Policy Research Media Morhamburn

When snow is piling up against the window, and your feet are cold even in the office, climate change is a difficult concept to get your head around; and therein lies the problem.

As sundry leaders and dignitaries converge on Copenhagen (would be interesting to know the carbon footprint and collective consumption of that gathering wouldn’t it?), the hopes of a meaningful agreement appear to be slipping away, while the USA, China and the EU all fight to protect their economic and industrial power. And their leaders of course, fight to stay in office.

Admittedly the latter is not such a concern for the Chinese Premier, but Obama would be as well moving out of the White House now if he signed any deal that altered the prosperity and lifestyle of US voters. UK PMs are probably slightly less constrained, as we ‘liberal’ Brits look across the pond and shake our heads in disgust at the intransigence of the super-power as we throw the odd tin into the recycling box, but ultimately we would not accept anything that fundamentally changed our lifestyle either.

It seems that self-interest is winning the day. It is the same as the much vaunted G8 summit that was going to ‘end third world debt’. It eased our collective conscience for a while, we saw lots of figures with lots of zeros and felt really good about ourselves. But if we wanted to end children dying in Africa, I mean really wanted to, we could – if we were prepared to give up some of our creature comforts; but of course we don’t, because we’re not.

Ultimately we are selfish people – and I don’t just mean here in the West – all people are. Make no mistake, if the Pacific Island nations were going to be the biggest beneficiaries of global warming, they would be the ones blocking the deal (if they had the means). As it is, they complain that the West blocks deals, and they are right, we do.

Until it becomes apparent to the majority of people that climate change will fundamentally affect their way of life, little substantial change will happen. Not until the Thames Barrier is breached, or when Leith Docks exists only as a tourist attraction for scuba divers, will people be prepared to make drastic alterations.

Because as sad it may be, and however much we won’t want to admit it, it seems that the loss of a few Pacific atolls, the encroachment of the Sahara further into agricultural lands, or the disappearance of the Polar Bear is a price we are prepared to pay, to keep us in the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed.

[The views expressed by Morhamburn people in their blogs are theirs and theirs alone. they do not represent the thoughts of the company as a whole or our clients. If you have a comment to make on any blog, please email info@morhamburn.com and we’ll put the printable ones up on the website]