Big thoughts from Copenhagen – a new world order
Make no mistake, if there is a political deal today to limit carbon emissions and an agreed transfer of cash from the northern polluters to the southern victims, this will herald the beginnings of an entirely new world order.
Not one of these world leaders is an elected Green. These are all mainstreamers – Communists, Social democrats, Islamic Revolutionaries, Christian Democrats and the rest, conventional mainstream politicians with no environmental power base.
And the issue that has brought them together, once the preserve of open toed sandal wearing green protesters and green politicians, is climate change. They have taken a collective decision for mankind to attempt to preserve the ecology of the planet we all live on.
This is the moment that has seen China emerge as a giant of a world power flexing its muscles in its own interests and to a lesser extent in the interests of the emerging economies in the developing world whose natural resources she is already exploiting. China and America in their different, self-interested way have held the ring here.
But this has also been the moment the developing world, particularly the most threatened small island states and African nations, have demonstrated coherent and effective clout.
Once we used to wait upon these leaders as they fought to save the world from nuclear holocaust. Ironically, Medvedev of Russia and America’s Obama are meeting today to discuss nukes. But who any longer cares?
And collective wars against terrorism – forget it. The world has for so long looked for its successor to the cold war. Now it’s found it: the warming world war.
This is now the cause. Not war, not financial meltdown, but our own abuse of our planet that brings nations to the table. That’s the news out of Copenhagen. A new world order focused upon collective survival as never before even if self-interest finds its place too around the table.
Even if they agree nothing, THAT is what has changed, and changed for all time. The dialogue is open and will not be closed down.
Related posts:
- Team Green – why teenagers could save the world
- In the midst of a tectonic shift in the new world order
- Copenhagen takes the carbon-emitting biscuit
- Brazil: Pay us to keep our trees up to sustain the world's lungs?
- Thatcher portrait for a world in crisis
There are 22 comments on this post
I’ve just returned from South Africa where I visited the brilliant apartheid museum. It brought home powerfully the price paid by native peoples so that those with guns and power could make themselves even wealthier.
The same thing is happening with global warming – the rich and powerful are finding ways to cling on to their over indulgent life styles and the poor are paying the price. If something isn’t done soon, that price will be their lives
Inflicting increasingly deadly conditions on the third world so that we can all drive to the post office is fundamentally racist – it says we are more important than they are, that we deserve to have the good life, no matter what it does to others.
I was in Cape Town for a year in 1961 when Apartheid was at its height. It was a beautiful rich country, and yes those riches went to the whites in a totally unfair way, and the blacks were treated appallingly.Now i understand financially the country has gone the other way, but not as bad as Zimbabwe.It is a pity the races can not work equally together for the betterment of all
“These are all mainstreamers”
Like Mugabe and Armoured Dinner Jacket you mean?
You really do believe this AGW clap trap don’t you Jon? Or do you? Is this what Channel 4 are telling you to do? I really don’t believe you can’t see that it’s all a scam, as it is almost as blatent as those emails I keep getting from that Nigerian tribal leader fella asking me to help him relieve me of my money.
If anyone thinks there is going to be a new world Order – forget it . Thats not the way Capitalists work – China is in Africa – getting wHAt it wants – and doing it better than USA or UK DID.. I dont like the way Jon – u say we abusethe planet – yes to some extent – butwaht about the massive war machines of US ,UK ,Israel etc . Yes the Dialogue [ bull####] is open – and is an ongoing waste of time ,money and Forests of paper- anda Beurocrcy that would make the EU /UN b/cricies look good . Now we are 2 b guilty about our car even c/mas cards – so it will be easy 2 get money from us . Goeebels – Eat your heart out . The indoctrination has been a total sucess . Just to briefly say what one of main aims is – reduce CO2 . Effect as I have said before – big reductions in crop yields world wide .It simple as many of u know .- CO2 + Water [ H2O] + sunlight =Carbohydrate [ Food] + Oxygen. What happens when a crop is short of water – ask an African or a gardener – same thing happens when it is low on CO2- and the clowns want to reduce CO2 – so much for political courage – and Science – which is bit by bit being downgraded in favour of superstition and just sheer dishonesty .
The most encouraging aspect of Copenhagen for me has been the clout and coherence of those speaking on behalf of African nations. Unifying that great and beautiful continent in the interests of humanity’s future is particularly fitting if, as seems to be the case, that’s where our origins as a species lie.
And then Obama’s behaviour in ignoring them (and most of the rest of the world) ?
If there were no C02 emissions would there be global warming(allegedly)or is it solely because of such emissions?Is any warming the result of a natural penomena? Is there unbiased , absolute truth either way ? To me the answer is no.We do know that CO2 is absorbed by plants , particularly trees so first things first stop cutting down the forests ,and plant more trees in other places.Secondly restrict the growth of the population, before nature takes its course and does it for us.
Well, I will speak for Sri Lanka and as i’ve said before, there is a horrific amount of rubbsh everywhere. There is no bin man here, its burn it or leave it for the ecosystem to swallow gradually, and that’s very gradually.
