Posted by & filed under COP 17.

The Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde personality that so many states exhibited at the negotiations, once again points out the harsh reality that world leaders are busy playing a chess game where rules are re-written in favour of the rich and powerful at the expense of the 99% while the board is wiped clean of any trace of the elements that can ensure that not only will the delicate ecological balance be sustained but also that a more just and egalitarian society be created.

Fundamentally, we have to consider what it is that we want to be known for as nations, as societies and ultimately as individuals. Climate change issues by their very nature require us to rethink out current economic model, our political alliances and how we consume our dwindling natural resources. This past year has shown us carrying on in the same way we always have is simply no longer an option. From the severe ecological crisis that has ravaged the Horn of Africa and East Asia, to the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement , we are living in a time of fast spinning change whose roots have all this in common: despotic, corrupt rule coupled with unbound greed produce a deadly cacophony of instability and deprivation.

Should we wait any longer, we will miss the opportunity to avert a pending catastrophe. Bob Dylan once said that the answer is blowing in the wind, well in Durban whether the wind blows in our favor will depend on our ability to see that the waters around us have grown and quickly pull out a life boat.

-Anna

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