http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,2217749,00.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rudd talks climate change with Gore
"'G'day, Kevin?' that's what he started by saying," Rudd told reporters. I've taught Al how to say g'day. As you know, with some of our American friends, it's very hard to get it quite right."
The prime minister-elect continued: "We talked a lot about climate change and some of the important things which need to be done globally. We will resume that conversation
in Bali over a strong cup of tea - or something stronger."
Rudd has already confirmed that he will attend the meeting to discuss a successor treaty to Kyoto, which ends in 2012.
The youthful prime minister's desire to bring Australia back into the international fold on fighting climate change is in direct contrast with the outgoing leader, who allied himself to the US in refusing to ratify Kyoto.
During a recent tour in Australia to promote his Oscar-winning documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, Howard, who was until recently a climate change sceptic, declined to meet Gore - though the two spoke briefly on the phone. He told reporters: "I don't take policy advice from films."
Climate change and the impact on the environment caused by global warming was a significant feature of Australia's election campaign, with Howard deemed to be out of touch with people's concerns about the planet and the damage future generations will have to deal with if sensible solutions to pollution and wasting energy are not found.
Rudd has spoken to government advisors about "immediate" ratification of Kyoto, which would leave the US as the only industrialised country not to have signed the treaty. But Australia is unlikely to be able to complete the necessary formalities in time for Bali.
However, the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,, has said Rudd's participation in the summit will have huge significance because it will show that Australia now plans to participate fully in the worldwide fight against global warming.
end of excerpt.
=================================
Am I too hopeful about the Bali Conference? To dare hope that we will see not only real solutions coming to fruition on a global scale, but for once to see the poor of our world in countries not contributing as much to this crisis treated equitably for the damage rich countries like the U.S. have done to them? To think we will see a true internarional spirit of goodwill and a sincere desire to save this planet? That this will rise above the pettiness of political bias and personal greed to the level of moral consciousness we need to truly do right by our children? We have far to go, and as Al Gore has quoted through an African proverb, we must go quickly. I am then so much more hopeful knowing that he is keynoting there and that Australia is now going to be a part of this. And this time we must not disappoint hope. Our existence depends on it.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
