Climate Talks Move Toward Action

The U.S. blinked. Backed into a corner because of her hardline stance, Senior US negotiator Paula Dobriansky was loudly booed by other delegations. After repeated verbal lashings, Dobriansky again took the microphone and said that Washington would “go forward and join consensus,” to the cheers of the conference.

There were other historic moments at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali. A handsome young US environmental activist representing Papua New Guinea served as their chief negotiator. In joining the push to gain U.S. consensus, he said on the floor to rousing cheers: “If you’re not willing to lead, please get out of the way.”

Elsewhere, a governor from an island state in Indonesia took a stand for tropical forests. He declared: “Not one log will leave this island!”

The urgency of problem of climate change for developing countries is creating local heros. It also highlights the dragons they must slay.

This past week, Forbes Magazine reported that 40 wealthy Indonesians added $18 billion to their combined wealth this year, bringing it up to $40 billion. The chief welfare minister, Aburizal Bakrie and his family, under fire for their company’s role in an oozing mud volcano that has displaced thousands, has topped the Forbes Asia’s 2007 billionaire’s list. Bakries largest holding is coal producer Bumi Resources.

Palm Oil Plantation tycoon Sukanto Tanoto, who owns the April and Asian Agri plantations - saw his wealth rise $2.8 billion this year.

As the world slowly turns toward zero emissions, it seems that those most affected, those living in areas now being plundered for their resources, will find themselves on the frontlines of a global grab for resources.

In Malaysia, five ethnic Indians representing the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), and including lawyer P. Uthayakumar, were sent to jail for a possible two years because they organized a demonstration of 10,000 ethnic Indians in Malaysia’s capital city. The deputy internal minister said that the demonstration threatened national security. 

In a changing world that moves from talk to action, it will be the indigenous people who live in and around the tropical forests of the world, who will be asked to protect the forests.

But will their own nations – whose leadership may profit from extraction industries – be willing to protect these most vulnerable people?