Failure of Copenhagen Climate Conference
The failure of the Climate Change World Conference in Copenhagen put in play the possible death of a 40 year generational environmental movement in the United States. What started in the 1960’s with American public policy and general population support of a growing concern over environmental issues is now at risk of being sidetracked into the shadows of history
The revolution of climate change action for humanity was stopped, tied up and place in the hands of corporate and super power agendas for protecting their energy status quo. Progressive idealism for addressing the slow murder of the planet had a bag thrown over its head and now sits in a locked room deep inside a super power capital building.
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The debate and public platforms for pushing climate change laws and actions now move off of the global stage onto national and state arenas. Copenhagen will be remembered as the point in time when those nations with wealth were willing to sacrifice those nations at risk from extreme climate change and struggling to survive chaotic global economic change.
Left in the rubble of Copenhagen was the promise that the first world nations would bend down and provide a new 100 million dollars of aid to those third world nations that may be at risk from heavy damage or disaster from future climate change.
Debate over climate change cause and effect; costs per household to change from coal to alternative energies; and public policy leadership for environmental issues now move onto national and state battlefields. In the United States, the unification of a single process for combating climate change is doomed from being subjected to the give and take of a divided Congress and 50 state legislative bodies.
Just think about the raging debate over health care. Now, imagine a national debate over the real costs of energy production. The health care battle will pale beside one coming over the true cost of “cheap” energy.
Another way to view this looming fight is to replace the word “coal” with “tobacco”. The same mind set that held Kentucky captive from the heady days of the 1950’s and 1960’s, as so well portrayed in the hit TV show Mad Men, still exists in Kentucky. What is good for big business and the promise of a few jobs justifies climatic and social upheaval.
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