Canada confirms it will reject new Kyoto Protocol
By Gerard Wynn; Editing by Jonathan Lynn
8 Jun 2011 BONN, Germany (Reuters) – Canada confirmed on Wednesday that it would not support an extended Kyoto Protocol after 2012, joining Japan and Russia in rejecting a new round of the climate emissions pact. The current Kyoto Protocol binds only the emissions of industrialized countries from 2008-2012. Poor and emerging economies want to extend the pact, creating a deadlock at U.N. climate talks running from June 6 to 17 in Bonn, Germany. The confirmation makes it clear Canada is following the line its ruling party pursued ahead of last month’s election. “Now that we’ve finished our election we can say now that Canada will not be taking a target under a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol,” Judith Gelbman, a member of Canada’s delegation, told a negotiating session of the talks. Canada has also previously said it could not achieve the binding emissions cuts it has committed to under the first round of Kyoto up to 2012, infuriating environmentalists and developing countries. … Global carbon emissions last year rose at their fastest rate in more than four decades, up nearly 6 percent at about double the annual rate of increase over the past decade, data released by oil company BP showed.
It's pretty clear that North America and nearly 100% of all industrialized countries are not going to take any significant and meaningful steps to try and stave off climate disaster.
Humans simply are not serious enough about their future. Not when it runs into capitalism, comfort levels or the "business as usual" model.
Nobody should be surprised. This has been going on for decades. Lip service only to any meaningful action, thereby committing all of humanity to a hellish future.
What do we care? We won't live to see it anyway, and truly care little what happens to our kids.
Actions speak louder then words and non-action speaks the loudest.
"We won't live to see it anyway, and truly care little what happens to our kids."
Unless you are about 98 years old, I venture this statement is wildly over-optimistic. For those who live in Joplin or Pakistan or Columbia, the hellish future is now…and for those of us who have dodged the bullet so far, the hellish future is not far off.