McKibben on Copenhagen and “climate change as just another political problem.” Author Bill McKibben weighs in on the summit, taking the big picture route through the obstacles facing a climate compromise. “What I’m saying is: even the best politicians are treating the problem of climate change as a normal political one, where you halve the distance between various competing interests and do your best to reach some kind of consensus that doesn’t demand too much of anyone, yet reduces the political pressure for a few years—at which time, of course, you (or possibly someone entirely different) will have to deal with it again.”

Always waiting until the last minute. Sure, there’s a procrastination when dealing with climate change. It’s only natural. “It’s natural to behave irrationally.” It’s the American way. The Washington-Post has an article explaining the psychological distance on climate by putting the country on the couch. One study is from 2007 when researchers in San Diego hung four fliers on doorknobs. According to the Washington Post, “one told homeowners that they should conserve energy because it helped the environment. One said saving energy was socially responsible. One said that it saved money. The fourth said that the majority of neighbors in the community were doing it…the researchers waited and then read the meters. The houses with the fourth flier showed the most change.” One analyst concludes ads for “Hopenhagen” are ineffective, that people are unsure of what to do next, while mailers with energy tips to utility customers comparing power usage to their neighbors have produced results. And the mailers never mention climate change. Scary how that works.

Activists, stunts, and protests slideshow. Treehugger has some cool scenes from the summit, including a bed-in in honor of John Lennon’s assassination anniversary. Looks like the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance made the most heartfelt demonstration, asking for stronger action from rich countries since even one degree Celsius of warming causes suffering for the African people.

Source: Down to Earth

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