Concerns @ Copenhagen climate conference

Elizabeth Bast, international program director for Friends of the Earth, warns that something is rotten in Denmark. Her letter of alarm follows:

I'm writing to you from inside the critical Copenhagen climate conference. It's only the second day and already the U.S. negotiating team is letting us -- and the world -- down.

Today, news leaked [1]that the U.S., Denmark, and a cabal of other wealthy nations that are among the world's biggest polluters have, in secret back-room dealings, produced an alternative draft text to the one that's officially under negotiation.

 This secret alternative -- known as the "Danish text" -- would let rich countries shirk their responsibilities to lead the way in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and force poor countries to bear an unfair burden of the costs of keeping the climate stable.

Let lead U.S. climate negotiator Jonathan Pershing know that this is unacceptable. Sign our petition now -- and our team here in Copenhagen will personally deliver your signatures to him.

The United States must reject this secret text and renounce the type of underhand wheelings and dealings that have produced it. We've already filled the atmosphere with far more than our fair share of greenhouse gas pollution. The climate negotiations should not be about helping the U.S. save face, they should be about spurring effective global cooperative to solve global warming.

Tell Jonathan Pershing that secrecy and greed are not the sort of values you expect your U.S. climate negotiator to represent.

Stay tuned to www.foe.org/copenhagen for updates on this petition and all of our efforts to hold President Obama's negotiating team accountable.

In Solidarity,
 

[1] The Guardian. "Copenhagen climate summit in disarray after 'Danish text' leak," December 8, 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/08/copenhagen-climate-summit-disarray-danish-text