Commentary

Rob Fleming: Hope and despair at Copenhagen climate change conference

by The Georgia Straight Staff on December 17th, 2009 at 4:59 PM
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      By Rob Fleming

      B.C. may rest on the edge of a continent with a relatively small population, but we boast a globally minded citizenry that deeply cares about the environment and is engaged with the wider world. A case in point is the hundreds of thousands of British Columbians following the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen these past two weeks.

      While the clock ticks down in Copenhagen the mood is shifting here from hope to pessimism and—sometimes within the hour—back again that governments will secure a new binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and have the world work to stem runaway climate change.

      In the end, Copenhagen may only achieve a declaration of sorts that agrees to some actions, safe greenhouse gas atmospheric levels, an upper limit on global temperature rise, and, of course, a vow to revisit everything in the new year.

      The outcome of COP15 is still uncertain. However, the temptation to despair is something most people here aren’t giving into.

      True, B.C. and the rest of the world badly need an agreement to signal that a low-carbon economic future is not only desirable, opportune, and prosperous, but irreversible and backed up by laws and pricing mechanisms. But green innovation and investment is not going to halt in B.C. and elsewhere without an agreement, in spite of the real consequences if political momentum on climate is lost.

      It is humbling to be here, surrounded by committed delegates from hundreds of countries, each with environmental problems as pressing as our own, indeed, many with problems much more pressing than B.C.’s. (I am impressed by the high awareness of our climate-related pine beetle forest infestation.)

      Some countries, like Maldives, are here fighting for their very existence. This island nation may be entirely swallowed by rising sea levels caused by melting icecaps and glaciers.

      Most countries now live with the early warning impacts of climate change. The national state of emergency from weather-related disasters in the Philippines is only the most recent reminder.

      The hope I take from Copenhagen comes from meeting people dedicated to tackling climate change and working on leading-edge solutions in their professional lives as scientists and engineers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, labour leaders, politicians, and thinkers. A lot of Canadians from all of these categories were very visibly present here. That was critically important public relations given the black-eye the Stephen Harper Tories earned Canada from pre-Copenhagen positioning that showed no urgency to seize the moment with other nations and get a deal to tackle the greatest challenge of this century.

      I’m pleased that four premiers (Jean Charest, Dalton McGuinty, Greg Selinger, and Gordon Campbell) and mayors from Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary were in Copenhagen. Premier Campbell went to support a North American cap-and-trade system. His remarks on the low-carbon economy were in line with the other governors and premiers.

      Not surprising at a climate conference, Campbell studiously avoided mentioning the B.C. Liberals’ facilitation of Alberta tar sands expansion via a new B.C. pipeline and avoided explaining why his energy minister is tub-thumping to remove our 30-year moratorium on coastal oil drilling. And I’m not sure Europeans were really that impressed with B.C.’s carbon tax because it doesn’t actually fund green infrastructure or build world-class transit systems.

      I went to Copenhagen to hear new ideas and there was no shortage of them. And I was also pleased to learn that other jurisdictions are using some ideas the B.C. NDP has recently proposed.

      Europeans use their carbon taxes in precisely the same way Carole James advocated to B.C. mayors in September—by directly investing carbon tax revenue into clean energy systems and public transit expansion. Metro Vancouver aspires to expand transit but cannot do it without provincial help.

      Also, when the global financial meltdown cratered available investment capital and slowed green tech projects, many cities and national governments created government-secured green bonds to make capital available and affordable. This is an idea my party advanced to create new green jobs in this recession, an idea that was validated in Vancouver’s greenest city plan.

      The long lead-up, hype, hope, and political pressure pre-Copenhagen may all be set back Friday (December 18) when the conference ends and the negotiators go home without a post-Kyoto climate agreement.

      I’m sure enterprising journalists and observers are already writing books on the bizarre two weeks of COP15. The political posturing, leaked negotiating texts, breakdown in long-established negotiating processes, walkouts by African nations, expulsion of major NGOs, the resignation of the Danish minister chairing the conference, batons, and pepper spray never otherwise seen in this quiescent country.

      But this isn’t one for the books yet. No one is giving up. As I write, protestors are still in the streets of Copenhagen demanding decisive action from their leaders, joined daily in solidarity by demonstrations in cities across the world.

      Rob Fleming is the B.C. New Democratic Party’s environment critic and the MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake.

      Comments

      8 Comments

      Lyndon

      Dec 17, 2009 at 6:55pm

      Thanks Rob!

      Shepsil

      Dec 17, 2009 at 11:56pm

      And Naiomi Klein has this to say.

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      Dennis

      Dec 18, 2009 at 9:14am

      When I watch Harper walk around it reminds me of an over weight spoiled kid who is or was bully and thinks he is just the best thing since apple pie with cheese. When will he wake up and smell the coffee. I hope they come up with some sort of plan that will get the ball rolling in the right direction.

