As some of you know (I hope) I do an ongoing series at WERU (weru.org) on the environment and here’s another in the series…let me know what topics you’d like to see or whether this type of diary should be moved to some other blog….and I don’t know how to do all the formatting or stick pics in so bear with please.
Sometimes, I just can’t help myself. The news that 10,000 experts from 180 nations gathered nearby (Montreal) to try and address (and I quote) “the alarming effects of greenhouse gases and global warming.” No kidding? The USA admits global warming is happening? Well, let’s find out shall we? Now by the time this airs, the conference will be over but what the heck, it’s head shaking.
“Dr. Harlan L. Watson, senior climate negotiator for the U.S. Department of State, said that while President George W. Bush declined to join the treaty, the U.S. leader takes global warming seriously. He noted greenhouse gas emissions had actually gone down by .8 percent under Bush.
“With regard to what the United States is doing on climate change, the actions we have taken are next to none in the world,” Watson told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference.”….Wow, did I hear him correctly? .8%? that’s almost a whole percent. We’re on the road to salvation. Take that Europe, take that Japan,
“Watson said the United States spends more than US$5 billion (euro4.3 billion) a year on efforts to slow the deterioration of the earth’s atmosphere by supporting climate change research and technology, and that Bush had committed to cutting greenhouses gases some 18 percent by 2012.” 18% by 2012? Wow that’s only 6 years away and will require 3% a year which means everyone in the US better stop driving Right Now and turn off their lights…That’s a mighty ambitious goal don’t ya think? Do you have a plan for that? Is it like your plan for Iraq?
The article goes on to state “The United States, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.” Oh yes, Kyoto …it finally got ratified by enough of the world last year (Russia put it over the top) but we’re half way thru the cutting emissions time frame and how are we doing? The treaty, which went into effect in February, calls on the top 35 industrialized nations to cut emissions by 5.2 percent below their 1990 levels by 2012. See, that .8% is a good start after all, we’re not so shabby are we? Are we?
Well, signatories are already falling short of their targets. How short? Canada is up there with Spain, Ireland, Greece and five other nations as having the biggest increases in gas emissions. According to the United Nations, Spain is the worst, with a nearly 42 percent increase in emissions between 1990 and 2003; Canada stands at 24 percent and the United States experienced an increase of 13 percent. Wait a minute, hold the presses? We increased 13%?? I thought we lowered a massive .8%?? Oh, now I get it..we increased 13% and cut .8%..swell, gosh, I’m thrilled, I’m all choked up. Literally.
In the first ever meeting of all 140 signatories of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, Canada’s Environment Minister Stephane Dion said, “Tragic experiences in many countries over the last year have once again reminded us of the world’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters and highlighted the urgent need for adaptation” to rising sea levels, glacial melting and warmer atmospheric temperatures. I guess that’s an indication the tsunamis, hurricanes with names stretching into the Greek alphabet, tornadoes from hell and more (lots more) are an indication the planet is ailing. But our government told us that global warming was overblown (funny word that, overblown) and the science wasn’t complete and it really wasn’t all that big a deal. In the timeless words of Alfred E Neuman (or was that our President?) “What, me worry?”
Let’s face the facts. The Kyoto treaty was negotiated in 1997 and we haven’t gotten off the dime. Our government has abandoned us to whatever comes next. And whatever that is, we have every indication it won’t be pretty, paying the piper. It’s up to us. It’s up to individual states and its citizens to do what the national government will not. Fortunately, Maine’s legislature and Governor stood up. Did you know Maine is the first state to have comprehensive legislation on global warming in place? In fact, none other than Environment Defense has called Maine America’s leader.
Maine is the first state to measure and track greenhouse gas emissions from state energy use. Maine has reduced state government’s emissions eight percent in two years, in part through the following actions:
o Increasing the state’s renewable power purchase
o Improving fleet fuel economy and reducing vehicle-miles-traveled by state employees
o Reducing energy usage in state buildings through efficiency investments
o Using biodiesel to heat state office buildings
Thank you lawmakers and Governor. You’re Actually Doing Something. Thank you to any of Maine’s businesses that are following suit. The energy you save goes straight to the bottom line. But state government is a really a small player in the state. It is however a role model. What are we as individuals doing about it? I’d love to hear your ideas, solutions and actions you’ve taken. And remember, the actons you take are not to ‘save our children’, it’s to save our sorry asses. It’s the tomorrow we were warned about 50 years ago.
