Live Earth started in Jersey with Al Gore. I came in just before he started asking us to make seven pledges. Raise your hand, and say "I pledge...," he said. But what does making a pledge mean?
"To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;"
If Canadians have been unable to get the Canadian government to stay committed to the Kyoto Accord and have not risen up en masse to insist the borders to food imports from China are slammed shut, then how on earth is an individual pledge, even many working in concert, going to change our country from the relative ease of the Kyoto Accord to what Gore is demanding here? And how many years is that anyway? Rather vague. Is the next generation the one being born? Or the one that follows Gore's age group? Is the age of inheritance the traditional 25, 21, or puberty? This pledge sounds noble, but unless people become like French citizens around the globe and start forcing the government to change with daily marches, e-mail campaigns, and such like, this is not doable. I'm reminded again of what Michael Moore said -- governments nowhere do the right thing, only in fear of the people do they act for the good of all. Also, unless developed countries in significant numbers make changes, the developing countries will do nada. And unless developed countries boycott polluting countries such as China and share their technology at affordable (for the poorer countries) prices, the developing countries won't lift a finger. Why would they? More later.
"To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;"
If Canadians have been unable to get the Canadian government to stay committed to the Kyoto Accord and have not risen up en masse to insist the borders to food imports from China are slammed shut, then how on earth is an individual pledge, even many working in concert, going to change our country from the relative ease of the Kyoto Accord to what Gore is demanding here? And how many years is that anyway? Rather vague. Is the next generation the one being born? Or the one that follows Gore's age group? Is the age of inheritance the traditional 25, 21, or puberty? This pledge sounds noble, but unless people become like French citizens around the globe and start forcing the government to change with daily marches, e-mail campaigns, and such like, this is not doable. I'm reminded again of what Michael Moore said -- governments nowhere do the right thing, only in fear of the people do they act for the good of all. Also, unless developed countries in significant numbers make changes, the developing countries will do nada. And unless developed countries boycott polluting countries such as China and share their technology at affordable (for the poorer countries) prices, the developing countries won't lift a finger. Why would they? More later.
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