U.S. Climate Change Bill passed

The climate change bill requires industry to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and six other greenhouse gases by ca. 80 % by 2050. Even though weakend in implementation by the Republicans it certainly can be seen as a great first step finally imposing legal limits on US greenhouse gas emissions. On the one hand it seems incredible that we are only there yet, on the other hand having a closer look at the spent on lobbying on climate change it is a great achievement of common sense over profit. in January, the oil, gas and coal industry has increased its lobbying budget by 50%, spending $44.5m (£30m) in the first three months of this year to try to influence legislation, according to the Centre for Responsive Politics, which monitors the influence of money on Washington politics. According to the Centre for Public Integrity there are now about four climate change lobbyists for every member of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Exxon Mobil, for example, increased its spending on lobbyists in the first three months of this year to $9.2m, from $6.6m for the same period in 2008.

Having the US initiating processes like this and considering the ongoing negotiations with China (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/18/secret-us-china-emissions-talks) one may even allow themselves to feel positive about Copenhagen and call the Kyoto disaster history.

G 20 summit

Clearly, the death of Ian Tomlinson is more than tragic. Nevertheless, it seems to me the real tragedy emerging from the events throughout G20 is that we all seem to be captured by the attraction of side-effects of the actual event. Is that it? Representatives of the world’s leading economies are meeting up to decide about global politics and economics and we are staring at what the police and some protesters in the street do? Why is that worth more controversy and press coverage then the actual outcome of the summit? Why was I feeling deeply ashamed standing outside the ExCell centre last week when there was the chance to look into the faces of the world’s leading politicians, when they where driving by only a few metres from us, looking back into our faces?

Because we were only a couple of hundred people standing there, it was ridiculous. Even worse, more than half of the people counted for journalists and police men. Where was everyone?? I felt deeply embarrassed and sad. There we have the opportunity – if not the duty – to show up representing the people of the world and say: we are here! You are deciding about us! We are the real people!

To me, the very issue lies in our phlegmatic but at the same time sensation-seeking fashion to absorb information and thereby miss out on what in fact is going on.