 The much anticipated global climate change conference in Copenhagen is history now. And after years of heated anticipation for a global agreement that would have set limits on greenhouse gasses, the meetings ended without any measurable commitments from the participating countries. So now that the dust has settled, what really are the next steps?
The conference produced neither a successor to the Kyoto Treaty, nor a binding treaty generally, but the one thing that did come out of the conference was a greater awareness of how complicated this process is going to be, especially in terms of finding ways to satisfy the needs of the Third World and developing countries.
Unfortunately, we're running out of time and if the momentum slows down, we're heading for a very different world. It's up to us now to keep the momentum moving forward.
Our first step is to keep the focus on the Senate in January to pass the American Clean Energy & Security Act which lays the foundation for a strong domestic climate change policy. We all have to put pressure on our local Senators to pass this bill that will curb carbon pollution, create jobs, and make America stronger and more secure.
Secondly, since a global agreement still seems to be far off, it's up to us to take the lead and continue to set an example for generations of young people that the answer to climate change is firmly in our hands. It's turned into a "war of inches" now so that every small step we take is a collective leap.
f you're not a member of POW yet, please consider doing so. Our strength is in our numbers and there is no better time to have a collective voice than now.
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