The FIFA World Cup and COP 15 negotiations had something in common – drama. Both finished regular time in a draw or stalemate. With FIFA there was a winner and loser. The winner at COP 15 was the mere fact that participating nations could actually agree on some kind of action to protect and help the recovery of biodiversity.
The process for achieving that outcome will vary between countries and to what level their ecosystems have been degraded. Part of that process involves money, some going in and some coming out. $200 billion annually in to biodiversity funding and $500 billion annually to phase out those activities that harm biodiversity. This compliments the goals of StopEcocide but also explains the presence of so many fossil fuel lobbyists.
Thinking back to Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth one might ask why saving that spaceship continues to be a complicated issue. The good news is that the details of the agreement are now public. Citizens can put pressure on their elected representatives to deliver the goods. Time will tell.
Ron Robinson
Nelson