      Btok

      Dec 19, 2009 at 9:15am

      Steve Watson
      Prisonplanet.com
      Friday, Dec 18, 2009
      Amid all the mainstream media reports of the talks in Copenhagen “limping” to a close and having failed, Lord Christopher Monckton, reporting from the summit, has stated that the only goal of the conference was to implement the framework and the funding for a world government – which he asserts has been achieved.“That is the one thing that they are definitely going to succeed in doing here and they will announce that as a victory in itself, and they will be right because that is the one and only single aim of this entire global warming conference, to establish the mechanism, the structure, and above all the funding for a world government.” the British politician, business consultant, policy adviser exclusively told the Alex Jones show yesterday.“They are going to take from the western countries the very large financial resources required to do that.” Monckton said, adding “They will disguise it by saying they are setting up a $100 billion fund for adaptation to climate change in third world countries, but actually, this money will almost all be gobbled up by the international bureaucracy.”“The first thing they will do, and the one thing I think they were always going to succeed in doing at this conference is to agree to establish what will be delicately called ”˜the institutional framework’. Now that is a code word for world government.”Lord Monckton explained that although the word “government” has been dropped from the treaty, all the interlocking bureaucratic features of a world government are still present in the final draft of the treaty, which also legislates for a global tax on financial transactions that will be paid directly to the World Bank. Check out what Government is doing behind your back at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VebOTc-7shU

      PS: We need to establish the truth about Climate Change from credible Scientists' stop these Climate Summits before we’re all taxed and acquire some UN arrests!

      You Hopenaganist!

      Dec 19, 2009 at 9:21am

      I am not waiting for Harper to do anything progressive, instead I focus my energies informing others about the Harpers positions, and encouraging to contact their MP's eithe by walk in, calls or emails, let them you know your concerns.

      I have already made a commitment to inform and mobilize other people particularly younger people to get involved and when this government falls again I will work against Harper...which party I will support is up in the air at this time...?

      Gray Hammers

      Dec 21, 2009 at 12:17am

      Fuck off - the lot of you.
      Anyone here want to start talking about how nuts deep the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan is in Tar Sands exploitation?
      Every single one of you mother fuckers is a complicit asshole. Every single one of you.
      When you get off your mother fucking ass to go to work tomorrow, guess what system it is that you're supporting by doing so? Right - capitalism. And you know what capitalism (AND EVERYONE LIVING WITHIN IT?) demands?
      GROWTH.
      Doesn't make one fucking bit of difference if you work at some bike shop - (make money for the boss, who puts it in the bank, that lends it to Suncor etc etc etc) or are busy toiling away teaching some fuckwit Business student at Langara - your pension money, you fucking "Savings Plan", your goddamned RRSP - ALL of them contribute to the insanity of constant growth.
      SAVE YOUR VEGAN ORGANIC HORSEHIT FOR SOME OTHER COCK SUCKER WHO WILL SWALLOW YOUR BULLSHIT ABOUT SAVING THE PLANET - IF YOU'RE OUT THERE MAKING DOLLARS - YOU'RE A FUCKING DOUCHEBAG PIECE OF SHIT AS RESPONSIBLE AS ANYONE ELSE.
      FULL. FUCKING. STOP.
      SO FUCK OFF WITH LAYING THE BLAME ON HARPER - FUCK OFF LAYING THE BLAME ON "BIG OIL". TAKE A GOOD GOD DAMNED LOOK IN THE MIRROR TO SEE WHO ALL THIS SHIT IS BEING DONE FOR YOU FUCKING PANSY PIECE'S OF SHIT.
      GROW A SPINE YOU FUCKING HUMPS.
      DEMAND TO "NOT WORK" AND "NOT PRODUCE" OR STFU AND SUCK ON SOME GREENHOUSE GASES - YOU INTELLECTUALLY INBRED LAZY MOTHER FUCKERS.

      Funny guy

      Dec 22, 2009 at 12:15am

      So gray hammers why don't you tell us how you really feel? I gave you a negative vote, but I did get a good laugh out of your message, I probably should of voted the other way.

      You are wrong about the fact we live in an capitalist society, we actually live in a quasi, socialist-capitalist society. It would be nice to see who has invested in the dirty oil in Alberta, perhaps if you message again you can share that information.

      I agree we have to look at our selves when we complain about the current state of our nation, but I should remind you there are many people out there that do not support how the Libs-Cons operate this nation and will continue too, but I do not really see how you are contributing to change, outside of the good laugh you have provided.

      Look forward to your response.

      Very Interesting!

      Dec 22, 2009 at 11:21am

      Thanks for clearing up much of the confusion around the political realities this province must deal with. Great to see the BCNDP getting back on top of the environmental file!