climate summit ends

After Poznan, eyes are
turning to Copenhagen

Source: "Mood mixed as climate summit ends," Richard Black, BBC News, December 13, 2008.

"The UN climate summit has ended with delegates taking very different views on how much it has achieved. Western delegates said progress here had been encouraging, but environment groups said rich countries had not shown enough ambition. Developing nations were angry that more money was not put forward to protect against climate impacts."

The meeting marked the halfway point of a two year long process. Progress was made on the Adaptation Fund, which which is to help poorer countries deal with climate change; terms of access to these funds were eased. The decision means that adaptation money can begin to flow at some point next year.

Comment: The leaders of the other countries of the world are looking to the Obama administration to implement Obama's campaign promise to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. They are also looking for the new administration to lead the negotiations to an effective new treaty to reduce climate change and its adverse effects.

Secretary of State Clinton is going to have a full plate. Not only will she be trying to figure out how to end two wars honorably without destabilizing the region, and how to deal with the Arab-Israeli conflict, but will be dealing with a once in a century economic crisis, with international terrorism, with developing a means of reducing the threat from tens of thousands of nuclear warheads that exist (some in conditions that seem dangerously unprotected), with the conditions in Latin America that are leading to massive illegal immigration and illicit trade in drugs, and with the legitimate aspiration and potential anti-American sentiments in other nations that will undoubtedly exist. Do you wonder why Obama is going for strength and ability rather than complete agreement with his policies in his appointments? JAD