Laura Paskus wrote the below piece for a national syndication service.
She said in an email, "Unfortunately between my deadline and press time, NM's new governor nominated a climate change skeptic to the head of the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. She has also terminated all but one member of the state's Environmental Improvement Board--which passed the greenhouse gas emissions reductions rule mentioned in the commentary."
"In December, the nations of the world agreed once again to do nothing about climate change.
And just as the science of climate change is more clear than ever, so too, are the politics: Whether led by President George W. Bush or Barack Obama, the United States is thwarting meaningful action on climate change. As people around the world lose faith in the U.S. government, it’s long past time for individual Americans to think rationally—about both science and economics. It’s time to act with compassion toward those whose lives are already being affected by climate change."...
..."Most of the people I met in Cancún [during the United Nations climate talks in Cancún, Mexico] have already accepted that the U.S. government will never lead on climate change. But they still wonder why the American people fall for the histrionics of industry-funded climate change deniers when the science of climate change is clear. They are waiting for Americans to pay attention to the rising seas, the Amazon’s burning forests and the glaciers melting from mountains across the globe. They are waiting for citizens to demand that the United States become a responsible member of the international community.
But they’re not going to wait for long. That became painfully clear to me as I headed toward the airport with my fellow South African passenger.
“Everyone used to want to be like America,” she said. “I think that is not the case anymore.”' More>>>>
"Laura Paskus reported from COP 16 in Cancún as an Earth Journalism Network 2010 Climate Media Fellow. EJN is a project of Internews, an international media development organization. This is the project’s first year bringing U.S. journalists to the UN climate talks.Comment on this column at www.blueridgepress.com."
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