Promises on climate change a load of hot air

YET again we have seen a high-profile international conference on climate change conclude without any resolution.

The only outcome was to remind us yet again how self-interest and parochialism limits the ability to get cohesive solutions to global problems. It also highlighted the continuing malign influence of corporate interests in issues that impact mainly on poor people in developing nations. These corporations, whose only legal obligation is to make profits, ensure that their short-term interests are not impacted. Barack Obama is looking over his shoulder at next year’s elections and currently courting corporate interests. This ensured that all his rhetoric early in his tenure on battling climate change was just hot air and his input to this conference was minimal. If the leader of the free world has his hands tied, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Barry Walsh