Comments on: Chávez and Morales Lash Out at Industrialised North http://www.ips.org/TV/copenhagen/chavez-and-morales-last-out-at-industrialised-north/ IPS Coverage of the Climate Change Summit taking place Dec. 7-18 in Copenhagen Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:41:59 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Joan Russow http://www.ips.org/TV/copenhagen/chavez-and-morales-last-out-at-industrialised-north/comment-page-1/#comment-347 Joan Russow Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:59:34 +0000 http://www.ips.org/TV/copenhagen/?p=1333#comment-347 Let them wear rubber boots and drink bottled water. The disregard by the most developed industrial states for the emerging science and for the pleas from the developing countries is reminiscent of Marie Antoinette, and her oft-quoted "let them eat Cake" . I attended the above press conference with Morales and Chavez- the real leaders, along with the those from the African states, and low lying and small island states. But were the developed industrial states willing to listen. There was one press conference after another by scientists and other international bodies from the IPCC, WTO, UNHCR, UNESCO, WHO. all of which clearly stated that the consequences are far more serious than anticipated in the 2007 IPCC report which was based on 2004 and 2005 dats. While the scientist were explaining the evolving science, the negotiators from the most developed states indicated they were following the science. But were they listening to IPCC report that indicated that at 2 degrees rise from pre industrial levels the poor, the disenfranchised and the vulnerable would not survive, and at 1.4 degrees there was a possibility. How could the negotiators continue to negotiate 2 degrees. How could they ignore the please from the African caucus that "while the developed states play with numbers, Africa is dying, or Bangladesh, crying for the developed states it is a matter of life style but for Bangladesh it is a matter of survival and a right to live. Bolivia and others took a strong stand calling for the temperature to rise no more than 1 degree, and for there to be no more than 300ppm. Most of the mainstream NGOs were not willing to go as far as Bolivia. Morales is having the meeting in Bolivia in April to motivate citizens around the world to finally call for what must be done to address the climate debt owed by the developed states to the developing states. Both Chavez and Morales are willing to put the meager financial commitment of the developed states in the context of the 1.7 trillion global military budget. In Bolivia finally perhaps the contribution of Militarism to greenhouse gas emissions will finally be addressed. Let them wear rubber boots and drink bottled water.
The disregard by the most developed industrial states for the emerging science and for the pleas from the developing countries is reminiscent of Marie Antoinette, and her oft-quoted “let them eat Cake” .
I attended the above press conference with Morales and Chavez- the real leaders, along with the those from the African states, and low lying and small island states. But were the developed industrial states willing to listen.

There was one press conference after another by scientists and other international bodies from the IPCC, WTO, UNHCR, UNESCO, WHO. all of which clearly stated that the consequences are far more serious than anticipated in the 2007 IPCC report which was based on 2004 and 2005 dats. While the scientist were explaining the evolving science, the negotiators from the most developed states indicated they were following the science. But were they listening to IPCC report that indicated that at 2 degrees rise from pre industrial levels the poor, the disenfranchised and the vulnerable would not survive, and at 1.4 degrees there was a possibility. How could the negotiators continue to negotiate 2 degrees. How could they ignore the please from the African caucus that “while the developed states play with numbers, Africa is dying, or Bangladesh, crying for the developed states it is a matter of life style but for Bangladesh it is a matter of survival and a right to live.

Bolivia and others took a strong stand calling for the temperature to rise no more than 1 degree, and for there to be no more than 300ppm. Most of the mainstream NGOs were not willing to go as far as Bolivia. Morales is having the meeting in Bolivia in April to motivate citizens around the world to finally call for what must be done to address the climate debt owed by the developed states to the developing states. Both Chavez and Morales are willing to put the meager financial commitment of the developed states in the context of the 1.7 trillion global military budget. In Bolivia finally perhaps the contribution of Militarism to greenhouse gas emissions will finally be addressed.

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