I honestly had no clue. Except that a few weeks ago Climate Change stared me in the face: 700 dead and Metro Manila turning into Waterworld. A month’s worth of rain in a day escorted by a storm that would not leave. As if Nature is forewarning us: “You’re in deep water.” Climate Change and its surge, largely depends on what the big economies do about greenhouse emissions, trees and waste. The more the big people burn, the more the small people (that means us) get scorched. Still, economies aside, we all share the same planet and should all bear responsibility.
So again, what is COP 15, and why should we care? On December 7-18, the world’s biggest and smallest (192 countries), the guzzlers and those running out of steam, are going to meet and execute an agreement. This agreement on Global Climate Change will substitute the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2012. Scientists hope that the guzzlers would agree to reduce emissions in the range of 25-40% by 2020. Thus, humanity will attempt to halt Climate Change while it still can. It’s called COP because it stands for Conference of the Parties (the highest body of the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change.) It is 15 as it is the 15th Conference of the Parties. Without sounding like Armageddon, the fate of the entire planet may hinge on COP 15. And that’s why I’m not COPping out on this one.
More on COP 15: What’s at Stake in Five Minutes, Countdown to Copenhagen, UN Climate Change Conference
The Girl and the Grail 