The U.S. is not leading the world into a grand new millennium. If we took our role as international peacemaker and bastion of free and brave democracy seriously, we would be so far at the forefront of creating climate change legislation that it wouldn’t even be funny. People would be trying to keep up with US, imagine it!

I’m not saying we should be out there claiming that we can cut emissions by 50% by 2011 or anything, but it’s not rocket science to figure out a timetable for preparing to be a leader at an international conference. In 2007 we knew that there would be this big climate change conference in Copenhagen in late 2009- that’s a long time to prepare. Yes, Bush was president at the beginning and he was more into avoiding it than doing something about it, but Congress could have taken the lead- where was Nancy Peolosi? Where was Obama during his campaign?

If we had taken the financial crisis as a catalyst for major change we could have made revolutionary progress:

1.    Tell all of the failing Wall Street investment banks that half of the money they get as a bailout needs to be invested in green companies and projects. Watch that industry explode with entrepreneurs who talk about scaling in their sleep.

2.    Get Hillary Clinton to fly around the world and talk to everyone about climate change. Organize monthly meetings in the U.S. starting in January when Obama took office to augment the UN conferences- you can have two Nobel Peace Prizes for that.

3.    You want green jobs? Put solar panels on the top of every government building in the country. Put solar panels on every single public school in the country.

4.    Obama, tell Congress that you won’t approve anything about anything until they pass a climate change plan. Even if it’s a 10% cut by 2020 or something weak like that- at least you wouldn’t have to walk into Copenhagen like a lame duck with your tail between your legs.

Michael Zammit Cutajar of Malta recently said that "The issue is 'can we agree on the core questions? I think we can.” Cutajar is chairing a group of nations attempting to negotiate an agreement between all nations, according to Reuters. (As a side note, isn’t that what all of the summits are doing? I mean, of course there need to be committees within committees that make up a gigantic conference, right?

That’s how negotiations work, but it strikes me as telling that there are subcommittees of nations trying to create agreements between the rest of the nations, even as larger-scale negotiations break down.)

The numbers: Both sides are talking about cuts based on 1990 levels by 2020.

Rich nations say they’ll cut by around 15%. Developing countries want 40% cuts.

Rich nations want commitments of cuts from developing countries.

Developing countries want money. The EU just said that should be around $180 billion a year.

Okay- I’m not international diplomat, but with about:

Rich countries cut by 25%, pledge $100 billion a year, and developing countries agree to 10% cuts or something.

Is it really that hard?

Photo Credit under CCL: Tambako the Jaguar

Research and numbers from Reuters.