G8 Summit Fails On Climate Change

Opinion by Gilbert Mercier, NEWS JUNKIE POST

On July 8, eleven Greenpeace activists climbed Mount Rushmore and hung a banner challenging President Obama to show real leadership on global warming and climate change. The banner, measuring 65 feet high by 35 feet wide features an unfinished portrait of Obama.

Greenpeace USA Deputy Campaigns Director, Carroll Muffett stated:

“This monument celebrates leaders who rose to the great challenges of our past. Global warming is the greatest crisis humankind has ever faced and it is a defining test of leadership for this generation. It is an open question whether President Obama will pass that test.”

Judging by the lack of clear commitment by the G 8 and the developing economies such as India & China to cap carbon emissions and curtail global warming, it doesn’t seem that neither President Obama nor the other leaders at the summit passed the test in question.

The resolution passed by the G8 is vague and just a little more than wishful thinking as opposed to any binding agreement for the G8 and the developing countries.

To make matters even worse, it was announced yesterday that the Senate will delay the vote on the climate change bill for a couple of months, arguing that their schedule is “too busy” as it is.

This is, once again, a clear indication that politicians are not fully aware of the urgency of the crisis and how their inaction will have catastrophic consequences for humankind.

This is the official declaration from the G 8 following the summit.