Words without deeds are absolutely pointless
THIS COULD be the last chance to stop the climate reaching the point of no return when a cycle of continuing destruction kicks in. The planet will then continue destroying itself and us along with it. Despite all the talk and promises of past years, there is more CO2 in the atmosphere in 2021 than one year ago.
There is no more urgent time than now for the world leaders and political decision-makers to listen to their consciences and millions of people crying out for an end to the damage, pain and hurt that climate change and global warming is causing.
The poor are suffering the most from the destruction of the natural world, the cutting of trees and the industrial-scale growing of commercial crops like palm oil, soy and grass on once forest lands to feed cattle. These contribute to the CO2 that is causing global warming.
There are more than one billion cattle in the world today. Most are raised for beef to feed the well-off and these cattle emit millions of tons of methane annually, a greenhouse gas that is, in part, causing global warming. If most people would become vegetarian, they would be stronger, live longer healthy lives and help save the planet. The world leaders have promised to stop all deforestation in two years and rewild and grow trees to hold the global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The financial leaders said banks and pension funds will invest only in renewable energy projects. The World Bank said it will stop lending to the oil and coal industry. The G7 said they will stop giving $20 billion in subsidies to the coal, gas and oil industry. Globally, countries spend $500 billion on supporting the fossil fuel industries.
At the COP26, forty nations pledged to quit coal. However, China, Australia, the US and India did not sign up to the pledge. The rich nations promised, as they did in 2014, to give billions of dollars to poor countries to offset the losses. They failed to deliver on their promises. The rich nations are irresponsible. They are the biggest emitters of CO2 by pumping out 86 percent of the CO2 in the atmosphere. Lower income countries emit only 14 percent. The Philippines emits 1 percent.
The poorest of the poor nations that have nine percent of the world’s population emit 0.5 percent of the greenhouse gases. Will the rich deliver on their promises? Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister told delegates, “When it comes to tackling climate change, words without action, without deeds are absolutely pointless.”
He then took a private flight to London where he will likely approve the opening of a new coal mine in West Cumbria. If that is any indication of what is to become of promises and pledges, we must brace ourselves for the worse./
The poorest of the poor nations that have nine percent of the world’s population emit 0.5 percent of the greenhouse gases. Will the rich deliver on their promises? Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister told delegates, “When it comes to tackling climate change, words without action, without deeds are absolutely pointless.”