Dickinson to Durban » Climate Change, Environmental Politics » Who created the mess? Who’s going to clean it up?

Who created the mess? Who’s going to clean it up?

September 13th, 2011 | Add a Comment

Presently, it has been established by the scientific community that global warming is a global concern, of various degrees of concern to each one of the 7 billion and growing members of the world. This is where the problem of ascribing blame to those who “caused” climate change occurs. So who is responsible for climate change? And who must pay?

Bulkeley and Newell argue, almost point blank to their audience, that climate change is caused by the developed countries of the world, such as the United States. However, they also claim that there are many “countries whose emissions trajectories will soon match those of the United States, EU, and Japan.” These countries include China, Brazil, and India, countries whose rapid development, is unfortunately occurring in a time when carbon emissions tied to these developments are demonized. So, can the United States, for example, point fingers and say that this development is not to occur, when we were in their shoes about 50 years ago? Logically, we should not, for we really have no right.

Future emissions will no doubt come from these countries, exacerbating the climate change issue. For now, however, all we can ask is that the countries that have developed and are in an economically secure place as far as aiding these developing or underdeveloped countries, provide monetary aid in elevating our present global situation.

As can be clearly seen by the graph utilized in this short presentation by Arvind Subramanian, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, the PER CAPITA emissions of the US are those which need to be controlled in some way by an international body. http://www.globalwarmingcause.net/2010/08/26/whose-fault-is-climate-change-world-plays-blame-game/ However, pursuing other emissions targets of these less developed countries, contributes the “The Blame Game” that he believes is occurring in international organizations.

A solution to this hinted at by Bulkeley and Newell indicates that those “who get[s] to define issues of responsibility, equity, and justice is a function of who participates and who is represented (Bulkeley and Newell 52).” Therefore, perhaps real positive negotiations and policy action can occur if the countries that are both contributing the most to emissions (especially the most wasteful “per capita” emissions measurements that the US boost in recorded data) and those that will live with the consequences are given equal power in negotiations to push forward policy that will be an effective and equal compromise for all parties involved.

Indeed, this appears to be occurring somewhat in descriptions as to new organizational bodies which come up with creative ways to fairly deal with climate changes in a social-based or economic-based way. Examples of this include, the World Bank’s plans for dealing with carbon emission levels and limits to various countries–BioCarbon Fund or the Umbrella Carbon Facility. However, Bulkeley also points out that “As late as 2007, more than 50 percent of the World Bank’s $1.8 billion energy-sector portfolio did not include climate change considerations at all (Bulkeley 43).” So perhaps, while these sorts of bodies and projects to regulate who can emit what and how much are exciting and potentially promising, they are NOT the only solutions. So who is responsible?

WE ALL ARE RESPONSIBLE. Going back to “The Blame Game” argument, we must avoid pinpointing countries who’s emissions are increasing as they seek to reach the same developmental and economic levels we are presently at. More focus (not blame) needs to go towards countries that can mitigate climate changes cost-effectively, such as the developed countries that have reached this state of economic prosperity. More accountability for these countries personal levels of emissions needs to occur, while providing the backbone for other initiatives that developing or underdeveloped countries can take to reduce their increasing emissions. Everyone can play role in meeting the level of carbon we are trying to not surpass putting into our atmosphere; yet those roles are all different and varying levels of responsibility and response to address climate change need to take place without too much more finger-pointing.

CITED

Bulkeley, Harriet and Newell, Peter. Global Institutions: Governing Climate Change. London and New York: Routledge, 2010.

http://www.globalwarmingcause.net/2010/08/26/whose-fault-is-climate-change-world-plays-blame-game/