Understanding Copenhagen - Sort Of

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark is a vitally important event that has the potential to affect all of us and those of us to come. Geopolitical, scientific and corporate issues are on the agenda. The media is reporting – there is certainly no lack of news – and yet, these are difficult topics to sort through. As my own little public service to you, here are some readings you may find helpful.

Let’s start at the top with an essay from Kofi Annan from the Huffington Post – Saving Ourselves From…Ourselves focusing on political courage and leadership from one who has plenty of both.

Tom Friedman’s Going Cheney on Climate with the provocative tag line, “If we prepare for climate change by building a clean-power economy, but climate change turns out to be a hoax, what would be the result? We would be stronger, more innovative and more energy independent.”

Tom Lovejoy’s column in the NYT – The Earth Is Crying Out For Help – makes the scientific case from an actual scientist.

Also from Huffington, A Tree Grows in Copenhagen from one who is actually there and tries to give us a view from the trenches. Welcome to his world.

In It’s natural to behave irrationally, the Washington Post explores why we don’t seem to care about climate change.

For big-picture perspective, on BBC’s website An animated journey through the Earth’s climate history

Because I know some readers take a different view on all this, here is an alternative opinion on Copenhagen’s political science. Notice the absence of snarky commentary from moi.