ebmgh.com

There will be a lot of spin from the White House and others about how the unsurprising but disappointing failure in Copenhagen is a “meaningful agreement, a “step forward,” or a “continuation of the dialogue.”  Thank goodness for Friends of the Earth, who are not afraid to tell the truth:

Friends of the Earth U.S. Reaction: Sham Deal Requires Nothing, Accomplishes Nothing

Climate negotiations in Copenhagen have yielded a sham agreement with no real requirements for any countries. This is not a strong deal or a just one — it isn’t even a real one. It’s just repackaging old positions and pretending they’re new. The actions it suggests for the rich countries that caused the climate crisis are extraordinarily inadequate. This is a disastrous outcome for people around the world who face increasingly dire impacts from a destabilizing climate.

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The devastation will extend to those of us who live in wealthy countries. If we cannot find a way to cooperate with others to produce a real agreement to solve this problem, climate change impacts will devastate the U.S. economy, undermine our security, and inflict irreparable harm on future generations.

The failure to produce anything meaningful in Copenhagen must serve as a wake up call to all who care about the future. It is a call to action. Corporate polluters and other special interests have such overwhelming influence that rich country governments are willing to agree only to fig leaf solutions. This is unacceptable, and it must change.