Bolivia’s president Morales, during the World People’s Conference on climate change, said that developing nations must not be shut out of international negotiations for combating the greatest environmental issue of our time…
President Obama says the industrialized nations will not forsake the developing world and the least developed countries [essentially the same thing] on the White House Earth Day celebration and he Thanked us all for our activist work, our grumblings and our dedication.
He is grateful for the good fight that so many of us have fought… for so long.
Seems to me that these two diametrically opposites within the same American continent are in total agreement in combating climate change: Both Presidents Obama and Morales agree on the facts and the actions necessary to counter the CO2 pollution in our atmosphere.
When I flew in the Bolivian helicopter to see the diminishing glacier with President Evo Morales, I was stunned to find not a trace of the glacier that IPCC had forecast to last till 2100…
Evo told me that it was the ancient wisdom of mother Earth that guided his actions and that the peoples of the Andes believe in the concept of “living well” instead of wanting to “live better” by consuming more regardless of the cost to our neighbors and our environment. He was especially grateful for the more than thirty thousand activists and government representatives from 140 countries, who came to Bolivia to negotiate the future of the Climate decisions from all over the earth…
And he is thankful for all of us who fight the carbon pollution, which is the single greatest environmental problem of our time.
And as Cochabamba is starved of water and the warming planet melts the remaining Andean glaciers, withing five to six years; the acute water shortages will intensify the migration patters of the indigenous peoples to the cities and towns already thirsty as Cochabamba and others demonstrated in the water wars.
Access to Fresh water is a human right and we should work hard at preserving it…
Less than twenty four hours later, was in the White House listening to President Obama speaking on the same issue and offering a very similar scenario for the future.
Speaking during the rose garden reception on (mother) Earth day celebration he called for action on a climate bill for the US this year.
Obama went on to say that: “It’s come a time to represent the simple truth that with each challenge comes the opportunity to make the world a better place.”
He expects Senate legislation next week that will safeguard our planet against the carbon pollution that is warming our planet and threatening us all…
The White house reception on the Earth Day celebration afternoon was a fine affair with substance and style… and with many people from the Environmental movement and the Clean Energy advocates who strive for a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill through the Congress and Senate, mixing it up with the politicos and the white house green staff…
Couldn’t find a finer crowd anywhere else – except maybe in Bolivia’s highlands – all of them fighting for change in our inadequate response to the climate challenges up ahead.
How things change in a year’s time.
Now the Earth and it’s climate takes centre stage and President Obama really cares for humanity’s burden.
He cares for the Climate and the atmosphere.
He cares for the earth and it’s salt – those wonderful ”lesser” people – for whom he is willing to fight to deliver us a climate bill this year.
And of course he got to the essence of things quickly; when he said that he is grateful for all that we do, because he cares for the future of his children.
And perhaps grandchildren someday…
Yours,
Pano
PS:
We wish both of them,
Godspeed
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