Protesters in Newcastle,Australia, December 20, 2009. Photo by Rising Tide.
By Simon Butler
November 22, 2010 -- Green Left Weekly -- If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success. This phrase has
become the unofficial motto of this year’s United Nations climate
conference in Cancun, Mexico. Just out from Cancun, which runs over November 29 to December 10,
there is little hope of meaningful progress. Yet key players have sought
to throw a shroud of official optimism over the looming failure.
Few Western politicians want a repeat of last year’s Copenhagen
climate conference. They consider it a public relations disaster.
In the lead-up to Copenhagen, public expectations were high. There
was a widespread feeling that politicians could no longer ignore the
warnings from climate scientists. Many politicians said they agreed
strong, decisive action to curb emissions was needed.
But when the big polluting countries blocked a new legally binding treaty at Copenhagen, they were badly exposed.