CIWEM
Push and pledge
The Copenhagen agreement could be the longest suicide note in history, says CIWEM executive
director Nick Reeves. And that’s why the time really has come for politicians to take action
T
here is one thing that you can’t fail to not run out it soon will. A poisonous soup of
miss: climate change terminology is an ignorance, political expediency and growth for its
ever-expanding and slippery lexicon of own sake stands in the way. In the meantime,
very long words where short ones would be fine. we can sign petitions, pledges and
So we have anthropogenic climate change – communiqués that demand more of our leaders.
which essentially means that it’s all our fault. Go to the website of any green campaign group,
Paul Kingsnorth, the environmentalist and you will find any number of campaigns you can
writer, has launched The Dark Mountain Project support. And there is the ‘back the bid’ campaign
that promotes the idea of an unraveling world from the UK government Climate Change
order that cannot be fixed. It includes a department. Secretary of State, Ed Miliband, has
manifesto that exposes the myth of human made his own pledge.
centrality and forces us to retreat from denial to
acknowledge some difficult facts about the state Influence
we are in. The manifesto urges us to consider So, you can push and pledge and bring your
how we can manage the transition from a failing own influence to bear by reducing your own
civilization to a new epoch. But why does emissions – the big idea behind the 10:10
Kingsnorth adopt such an apocalyptic and water and rising sea levels will force 200 million campaign launched by Franny Armstrong, director
uncompromising position and what is the people from their homes triggering conflict. In of the eco-flick The Age of Stupid. The goal is clear
scientific basis of it? For a hint, consider the work the run-up to Copenhagen the message to world and ambitious: achieve a 10% cut in carbon
of Paul Crutzen. leaders could not be clearer: act now or emissions in 2010. But millions will need to get
Crutzen is an atmospheric chemist who won a discussions about saving ourselves will quickly involved to have any detectable impact on
Nobel prize. He is no slouch and can be trusted. turn to a more fundamental and scary one about carbon emissions. And the 10:10 organisers will
But when, 10 years ago, he promoted the idea the ability of the planet, itself, to recover from need a manifesto and outline what it wants
that the Earth was entering a new runaway warming. So, the pressure is on for governments to do. In the end it is politicians
(Anthropocene) geological era (because an agreement that does the job: no deals, no who must lead transformation and make change
humankind is the root cause of “an orgy of compromise. This is not the time for political happen. A similar campaign, Stop Climate Chaos,
global warming and overconsumption”), some in point-scoring or ideological posturing. launched in 2005 had little effect.
the scientific community balked. And politicians Without doubt, Copenhagen is the most However, you can join a Stop Climate Chaos
hard-wired to growth simply ignored the warning. important meeting of world leaders since the march on the UK Parliament on Saturday, 5
No wonder. What Crutzen describes is a back Second World War. December – an event supported by most of the
story of humanity’s ever-expanding footprint overseas development and green NGOs. But,
leading to ecological collapse. Without fossil fuels Brokering you will be in a minority. Britain still lacks a really
to support agriculture and other forms of Yet, procrastinating politicians, and their big citizens’ lobby for action on climate change.
production a lot of things would die, including apparatchiks, are preparing for Copenhagen in The green community is hugely fragmented and
people. And without the technological fixes the time-honoured fashion that’s all about still can’t agree on issues such as nuclear power
coming on stream quickly enough, just a few brokering deals and consensus politics. It will be and population growth.
thousand would remain. But can such a scenario the place to be seen, and to build reputations. Fair enough, though, the UK government
be true? Won’t science provide the techno-fix The outcome could be the longest suicide note needs no persuading on Copenhagen and will
solutions that will enable the planet to sustain a in history. Because, when it comes to global push for a strong agreement at the Summit. But,
population of nine billion souls? Even the most action on climate change, we have been here in a way, the UK’s involvement will be a side-
optimistic of people must have their doubts. Paul before. Kyoto did not achieve very much; show. The Brown government is preparing for life
Kingsnorth, for example, who represents a young whatever emerges from the climate summit in in opposition. It is 20 or so other countries and
generation of people who are not content. December may be too little, too late. their negotiating positions that will be important.
In the days before Christmas there is no China, India and the US being the most critical.
Climate change certainty that a climate deal will be done or be Of course, they won’t notice the petitioning and
If the UK Meteorological Office’s latest report on robust enough. Talking to those closely involved, the demonstrating in Britain.
climate change is to be believed, Paul Crutzen even the most optimistic see nothing but failure But, don’t be put off by that. Sign away for a
(and Kingsnorth) is probably right. By 2055, says in Denmark. Nearly seven billion people and worthwhile agreement. Do something positive to
the Met Office, the world will have warmed by a coming generations will be disappointed. help avert a crisis... because, as Freud once
dangerous 4 degrees Celsius. This means that The world’s governments will fail to remarked: “every crisis is a stimulus to the
83% of the Amazon rainforest will have gone by understand that this and future generations are positive side of personality and an opportunity
2100 and the lifeline of water to countries such entitled to an agreement that will deal with the to start afresh”. ■■■
as China and India, will have been cut. Lack of growing threat of a warming world. If time has nick@ciwem.org
18 Water & Wastewater Treatment November 2009
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