Climate change still low on political agenda

Climate change is still low on political agenda and world leaders are yet again more worried about global finances than about global climate, just like this was the case in 2009. Big European debt crisis accompanied by the recent US economic woes are taking away from climate talks in Durban any chance of success.

The scientists have already issued warnings that greenhouse gases are back on rise in the atmosphere which causes faster melting of polar ice caps and increases the global sea levels.

It is almost the same scenario as in 2009, namely financial crisis is once again being used as an excuse to delay any significant climate change action. Because of the financial crisis politicians are once again unwilling to put hands in their pockets and come up with the money needed to adapt to global climate changes.

The three largest polluters in the world -China, United, States and India are extremely reluctant to commit to any significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. None of these three countries is ready to sign new climate deal yet none of these countries want to be blamed for failure in reaching new climate deal.

It seems like each of these three major polluters has some conditions under which deal should be signed. They all seem to be forgetting that climate change is global issue which means no conditionality but unity. At this moment in time global political unity certainly looks more like the utopia than actual reality.

If world fails to agree on new climate deal any time soon greenhouse gas emissions will continue to rise increasing global temperature between three and five degrees Celsius by the end of this century. Such temperature increase would forever change the life on our planet.

Let us think about the heritage we will leave to our children and grandchildren.