| The pressure is on, the posturing prevalent and | | | | The transport sector undergoes the biggest change |
| grandstanding is everywhere. This is normal, the usual | | | | as combustion engines are replaced by hydrogen fuel |
| prelude to a gathering of political leaders when an | | | | cells. Cars, boats, trains and planes no longer emit |
| issue is contentious. And in December 2009 world | | | | carbon. Nascar racing survives because we are |
| leaders, their advisors and armies of press and | | | | nostalgic for the sounds of pistons and exhausts. The |
| interest groups will be in Copenhagen, Denmark for | | | | term hybrid returns to its botanical roots. |
| COP15 - the 15th United Nations Climate Change | | | | It takes a decade or two for the ripples of this |
| Conference. | | | | massive upheaval to spread and dissipate - only they |
| These annual meetings for parties to the Kyoto | | | | do settle. The 80% target is reached and the |
| Protocol have been around a bit - Poznan (Poland), | | | | scientists confirm that carbon dioxide levels in the |
| Bali (Indonesia), and Nairobi (Kenya) since 2006 - | | | | atmosphere have stabilized. Some of the boffins are |
| because it is important to get everyone involved. | | | | still worried about the ice caps and sea level, but no |
| Usually they are tense, and sometime terse affairs, | | | | matter, we are carbon neutral. |
| that end up with aspirations hosed down by the | | | | What will the environment have to say about all this |
| need for compromise. | | | | change? Will Gaia turn around and say 'welcome |
| Let us suppose that this time it is different. Imagine | | | | humanity, my new carbon neutral friend'? Well she |
| that in Copenhagen, after all the verbal fencing and | | | | might. |
| individual moments in the spotlight, the leaders sit | | | | Clean power and changes to the way we grow our |
| down and actually agree to a bold resolution. They | | | | food will exert less of a strain and allow climate to |
| agree to big reductions in carbon emissions and sign | | | | follow its natural path of change. However, not so |
| off to an emission target of 80% below 1990 levels | | | | long ago our environmental attention and concern |
| by 2030. 'Yes we can' they say. | | | | was on disruption to ecosystem services, a little |
| The media, not to mention you and I, are astonished, | | | | before that it was on biodiversity loss, and earlier still |
| shocked even. We are not sure if we should be | | | | on the effects of pollution. Achieving carbon |
| ecstatic or skeptical. Yet is what so many wanted | | | | neutrality will not fix these things. |
| and we breathe again. | | | | Reduced risk from slowing climate change would help |
| There is more. The leaders fly home and they deliver. | | | | but it will not address directly our use of natural |
| Legislation is passed, emissions trading schemes are | | | | resources, insensitive land management, |
| implemented, clean power projects sprout up | | | | manufacturing, and the needs of billions stuck in |
| everywhere supported by tax breaks, carbon | | | | subsistence agriculture. |
| stripper technology is fitted to all the coal fired | | | | Yes we can... make the environment our friend - but |
| power stations and around the world people are | | | | cleaning up our carbon emissions is only part of what |
| encouraged to eat less meat. This last innovation has | | | | we need to do to mend the relationship. |
| the multiple benefits of lowering incidence of heart | | | | Even if the leaders leave Denmark with a smile on |
| disease, reducing methane production and promoting | | | | their face, there is still great work to be done. |
| healthier rangelands. | | | | |