Global warming is an issue that just won’t go away

A few years ago, Al Gore brought out the famous documentary film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ and educated a generation. Other activists, scientists and educators sought to do the same. Politicians seem to still be slow to action and yet the issue is one of the most pressing and complex facing the global agenda today.

Warnings from the scientific community are growing. The world’s temperature is said to have increased by a degree in the past century. That may not sound much, but the ramifications are huge.

Greenhouse gases are continuing to grow, from humankind’s need to burn fossil fuels. In the wake of a global economic downturn, the concerted effort needed to replace damaging old technologies with fresh emerging new ones just isn’t happening on a grand enough scale – or quickly enough.

The global warming talks in Mexico in 2010 ended without resolution of the most difficult and pressing issues. Only modest issues were agreed upon. Ultimately, the agreement was short of the changes needed to prevent dangerous and further climate changes.

The tussle between poor and rich nations is a key factor – poorer and developing nations simply don’t have the financial ability to invest in clean technologies and the rich nations aren’t helping them to do so. The argument focuses on money.

President Obama promised that he’d address climate change in the US when he came into power and the UK’s own ruling parties have campaigned on a similarly green premise. The proof of the pudding, however, will be in the eating.

The onus lies on the voting population to continue to raise awareness and make themselves heard. Write to your MP. Join a campaigning organisation. Refuse to let matters slide and hold your government to account. Together we can continue to hold our ruling parties to account and see that they fulfil their promises on climate change.