Captain Planet

The streets up my end of town where I work are blocked off after 4pm. Why?

It's not a terrorist attack (surprise surprise).

No the (insert Sydney sporting team name) have not just won the premiership.

If you guessed it, there's a global conference just up the road. A very important one mind you.

For the first time, Asia Pacific countries are meeting to discuss a climate partnership. Its a historic meeting between US, Japan, China, South Korea, India and Australia and is seen as an alternative to the Kyoto Protocols. It's about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to discuss global warming, carbon trading and how to work together for a better climate.

You know what it really is? A smokescreen. A farce.

The Kyoto protocols was an agreement to reduce green house gases by 2012 agreed by most of the world's countries . The U.S and Australia have refused to sign it. India and China were considered developing countries at that time and didn't have to sign it. Australia has "ratified it" but never implemented it.

But the thing is, these countries are the biggest offenders - the U.S pumps out more greenhouse gases than anyone. Australia has the highest gas emission per capita (and I not talking about farting!). And you can bet China and India are up there too - I've seen the factories and the air in China/Hong Kong - its not very breathable.

These countries have to be seen to be doing something - so they're like "let's organise a conference about 'climate change' instead of ratifying the protocols".

You know what though? The climate is important to all of us. You look at the biggest events that occured last year - Tsunami through Asia Pacific, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Wilma, Earthquakes in Pakistan, random flash flooding. I mean look at our own backyard - on the 31st December it was 42 degrees, the second highest temperature we've ever had.

The weather has just been so random lately. And I reckon a lot of it has to do with climate change - global warming. The environment has never had to deal with so much greenhouse emissions, deforestation, and the presence of so many humans living on this earth.

But who is our environmental saviour? Captain Planet? No apparently:

"Canberra and Washington say industry will regulate itself without specific targets or taxes on the amount of carbon they pump into the atmosphere.
"I believe that the people who run the private sector, who run these companies, they do have children, they do have grandchildren, they do live and breathe in the world," U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said."

Self regulation is the answer folks. Yes these private sector participants will surely limit themselves. OF COURSE NOT! As if private companies have an incentive to do anything - money makes the world go round. I'm sure some companies like Visy Industries do their part for the environment, but for the most part - its business as usual.

Maybe you care about the environment, maybe you don't. But it's important to all of us - its the world in which we live in. If we treat it badly, surely it'll come back to bite us. If not know, future generations will feel the wrath of mother nature.

Bring back Captain Planet. There's my rant for today.