Many of us are not scientists. What, then, can we hope to know and understand about the science of climatology so we can judge for ourselves what is happening across the Earth? Why do some people consider the current climate talks critical to humanity’s longevity on earth, while others view it as a waste of time, a hoax, among other dismissals?

I think there are many reasons. If we simply start where we actually are, it is not difficult to see that humans are making a mess of the world - just look at the pollution we can and cannot see, the number of species that are making it into the extinct list, and the consumer and often wasteful way of life so many of us lead. Imagine the amount of stuff you go through in a day, and multiply that by six billion. Who is supposed to do what with all of that waste? It’s not possible to do what we are doing forever in a planet of limited resources and limited renewability.

But some people don’t see it. They don’t get it. To them, climate change is not happening, is a far way off, or is just a democratic prank.

Others see the problems, but their actions don’t reflect the intellectual understanding. We throw away when we should recycle, drive cars that are bigger than we need, and eat convenient foods that support an unsustainable way of living.

Some leaders get it too, but some lack the political will to make action happen. Shortsightedness makes it look like change for our own good will cause economic suffering. This is only as true as asking an overweight man to change the eating and lifestyle habits that are killing him. It may seem like suffering, but that’s only from a perspective that has lost its perspective. Normal is not normal anymore.

That’s why Bali is so important. It’s the first time that such talks are given real credibility by the world, and it’s the first time that so many developing countries and nations have stood up collectively to one of the nations that is blocking the world’s progress. This country should be leading, not blocking.  But Bali has made progress and the US has joined, though it has done so in a way that is embarrassing to freethinking people.

We can do only what we can do.

In the news lately: 

“But at least we all seem to be headed in the same direction, if not at the same speed. “This is not an issue between the developed world and the developing world,” said Rona Ambrose, India’s environment minister. “This is a global issue. The challenges are huge. The task is huge.”

- TIME Magazine’s article

“The conference nearly broke down, but the U.S. dropped its last-minute demands and signed the new pact after an outpouring of outrage and disappointment from other delegations. Nations now have two years to craft a legally binding treaty.”

- NPR’s piece

What was actually achieved at the talks?

- See the list of achievements, thanks to Reuters here.
Where can I find informative blogs and links about climate change? 

http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change