Folks, it’s bad news from the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen as the nations of the world failed to agree on a common platform to reduce the threat.
There is no Copenhagen climate treaty. History was not made; no deal was sealed. This is the grim situation, at a glance:
Najib has committed Malaysia to a 40 per cent cut (compared to the 2005 level) in emissions by 2020. The Pakatan parties, on the other hand, unveiled their common policy framework, which promised to “reduce carbon emission rate to conform with international standards” and to build the foundation for a smooth transition to alternative energy resources.
But in the same week they pledged all this, the deputy sports minister, representing Najib, unveiled the Malaysian-backed Lotus Team drivers for the coming high-octane Formula One season, while over in Penang, street circuit races were revived with the holding of the Petronas Cub Prix at the Esplanade over the weekend. Are these politicians for real? It is as if Malaysians live on a different planet, where rhetoric and reality never meet, where climate chaos will never encroach into our comfort zones.
Part of the problem is that we have been kept in the dark on the key issues surrounding climate change, while a small minority are in denial mode. The other reason is that many of us seem to value unsustainable corporate-led economic growth above environmental protection. This is a piece I wrote for IPS:
Malaysia recorded 187 million tonnes of carbon emissions in 2006, according to U N Millennium Development Goal indicators. That puts it in third place in the South-east Asian region behind Indonesia (333 million tonnes) and Thailand (273 million tonnes), with Vietnam (106 million tonnes) in fourth place.
On a per capita basis, a different picture emerges. With 7.2 tonne of CO2 per capita, Malaysia is still the third highest emitter in South-east Asia. Brunei tops the list at 15.5 tonnes per capita, followed by Singapore with 12.8 tonnes. Thailand (4.3 tonnes) and Indonesia (1.5 tonnes) occupy fourth and fifth places respectively. Full article here.
Najib can talk all for himself as he does not have a team that can back him up. Look at the 1 Malaysia concept he initiated. Is it working?
With the BTN doctrine in place now, it will another 30 years to change the mindset of these people, provide there are no more such doctrine are introduce in the future.
In 2020, he may not be the PM any more but the PM at that time will have to face the rest of the world any Malaysia will be the member of NATO – No Action Talk Only.
It is always the same formula, Shiok Sendiri mentality.
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Economic growth goes hand in hand with carbon emission. To achieve 40% reduction in 2020, we need to reduce emission by an average of 4% a year. How are we going to do that if we are to sustain an avg economic growth of 6.5% in order to achieve developed nation status by 2020? Is it realistic? Is this another tall talk or has najib got confused with numbers again?
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This carbon accounting can sometimes be misleading. If large part of our industries are to cater for the demands of western companies where will the carbon used be allocated ?
Instead of carbon reduction there should also be a commitment and effort in achieving carbon neutrality in a number of our industries particularly the oil palm industry. Carbon neutrality is important because it is the basis of long term sustainability.
Carbon negativity can be achieved by burying carbon. Do look up biochar for more information.
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A 40% cut by 2020? Can or not? Talk is cheap and I don’t think Najib realizes how big this is. As the economy expands more carbon will be emitted so it’s an effort just to keep the emission from rising. This is the typical BN mentality – promise first without intending or knowing how to fulfill.
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What 40 % drop in carbon emmissions. Najib just said a couple of months ago that Sabah will have its coal fired power plant located in a Felda Plantation. Why in a Felda Plantation. Because there has been a lot of protests from Sabahans against such a coal powered power plant because of its carbon emmissions. Because there was massive objections Najib says he will have it built in FELDAH Sabah. So Sabahans cannot protest. What a noble way to reduce carbon emmission by Najib ?
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So what else is new? What is ever achieved by holding these summits? It’s just another all-expense paid holiday for politicians who get to stay in plush hotels, dress up in Armani and Saville Row tailor-made suits, get photographed, wine and dine, exchange pleasantries, agree to disagree and basically talk till they’re blue in the face. They then hop on a plane home and blame each other for not being able to reach a consensus.
A holiday for the world’s politicians paid for by the world’s tax payers. You and I could do that, couldn’t we, Anil?
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Anil,
This is off-topic but may be of interest- a Penangite in a National Geographic article.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/01/asian-wildlife/christy-text
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Just simply look at what BN is proposing for Sabah and you KNOW Najib is all talk.
Read the letter in Lim Kit Siang’s blog, today.
Nuff said. Conserve energy.
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Thanks Anil for bringing up the issue. Thanks also to Shai Hulud for the NG article. Malaysia seems to have escaped scrutiny on the environment and trafficking in endangered species front, possibly until now. Faulting the Government for its inaction on these issues and allowing corruption to have its way is completely justified but it is not enough to remain at the “arm-chair politician” level. Malaysians have to be actively conscious of the damage done to this planet (if we are still living here) and that the effects of climate change is not restricted to foreign countries.
