‘It is our responsibility. The future of humanity demands it.’
These were the words of Chirac during the conference at Elysee Palace. Demographics and economic development are posing real threats to the Earth, its resources and its environment, but the public, and even more so political leaders, have not yet taken the full measure of the dangers. It is said that fossil fuel pollution would be the reason for rise in temperature, worsening of floods, droughts and hurricanes, melting of polar ice and the climate system will be damaged for a thousand years to come.
A day after United Nations scientists delivered their bluntest warning yet over global warming, French President Jacques Chirac, Saturday, has called for a powerful UN environmental agency to reinforce international control over the planet.
Forty-five nations answered France’s call on Saturday for a new environmental body to slow inevitable global warming and protect the planet, perhaps with policing powers to punish violators. The world’s heavyweight polluter, the United States and booming nations on the same path as the U.S. – China and India were absent.
Chirac came a day after the release of an authoritative – and disturbingly grim – scientific report in Paris that said global warming is very likely caused by mankind and that climate change will continue for centuries even if heat-trapping gases are reduced. It was the strongest language ever used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change.
Without naming the United States – producer of about one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gases – Chirac expressed frustration by lamenting, ‘some large, rich countries still must be convinced. They are refusing to accept the consequences of their acts.
So far, it is mostly European nations that agreed to pursue plans for the new organization, and to hold their first meeting in Morocco this spring.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, ‘Protecting the global environment is largely beyond the capacity of individual countries.
Governments are under pressure to act on the findings of the IPCC, the U.N. body assessing climate change, which forecast more storms, droughts, heat waves and rising sea levels most likely caused by burning fossil fuels and other activities. Many questions remain about Chirac’s proposed new environmental body, including whether it would have the power to enforce global climate accords.
Via: The Independent