December 8, 2012:  UN climate talks extend Kyoto Protocol, promise compensation – UN climate talks in Doha have closed with a historic shift in principle but few genuine cuts in greenhouse gases.  The summit established for the first time that rich nations should move towards compensating poor nations for losses due to climate change.  Developing nations hailed it as a breakthrough, but condemned the gulf between the science of climate change and political attempts to tackle it.  The deal, agreed by nearly 200 nations, extends to 2020 the Kyoto Protocol.

The deal, agreed by nearly 200 nations, extends to 2020 the Kyoto Protocol.  It is the only legally-binding plan for combating global warming.  The deal covers Europe and Australia, whose share of world greenhouse gas emissions is less than 15%.   No US veto  The US had been adamant that this measure would be blocked, and the EU nearly vetoed it, too.  Todd Stern, the US head of delegation here, was seen for much of the past few days walking in circles near the tea bar on his mobile phone to Washington. He told me: “We don’t like this text, but we can live with it.”

But the conference also cleared the way for the Kyoto protocol to be replaced by a new treaty binding all rich and poor nations together by 2015 to tackle climate change.  The final text “encourages” rich nations to mobilise at least $10bn (£6bn) a year up to 2020, when the new global climate agreement is due to kick in.

This is remarkable.  This conference drew a line in the sand … You know there is going to be backlash from rich corporations who consider accountability someone else’s responsibility.

It is 2012 and a lot has already happened this year.  The 2012 list has already recorded extreme weather events, disasters, United States Elections and never ending WARs. The opportunity to change the direction the whole world is going is slipping out of our hands.  Everyone is experiencing some kind of discomfort because of accelerating disasters.  Discomfort is putting it too mildly!

How much have you followed the Climate talks going on at the UN Climate Change Conference?

All hype aside about the “End of the World”, and the Mayan Calendar, and Nostradamus Quatrains, and “Religious End Times”, Earth’s so called intelligent inhabitants aren’t so smart anymore. 

Attendees at the DOHA Climate Talks agree that the planet has reached a crisis point for human beings, but attendees at this conference have their hands tied by their politicians back home. World governments cannot get their minds around working together for common survival.  Apparently, world leaders are satisfied with conventional answers to population control … WAR.  Governments totally ignore the cost and environmental damage that WAR imposes on AIR, WATER and SOIL … of course people are always expendable.  The wide ranging consequences are never considered, the short term rewards are always temporary, but the toll is irreparable.

Infographic: The politics of climate change

The positions of key countries and political blocs on climate change measures before the COP18 in Qatar.

The significance from this critical DOHA conference is lost to the world.  Main Stream Media in America is ominously silent. Why?  Because America’s Main Stream Media is corporate owned and operated.  Corporations do NOT want to address anything that will hold them accountable for anything they do.  That’s why America is flirting with the “Fiscal Cliff”. Hype about “Small Business” is a smoke screen for huge corporations who want to avoid accountability for their less noble actions. 

No one wants to deal with global cooperation about anything … except petrochemicals, dogma and ignoring less fortunate countries who are already suffering the consequences of Climate Change.  Those topics are guaranteed to NEVER be agreed upon.

Are all of us really on our own to deal with earth’s changes?  If governments are so busy studying their navels, weapons and stock markets, they will be useless to individuals … that means You and Me.  In the mean time, if you are really concerned and plan on giving survival a chance, there are multitudes of resources to draw from, common sense is your most critical tool.

Ban calls for compromise at UN climate talks

UN secretary-general calls for spirit of compromise, saying that global warming poses ‘existential challenge’ to humans.

Study: Global carbon emissions reach new high

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John Ashton, the world’s first climate change diplomat – appointed by the UK, said politicians had to adopt a new mindset: “What’s the plan for getting off the oil hook – oil prices getting higher and more volatile over the past few years? What’s the plan for reducing vulnerability of our food system to climatic extremes? What’s the plan for dealing with the rising risk of floods and the insurance consequences of the rising risk of floods?

“These are the kind of things that politics is there to fix – and I think the feeling is round the world that politics is not fixing those problems. It’s jolly dangerous because it creates a vacuum -and extremist and populist voices can come in to fill it.”

Steady as she goes   -  Some of the negotiators in Qatar privately share some of Mr Ashton’s sentiments but they are paid to stick to their national interest.

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Opinion excerpts from journalists around the world:

… even with all its mighty power, the United States is tangled in a web of its own design, with little room for escape. America’s prosperity and its way-of-life, depends vitally on global domination, not only in the ethereal marketplace or cyberspace, but particularly of critical land, air and sea routes (choke points).

The center of gravity in the tangled webbing is Washington, DC, the epicenter of political, sexual and egocentric intrigue and the birthplace of projects like the “Surge” in Afghanistan and Iraq, “MISO” (military information support operations), and a host of other tinker-toy concepts and initiatives, many of which have cost nearly 100,000 American lives killed or maimed in action and an equally horrific toll in Iraq and Afghanistan that also includes millions of displaced civilians.

REPEAT: Will anything significant result from this critical conference?  Have the big nations just agreed to give ‘lip service’ to the reality of their role accelerating the natural cycle of climate change? Corporations don’t want this because it cuts into their short term profit margin. One would expect that longer term sustainability would be more important.

Until government leadership steps up and makes radical changes to the way governments do business, all of us really on our own to deal with earth’s changes?  If governments are so busy studying their navels, weapons and stock markets, they will be useless to us as individuals.  In the mean time, if you are really concerned and plan on giving survival a chance, there are multitudes of resources to draw from.

BossKitty’s frustration:

Science, at least, tries to measure and understand the scope and magnitude of where we are in the big picture.  Religion and Politics focuses on the immediate purpose of controlling humanity, and does not really care about the big picture.  But, on a cyclical basis, the big picture intrudes on the human condition… This is where humans require some kind of explanation or reason behind events beyond their control.  At times, humans will acquiesce to events beyond their control.

Religion and Politics are human creations that seek acquiescence and often, tribute from their followers.  The only importance that holds true, is interaction between and among humans.  Things humans create are only flashes of consciousness that cannot be seen from the center of the galaxy. Religion applies mysticism to things beyond earth, politics is only interested in pleasing corporations who want to use up earthly resources before the universe runs out of patience with the arrangement of our solar system.

Given the reality of Planet Earth (and it’s mechanisms), and the space it occupies in the universe (and it’s mechanisms), humans do have the capability of contributing to their own comfort and maybe survivability. Humans have no influence on the cosmos.  All we can do is measure … all we can do is prepare.  How can we prepare when our focus is held hostage by corporate priorities? How can we survive, when corporate priorities and technical priorities are using up and fouling earth’s remaining resources faster than life can adapt?

Look at the influences on your daily life.  Be aware of the little things you do that may contribute to waste or sustainability.  Encourage common sense behavior concerning Water Air and Soil … try not to damage the planet you live on. 

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