2009 December, 20th

Phil Butler

If you ever hoped the world’s most powerful leaders share in your individual or collective concerns for the fate of our planet, or the human beings sitting on it, last week’s Copenhagen Climate Summit should provide your  answers.  If the voices of 100 or more poorer government leaders fall on deaf ears, what of the solitary voice of reason? Copenhagen was a disaster significant only in its symbolic resemblance to the global tragedy which will likely come.

There is no need to delve into the minute details of this mediocre event, even before the conference took place China and India revealed their unwillingness to even consider any legally binding effort at change. It is interesting to note that the leaders of these two nations actually had the goal to fly home and declare their successes, along with Britain’s Brown and to a lesser extent President Obama who termed the so called “Copenhagen Accord; “the foundation for international action in the years to come.”

China's leader poses with those most endangered by his policies

When It Is Too Late We Will Bail You Out, Honest

The only thing agreed upon tentatively in Copenhagen is the $100 billion a year Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced would be collected by 2020 to help poor nations deal with climate change? The reader should think about this idea for a moment. Proposing a line of credit of $1 trillion bucks even, to throw at a forthcoming disaster which 4 years ago most of these people claimed would not come, and one which the world’s great leaders are unwilling to start fixing now? Sounds a little like an admission of defeat if you ask me.

The protesters had no say, Greenpeace and other environmentalists had no say, and you had no say so in what will be remembered as Obama’s weakest performance on the world stage amid his other lackluster political art. Between Obama’s last minute dealings with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, and that leader’s camera posturing with the very nations most in harm’s way because of climate change, this circus revealed only one potential hero where many are so badly needed. Arnold Schwarzenegger made an appearance and speech at a sideshow for the global environmental “big top”, his focus being on state, local, community and corporate action even in the absence of global leaders. Maybe more of the “little people” should listen to Arnold, since it is obvious Obama and the rest are deaf and dumb. Though noted environmentalist Al Gore was present, not word has emerged as to his opinion.

The Brave Face of BS

Our most prominent world leaders appear to be more concerned with PR “pitching” the “non-outcome” of this conference than having had any inclination toward any possible impact. Germany’s Chancellor Merkel chiding in something about these leaders “putting a brave face” on the conference. Either the constituents of these circus clowns have been secretly drugged into some strange state of euphoria, or the whole core of world leadership has a correct assumption that they can do (or not do) whatever they want with no implications. This writer is beginning to think like a conspiracy theorist these days. I mean think about it, the people behind these leaders basically own everything on the planet, so how can the people (or tenants) expect them to do anything without even more mortgaged real estate? Of course we should all be aware now that we have not much left to ransom.

As residents of what is rapidly becoming “Slum Earth”, we are in a situation much like the people under some sleazy slum lord, demanding that the plumbing work, but with no place else to go if it is not. For the part of the leaders of small nations, at least they seen to have their people’s best interests in mind. Let’s hope the tens and hundreds of billions promised countries like the sinking Maldives is not bailout money. You know, these leaders had months to prepare for this summit, and the leader or the free world (and those of the partially free) decide to drop in for coffee and a photo shoot? The whole affair has me pretty upset, but at least I am not alone. I just wish I had more politicians in my pocket.

• 2010/02/25 -- Bloom Energy Reveals More 21st Century Power
• 2010/02/18 -- UN Climate Chief Resigns, Big Business Flexes Green Muscle
• 2010/01/23 -- Agribusiness Kicks Off to GE In the Game for Brazil
• 2009/12/12 -- Greenpeace Amazed At Refusal of Asian Nations
• 2009/12/11 -- Greenpeace Urges Obama to Earn Peace Prize with Decisiveness in Copenhagen
• 2009/12/10 -- Due Diligence Over Your Child’s Zhu Zhu Pet
• 2009/11/30 -- Chelsea Clinton to Wed Next Summer

About the Author

Phil Butler is editor-in-chief of Everything PR and senior partner at Pamil Visions PR. He’s a widely cited authority on beta startups, search engines and public relations issues, and he has covered tech news since 2004. Phil wrote in the past for ReadWriteWeb, Mashable, Profy, SitePoint, Search Engine Journal, AltSearchEngines. Follow Phil on Twitter or send him an email at phil [at] pamil-visions [dot] com.

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