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Opinion / Liu Shinan
Climate - a problem for all nations
By Liu Shinan (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-12 07:30
The No 1 glacier on Tianshan Mountain in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region is receding at an annual rate of eight meters, according to the
latest report from research authorities.
Such a speed of meltdown is appalling. But Tianshan glacier is not alone.
Elsewhere in the world, all glaciers, and the polar ice, are also melting
at an accelerating speed.
Global warming is sounding an acute alarm.
Various disastrous consequences will ensue as the earth's climate grows
warmer and warmer. Oceans will rise to submerge large expanses of land.
Floods and droughts will increase to cause more human and economic
losses. Agriculture will be impacted to aggravate hunger in Africa.
Diseases and viruses will become more capricious to control. More species
will become extinct. All these changes will find their final consequences
in the human race's economic, social, cultural and political lives,
resulting in a more turbulent world.
From the time of pre-industrialization till now, the global temperature
has risen about 0.75 C. The rate of rise in the past 50 years has been
twice as fast than in the past 100 years. The rise is obviously
accelerating, following an upturning rather than a linear curve.
The future of the earth is worrying to everybody. In the not too distant
future, the global climate and the consequent changes will become too
disagreeable for the human race to bear. And the changes will happen to
every nation, whether they are developed or developing ones.
The whole world should take joint actions to curb the worsening
situation, for no single nation can do it alone.
Different countries, however, see the problem from different
perspectives. Developed countries, having long accomplished the process
of industrializing their economies and rectifying environmental
pollution, tend to blame the current worsening climate on developing
countries, who are desperately tapping resources for fast economic
growth. The developing countries argue for their right to development.
Admittedly, developing countries should not follow the old path of
developed countries, namely developing the economy first and then
tackling pollution. But it is unrealistic, and unfair, to ask them to
slow down, or even stop their development to reduce CO2 emissions and
other forms of pollution.
Developing countries need to follow a new mode, namely growing the
economy with the least possible threat of pollution to the air, water and
land. This obviously calls for advanced technologies and more capital
investment. Developed nations can help in this regard. They have both the
ability and responsibility to do so.
It has to be pointed out that the global warming is largely the result of
developed countries' industrialization during the past two centuries.
They contributed 95 percent of the CO2 emissions during the 200 years
before 1950 and 77 percent from 1950 to 2000. They should undertake their
historical responsibility. What is more, their current per capita
emission levels are still higher than that of developing countries.
Cooperation between developed and developing countries is needed. The
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Declaration on Climate Change,
Energy Security and Clean Development issued on Sunday in Sydney set a
good example.
More important, however, is action. Global climate changes have left us
little time to dawdle. And to tackle climate change is no less important
an issue than the anti-terrorism campaign.
Email: liushinan@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 09/12/2007 page10)
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