QUOTE:What appears more important to those engaged in this argument is that they are fighting for the right to continue to pollute the world in the name of ‘development’.
The US and Europe have reached very high levels of economic development. As a result of this, they have developed huge military forces, which they use from time to time to promote their own interests.

This week, leaders are meeting in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, to discuss the global problem of climate change.

This problem has been with us over the past 40 years, with many doubting Thomases claiming it was being exaggerated.

At the level of the broad masses of people, the dangers that existed were not reflected in their consciousness. Now all of that has changed. Scientists, almost across the board, are of the opinion that the danger is very great. Many prominent world scholars in the various disciplines are warning that time is running out on the world. Already we are seeing that hurricanes are more violent, and the seasons prolonged. We have heard of the melting of the polar ice cap which will result in rising sea levels.

Floods, etc. have become much more frequent and even more serious all over the world. In some countries we see forest fires due to unusually high temperatures creating havoc in many places. Australia and California are well known for these phenomena. It has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that all of this has to do with man’s relations to nature.

Greed has pushed us to extract from nature at greater and faster levels. The main motivating force is the need to make money. The more that is made, the more is craved. This is an unsatisfied appetite for more.

That is why as the meeting in Copenhagen begins, the old arguments have again risen: Who is polluting more? Who should pay more to halt and reverse the trends?

The US is saying that China, and to a lesser extent India, are polluting the world more than they are. China and India are countering by arguing that per capita, they are way below the level of the US and even some European countries.

What appears more important to those engaged in this argument is that they are fighting for the right to continue to pollute the world in the name of ‘development’.

The US and Europe have reached very high levels of economic development. As a result of this, they have developed huge military forces, which they use from time to time to promote their own interests.

China has been catching up rapidly with the west. It can now send expeditions into space. It has also built a big military force.

Clearly, a lot of suspicion exists in the relations among these states, despite the diplomatic niceties that are being spoken about.

The attitude of these states, toward the danger that exists, clearly shows that competition is much more dominant than cooperation in international relations.

One is appalled at these positions when the world is facing such a major problem, which can have severe consequences – even greater than is presently known. Indeed, life as we know it could even disappear.

This, therefore, is not the time for silly academic arguments. This is a time to act now, to halt and eventually reverse climate change.

Guyana has produced positions to offer great possibilities in this regard. Cheddi Jagan’s proposal for a New Global Human Order is one such that can have an impact on the climate.

Secondly, the proposal by President Bharrat Jagdeo for a Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) is another realistic option that can make a contribution to slowing and halting climate change.

Now is the time for world leaders to act together in cooperation. It is time to think about our world’s interest, and not be confined to narrowly thinking about what advantage an individual country can have over another or others.

These are extraordinary times, and they will call for extraordinary united actions.
Tomorrow may be too late.