http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/obama-nobel-peace101209
This article is about how Obama needs to play his role and answer the alarum bell, so to speak, when it comes to climate change after recieving his Nobel Peace Prize today in Norway's capital. Also, it points out that unchecked climate change would be the harbinger of resource wars due to the scarcity in fresh water, food production, and arable land that it would cause. It even goes so far as to suggest characteristics of a deal that Obama should strike, which include cutting emissions by 40%, using 1990 levels as a base line, by 2020. Furthermore, Greenpeace suggests paying developing countries to stop deforestation, and those countries should cut emissions by 15-30% with help from developed countries.
To me, this is how we solve the problem of global climate change. First, we need to recognize that the government's current policies are weak, outdated, and are plotting a course for destruction of our natural world. As Thomas Freidman said in his book Hot, Flat, and Crowded, "Later is over. We have to act now." We need to be filled with the fervor that Greenpeace is full of and get these motions passed, because as far as I'm concerned, these new policies can make a huge difference in where we're heading as a PLANET. All we need is to get them passed, otherwise we'll look back a few years down the road when our kids are growing up and say, "I'm sorry. We could've stopped global climate change...we didn't."
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I think the actions President Obama takes at the Copenhagen will be crucial to the world progression on climate change. The world looks to America, the last remaining superpower, for leadership whether they will admit it or not. Expectations worldwide are running high and especially are elevated after Obama was rewarded with the peace prize. Expectations may be unrealistically high, but we need to take drastic and quick action in order to reduce climate change. Obama needs to step to the plate, popular or not, and commit America to reducing it's emission of carbon dioxide. We only have a few more years until the point of no return has been passed and time is quickly running out.
ReplyDelete“You won it, now earn it” that's exacty what the world think about Obama's prize. (At leaset the sources I've read, and people I've talked)
ReplyDeleteAnd now, during Copenhagen meeting people expect Obama to bring the plan of the action that will change the world. As Alex noticed, "expectations worldwide are running high", and it makes it more difficult to make a decission. Obama (read The U.S) is regareded as one of the most important actors on the political, environmental and economic stages. So all the action made by the nation will have a great impact onthe whole world.
I believe that there are only two ways: either change our lives right now, even if it's a hard or let it go as it's going now and start the edn of human civiliztion.
Yeah. definitely change lifestyles, even though that may be too much for most people. But sometimes you just have to adapt, and that's how it has to be.
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