The PISA staff would like to wish our readers a very happy holiday season and a joyous New Year. For an update on recent PISA events and alumni, click “PISA Update” on the blue box to the right. Look for Copenhagen coverage from PISASpeak in the coming weeks.
– The PISA staff
As Copenhagen kicks off to muted expectations and a pervasive pessimism over its likelihood to achieve a binding treaty, the United States finds itself in a paradoxical situation. For over two decades successive U.S. presidents and policymakers have steadily expanded the concept and application of free trade with allies near and far. Free trade agreements in force or awaiting ratification cover much of the Western hemisphere and countries throughout the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Whether their rationale was American competitiveness or foreign development, these agreements now pose a significant obstacle to U.S. climate change efforts.
In the past two weeks the United States and China have released separate plans for reducing their carbon emissions. Despite the fanfare that greeted the announcements, serious doubts have already been voiced about the combined effort. Put simply, is it going to be enough? Already worrying signs abound that these plans are too little, too late.
The jarring disconnect between government action on climate change and grassroots support for meaningful action has spread rapidly from the United States to Asia. The past month has seen a wave of ministers and spokespeople hastening to emphasize that their country will not commit to any binding resolutions at Copenhagen. Most recently, the 19 leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation stated that Copenhagen was too soon to reach any agreement on emissions.
PISAspeak 
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