Climate change: The will to act

Feb 06, 2009 Features / Columnists

The Parrot, like many others, is fully aware of the catastrophic consequences of climate change if current trends continue. To describe the graphic evidence captured in Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” as an “eye-opener”, would be a gross understatement.

Those vivid images represent the culmination of years, if not decades, of the deterioration of parts of the globe and by extension, the deviation in predictable weather patterns. Seasonal norms in climatic conditions are rapidly becoming extinct; the weather is no longer predictable.

The threat posed to man’s existence by such unpredictability is unimaginable. As evident from the current contrasting patterns in various parts of the world, habitation is becoming challenging. The rises in sea levels predicted, if not reversed, threatens the existence of some islands and countries.

If these land masses are to disappear, then the cataclysmic situation, with regards to the continuation of life, which we would all be forced to confront, would be unprecedented. This situation, which was once thought to be extreme, is easily possible.

The Bush administration which preceded Obama’s, was reluctant to accept that climate change had begun years back and was gathering traction. This reluctance was despite the overwhelming evidence that was presented. Some felt that since a former Democratic Vice President was the medium through which the evidence was presented, the message could not have penetrated the political barriers of the Republican White House.

Some scientists who shared the ideology of the said Bush administration, tried to counter the monumental scientific evidence presented by Al Gore. That attempt floated downsteam like the many blocks of ice that became separated from the earth’s poles. Reality has won.

The awareness of the destruction that can be caused by climate change has been led in this Region by President Jagdeo. He constantly calls for the will to implement measures to prevent the stark reality of the harsh consequences.

He has been relentless in this regard and is fast becoming an authority on the issue as evident from presentations in Suriname, Poland, Switzerland and his meetings with Harrison Ford, Prince Charles and other leading functionaries and international organisations.

His championing of avoided deforestation is equally unyielding. Similarly, his vehement calls for developed countries to act and for countries, like Guyana to be compensated for standing forest, are fast gathering support. The agreement reached with the Prime Minister of Norway, is groundbreaking in this regard.

In Davos, Switzerland, he eloquently contextualised the proportion of global GDP needed to help lessen the effects of climate change. The amount seems miniscule in comparison to what is needed to cushion the effects of the current global financial crisis.

The world will recover from a financial crisis; there is precedent. Can we recover from the effects of global warming if current trends are to continue? Not in our lifetime. Information suggests that if all contributing factors are immediately mitigated, no change would be forthcoming for the next fifty years!

Which is more catastrophic? Can the world afford not to implement corrective measures? This is one of the positions articulated by President Jagdeo. It begs the question: what’s the priority of the developed world? Squawk! Squawk!