11 of July 2005
G8 Summit Fails ... Big Surprise
Once again the G8 summit has failed to do anything much. They've doubled their aid to Africa after the "pressure" placed on them by the Make Poverty History campaign and the Live8 concert, but that's an empty gesture really. The money will go straight back into their accounts because they are throwing money at the problem rather than tackling the underlying issues.
But then I'm not surprised. I think that anyone who truly, honestly thought that Tony Blair and his cronies would crumble under the pressure of a concert is very naive. Besides which half of the problem is the fact that the African leaders do not direct the money to where it's needed. The pockets of rich African politicians doesn't strike me as a just cause for aid money.
What really winds me up about the whole thing is America's continued ignorance and selfishness regarding global warming. The entire world is at stake, and so the entire world should be putting as much pressure on the USA as possible to get them to start tackling their emissions problem. They're one of the biggest pollutors in the world and they act as if it's their right to do so. If it only affects the US and then yes, it's their right to do so. But when it affects the entire world it's not, and the rest of the world needs to make them aware of this.
Mr Bush gave little ground on global warming. He acknowledged humans contributed to the problem, but he continued to insist the science of climate change was inconclusive. The close of summit declaration set no emissions targets and made only a passing reference to the Kyoto protocol, which Mr Bush refused to sign.
His ignorance astounds me. Science is inconclusive by definition: Theories that are considered sound and valid today may be completely disproved in 50 years time as new theories and discoveries are made. Everything indicates, right now, that by exercising a little control we can vastly reduce emissions and control the damage we are clearly causing the planet. Climate change is inevitable but not at the rate at which it is currently taking place. By continuing to refuse to sign the Kyoto agreement, Bush is continuing to show America's stupidity and ignorance.