We already seem to have forgotten the 26 Dec. 2004 tsunami that hit us. We seem to think that rising sea-levels do not affect us, how sure are we of that, especially in places like Penang and other coastal areas in the country. We still don’t take the flooding, the landslides, the collapsed high risers, haze and land collapses seriously.
We do have alternatives but don’t want to change our ways. It is NOT ONLY the Government that has to change its mentality, it is the rakyat themselves that should drive the Government to change its mentality or be sacked like any employee that is not doing a good job. If we want a better world, people have to get it themselves,They have to change first.
How many of us take recycling seriously? How many of us can easily relinquish the use of plastic bags? How many of us can stop open burning without giving excuses for doing so? How many of us will come out and oppose the mega projects we have not been consulted about? How many of us see the taking over and logging of orang asli and aboriginal lands in Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia as wrong and a crime against humanity? How many of us will oppose the government’s plans to install nuclear energy in this country when we already have an enormous potential to use solar energy which is far more eco-friendly and safer than nuclear power that is more dangerous to use? How many of us will stop using our cars and insist on having an affordable, efficient and good public transport system in this country?
We need to think about these issues and know that we will inevitably be affected. There’s no escape, no way out other than to face the reality of climate change and that we are part and parcel of it. We contribute to it in a personal way too. We must do something about this and can do something about this, even if we don’t go shouting in the street. Change must come from within to be effective. We have the internet – use it for better not for worse.
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Seriously Anil, you seems to think that having a treaty at Copenhagen is a good idea? Are you so sure about that? Are you not open to possibility that there are ulterior motives behind it?
If not, then no problem…another treaty is in the work six months later, one proposed by Germany. By then you can have your global treaty on climate change.
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Well, it all depends on what’s in the treaty and how fair it is, doesn’t it?
But not having a treaty could also be an excuse for doing nothing.
It’s not easy but something has to be done to cut emissions. It cannot be business as usual.
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I believe we shouldn’t just do things if it is fair. This is a classic example of how the mind justifies a wrong ; if you could do it so could we.
We should do it because it is the right thing to do, not because it is fair. We should ask ourselves, as a nation, what we can do and how we should go about doing it.
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Anil,
Not sure how to get you by e-mail, can you please help to enlighten us what is actually happening at the mid hill (some where around USM) which can be seen while driving into Penang Island.
Hill clearing for another development? Please enlighten, many thanks!
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Beats me, I will have to ask around. Anyone know what’s going on there?
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Regarding this climate issue… there is a simple way to tackle… maybe it consumes time but it is wise to start a.s.a.p. I would suggest that each one of us start to plant at least a tree, by 2015, we can have a minimum of additional 50 million trees acting as CO2 sinker. Provided we don’t chop anymore trees. For those of you who stay in flats… How about playgrounds?
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This is off-topic but the relevant topic was mysteriously removed or was it a server crash ?
Evidence-based medicine dictates that any medical regiment is based on evidences.
According to a British Medical Journal Clinical Evidence review of 2,404 conventional treatments, only
15% were rated as beneficial,
22% as likely to be beneficial,
7% as trade off between benefits and harms,
5% as unlikely to be beneficial,
4% as likely to be ineffective or harmful
and
47% of unknown effectiveness.
http://www.clinicalevidence.com/ceweb/about/knowledge.jsp
When evidence of harm were presented lucrative medical practices would have specialists and medical doctors practising authority based medicine. When the harm of hormone replacement therapy was uncovered a malaysian gynocologist publicly proclaimed that the study do not apply to malaysian women and that the benefits outweighed the harm.
When I presented some damning evidences of modern medical practice I was warned of how my post was irresponsible and may convince others of avoiding life-saving medical treatment. Such fear mongering, was perhaps the reason Anil had removed his “public service” article.
Do we suppress negative evidence of efficacy and worst yet evidence of harm ? In any scientific research the only evidence that is of use that could further our understanding would be negative evidence. Positive evidences should always be taken with large doses of salt.
Does mammography help ? 2 large studies pointed to the contrary. Does chemotherapy work ? “Death by doctoring – the good, the bad and the ugly” by steven ransom is highly revealing.
http://loveforlife.com.au/content/08/01/23/death-doctoring-cancer-good-bad-and-ugly-steven-ransom
How can justice flow like a mighty river when we are afraid of telling the truth.
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Hi Mist,
The “public service announcement” post is still online, but newer posts could have pushed it away from the front page.
It is still here:
http://anilnetto.com/health-care/cat-scans-mammograms-be-aware-of-the-risks/
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Global warming is a myth. Go read up.
However,air pollution and denuding of forests is still criminal and detrimental to the environment and nature. If decisions doesn’t come top down, we, at the bottom, must make sure it goes up to those ignorant high-ups.
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Compromises between two political parties is already hard to be reached, what more between countries? Initiative should not be started by the government but human race itself. The smallest units has to initiate the to create the inertia for the larger mass to move… just like taichi’s “To break a thousand Kgs with a tael”… well, sounds funny but that’s the literal translation.
ps-Again, where is Gerakan K? Not interested in non-political but constructive topics?
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