January 15, 2010

No one likes being told they are laggards

Sir Joshua Chaffin reported on January 15 that Günther Oettinger, Germany’s nominee for the European Commission concluded from what happened in Copenhagen during the discussion on climate change that the European Union isn’t big enough for ‘world authority’. Nonsense, even a butterfly has influence if it knows how where and when to flap its wings.

In order for Europe to gain more influence in environmental matters it needs to get rid of that we are greener than thou and besserwisser attitude because the rest of the world, when trying to open up a space for the environment in the midst of so many other urgent main-street problems, surely must find it quite fastidious always being told by the Europeans that they are irresponsible laggards in being green.

When Oettinger is then quoted saying “We need a paradigm shift and to explore solar, wind, ‘smart grids’ and other alternative sources of energy” in my mind he is just proving my point. Climate change needs to be fought with more sturdy global tools and not only with European toys.