The Indonesian resort town of Bali will play host to 12 days conference addressing ways to remedy global climate change. More than 10,000 delegates from 190 countries representing diverge professions from ministers to Noble laureates to drought stricken farmers will converge to this idyllic Indonesian resort town. However, there is a flip side to this otherwise noble conference that could jeopardize the very aim of the warriors aiming to save the earth. According to Chris Goodall, author of the book ‘How to Live a Low-Carbon Life’ the emissions added by the huge number of people is going to be greater than a small African country.
Plane flights carrying the delegates, wastes and electricity used by air conditioners at the five-star hotels on the island will pump 47,000 tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants to the atmosphere according to an UN estimate. This is equivalent to what a western city of 1.5 million people would emit a day, according to Goodall. The real figure according to Goodall will be twice that, more likely 100,000 tons close to what the African country of Chad pumps to the atmosphere every year.
The organizers of the conference are quite aware of the problem. Indonesia is a country with the fastest rate of deforestation in the world. The country looses forests to the extent of loosing 300 football fields every hour. The Indonesian government has planted nearly 79 million trees across the archipelago over the last few weeks.
The government is offering 200 bright yellow mountain bikes to the participants so they could pedal around the conference site. The documents to be handed out will be made of recycled papers. Separate bins will dot the conference halls for separating plastics from papers – a rare site in a country where recycling is totally non-existent.
Yet pollutions from taxis and cars are hard to desist. Optimists however hope the conference would pave the way for a more pollutant free world.
Image: tour de Bali
Source: yahoo