Monday, December 14, 2009

What Copenhagen is REALLY about

The very thoughtful and insightful Sr. Joan Chittister has an article entitled "Copenhagen: The Beginning of the End, and, If So, Whose?" over on Common Dreams. Here's an excerpt:

The Conference on Climate Change isn't about climate change at all, you see. The overwhelming body of scientists and politicians know that global warming is real, that it threatens rich and poor countries alike, that it is inevitable unless something is done to reverse the process and soon. No, this UN conference on global warming is not about science. It's about money. So, on Friday, the demonstrations started.

The generation that knows that they will be the people left to pick up the bill for the decisions not made here are being carted away in police vans in order to lower the din of the world's cry for equity, for help. So, the generation of young that will not be allowed to make the decision whether to save the planet or reduce it to dust have come to Copenhagen from all over the world. Along with the voices of so many others.

People from island nations, for instance, facing immanent danger from rising water levels in the world will be the first to have to deal with the effects of dislocation. People in lands going to dust and stone from the dried up river beds around them, will soon be unable to eke out a living in those parts of the world. People sweltering from rising temperatures and shorter growing periods will watch as the Garden of Eden shrivels around them. But as the world fills with ecological refugees, the rest of us will bear the costs of what we do not spend now to avert it, as well.

It's a short piece if you want to click through and read all of it. Sadly, it's very disheartening.
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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:09 PM

    It is tragic and, frankly, sickening. We as a people may not DESERVE our planet Earth anymore, because we are letting it go to shit.

    annie c

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ellie ... this sure is a sad article. What else to say. (((tears)))

    ReplyDelete

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