After the Copenhagen climate change conference.

As the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference drew closer, many throughout the world held high hopes for the conference. Unfortunately not much was achieved, there were too many leaders who were only thinking locally and not globally and the poorer nations wanted the more affluent nations to fund everything. Realistically the affluent nations must help the poorer ones but everyone must do there bit, there is something even the poorest can do to help the situation. I think they would have received more help if only they had put forth a plan of what they would do without help, then details of what more they could do with any help they received.

There are two sides to this debate, one that maintains we humans are contributing to the problem and can reduce our effects on global warming and the other says this is cyclical and has happened before. The earth has experienced very cold as well as very hot climatic changed over the millennia, this is no doubt true but never before has there been so many people on the earth and the effects of pollution so intense. This put simply must have an effect on the situation. There are very few places on earth where pure clean air can be breathed. All organisms that need oxygen to survive take in these pollutants and this has to affect them in one way or another and unless we can be convinced to the contrary this cannot be good.

I am one of those ordinary citizens of the world who believes that no matter who is right, reducing our affect on the very air we breathe can only be a good thing. If global warming continues to happen I am sure the reduced pollution can only help and may slow or decrease the effect. What harm can it do and we would be erring on the side of caution.

More conferences are planned for the future which is promising, at least the leaders are talking and seem to realise something has to be done. Only time will tell if they are successful. History alone will be the judge of what actions we do or do not take and I hope it will show that in the end we did the right thing.

Max B, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia