Causecast

by SARAH NELSON, Contributing Writer

We’re still about a month out from the U.N. Climate Conference scheduled to take place in Copenhagen this December, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of time for a little pre-conference drama leading up to the historic gathering. This week, leaders from around the world are meeting in Barcelona for a pre-Copenhagen Ad Hoc working session. Yesterday the session started with some interesting news. Africa decided to boycott.

For a few hours, 55 African nations dug their heels in protest against what they felt was a mediocre commitment to change from the participating Western nations. Ultimately, the issue seems to come down to a conflicting opinion of who is responsible for climate change and who should pay to fix it. If the song "We’re Not Gonna Take It" wasn’t playing softly in the background, it should have been.

The stand off lasted several hours resulting in African delegates missing the majority of Tuesday morning’s Climate Change meetings. After reaching some level of compromise, the delegates returned for meetings Tuesday evening, but the overall principle of demand for more change hangs heavy in Barcelona and will likely carry over to Copenhagen. African delegates are asking the western industrial countries to cut current emission levels 40 percent by 2020, a big difference from largely agreed upon 10 percent (or less) commitment. As one of the world’s biggest polluters, the U.S. has committed a dismal four percent cut in emissions compared to levels in 1990.

Though the boycott has ended, these African nations have made a clear point through their demonstration. They are not content with the current commitment to solving the global climate crisis and are prepared to make a scene if necessary. African nations have good reason to be so passionate about this topic; should climate change continue on its current trajectory, Africa stands to endure the worst consequences of anywhere on planet.

Africa is not alone in their efforts to broaden the global commitment to solving the climate crisis. Yesterday’s boycott received expressed support from the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group, and a number of Latin America countries. The general consensus is that those in support of the boycott are displeased with the idea that the substandard commitment of Western industrial countries may result in an imbalanced commitment required from developing nations. Eventually, every nation will need to come to an agreement on what must be done about the climate crisis and the resolutions reached in Copenhagen stand to produce some serious drama should the current conflict continue.

If you haven’t signed the Seal the Deal petition, urging a viable solution to Climate Change to be reached in Copenhagen, sign it now.

The U.S. remains one of the largest polluters and stingiest contributors to solving the Climate Crisis. Add your voice to the We Can Solve It campaign, hoping to find a solution to cleaner emissions and urging our government to do the right thing in their commitment to a solution.

Photo by Marcello Casal JR/ABr, Wikimedia Commons.