Developing countries are baring the brunt of non degradable waste but it is visible, where is ours truly ending up?
Copenhagen doesn’t convince me in the slightest. Far too little far too slowly, with serious illness to future life, be it fish or our great great grandchildren. There is just not enough profit to be made by companies who can afford to slowly turn matters for the benefit of life.
adzmundo CND(Sri Lanka)
Whatever happens in Copenhagen today, its worth noting that I also had a letter from EDF Energy today telling me about their revised discount scheme.
The revisions seem to favour those who burn a lot of energy whilst the more efficient users will actually have to pay more overall for their gas and electricity.
Doesn’t seem right to me, EDF Energy’s pricing strategy is back to front. All their “Green” marketing is clearly just that, marketing….!
Yup, the world is focussing on the wrong problems…
I have faith that countries can pull together and collectively reduce the rate of climate change, as they know the facts and the importance of this matter. They are under scrutiny of the world and I am sure they would not want to feel responsible for letting down their people and their people’s concern for the futures of generations and the world.
Even if some alterations are necessary r.e. budgets, an agreement is surely compulsory given the evidence of recent past that have allowed predictions and potential consequences of climate change to be made, if preventative actions are not made very soon.
I think you may be missing the point- it is extremely doubtful that humanity has anything to do with climate change . Jon Snow seesm to have swallowed that way of looking at things – as have many others . Do you really think these politicians are going to care about ordinary people – Forget what they say – Look at their Record – Brown , and Obama – at war with Afghanistan , The Bombing of Kosovo , the war in Iraq – how many lies were told about all these disasters and more . At the moment the West Bank and Gaza have Sanctions on them from these same politicians — these places have nearly no medical supplies now in Gaza – people are dying – while these politicians huff and puff . Time will tell re CO2 and Climate change – but it may take years to disprove this IMO rubbish . Do you really expect politicians who are happy to let kids die – at Christmas time – un-necesarily – to really be concerned about ordinary people ??
I am less confidant. Whatever was going to happen over the conference, the US could not agree to anything like the required emission cuts. Given that they are by far the biggest polluter (per head of population), it gets depressing. Whilst they as a nation remain so selfish and unprepared to give up or cut back on anything they regard as their God given right there will be little hope for the future of the human race.
The China problem was as much about Obama being very “untactful” as about China rejecting proposals. Insult the honour of their leader and what did he expect. The transparency issue is solvable, whilst the getting the US to reduce emissions is less so as it centres of the US national character.
The runaway locomotive of hysteria, deception and outright untruths based on fraudulent science that is the cult of AGW, has been well and truly derailed at Copenhagen by any fair and reasonable measure and not before time. Jon Snow you still have your caboose hitched to this train as it plunges into a ravine. Your continued sensationalising of this issue disqualifies your right to be taken seriously as an independent, informed and balanced journalist. I suggest you pursue a career in lobbying.
Thank goodness , that ego maniac Brown did not get his way to save the world .He has already hocked future generations up to the eyes .He was trying to sell the rest of the countries resources so he could claim he was the leading architect of any deal.
I can’t wait to see the back of him
It was informative to note that the ‘cabal of important world leaders’ which finally cloistered to dream up some form of cosmetic outcome from this ridiculous Copenhagen Jamboree consisted of USA, China, India, Brazil and South Africa.
No place on this list of leaders for the impotent Gordon Brown, even after he’d tried to buy himself a place with vast amounts of my money in futile bribes.
Got it yet, Gordon ? They know the truth and we know the truth – how come only you don’t ? Go now before you sign any more cheques in my name.
Are you an idiot or a stooge?
A “new world order” is what it is about; the environment has got nothing to do with it. This is a political agenda — that’s it.
The media’s behaviour has been utterly shameful: complicity; lack of scepticism or investigation; and downright incredible propaganda.
I’m disgusted.
What a bunch of muppets you all looked in the snow.
[...] Big thoughts from Copenhagen – a new world order - Channel 4 [...]
Okay so tens of billions of dollars are assigned to the ‘Save the planet’ fund!
How are priority nations going to petition the fund?
Who dictates Precedence of action?
After all don’t we share the ozone layer?
I hope some of the money will go towards clean drinking water, bore holes for remote villages! I wonder if they’ll introduce a congestion charge for persons on safari loitering at the jungle water hole!
[...] had a glimpse of it in his arrogant performance at the climate change conference in Copenhagen (See Snowblog at the time). Yet, fingers crossed, I would argue “hope” is still just about alive. Permalink||(0) [...]
The phrase “new world order” sends many shivers down many spines. Wikipaedia runs two different pages on what it might or might not mean, but I think most of them have a central clique holding world power. Unsurprisingly this terrifies those who think that “all power tends to corrupt, and absolute power to corrupt absolutely”.You are someone who refused to accept a knighthood so you were not “bought” and we rely on people like you to thoroughly research such terms, and if possibly, use more transparent terminology so we know what is meant.