nearly 100reducing carbon intensity.
global leaders gathered in New York for a one-daySo far the US has only provided nice words and
UN climate summit. The meeting was meant to giverhetoric’s and not implemented any plans with
momentum to the major United Nations climatecommitment within the budget to reduce the
change conference to be held in Copenhagen fromnegative effects of climate change.
Dec. 7-18. There, world leaders hope to replace theJapan is the only developed state that has vowed to
Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, with a new,further reduce carbon emissions to 25% by 2020.
comprehensive accord on climate change.Whether the upcoming Copenhagen summit will be a
The Climate Conference in Copenhagen is essentialsuccess will depend on US and China’s political will
for the world’s climate and the Danishto commit and follow up in practice with real actions
government and UNFCCC is putting hard effort inin their own backyard..
making the meeting in Copenhagen a success ending