COP17, held in Durban, delivered less than is needed in terms of an international framework to keep global warming below 2C, the “threshold” beyond which its effects become unmanageable. The current global accord – the Kyoto protocol – expires next year, but only binds industrial countries (apart from the US, which refuses to ratify it).
Climate talks over the past few years have been racing the clock to get rapidly industrialising giants such as India, China and Brazil signed up to a binding agreement with the US and the rest of the world.
Yesterday it was agreed to start negotiations on a new accord that would force all 194 countries at COP17 to control greenhouse gases by 2020. But with no penalties for countries that pollute, critics say the deal does not go far enough.
The new video – Climate Change 2.0: Chomped if we want it! – designed especially for young people, outlines what they can do to help limit greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the dangerous levels of carbon already in the atmosphere.
The three-minute animation explains that by replacing a quarter of our intake of meat, eggs and dairy products with better alternatives we could almost fully meet UN targets for cutting harmful emissions and in the process save the world economy billions.
The film reflects works by the environmentalists Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang and based on the highly regarded Worldwatch Institute report Livestock and Climate Change. The report found that the livestock industry was responsible for more than half of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
While still a work in progress, the video is available to watch on the Chomping Climate Change website. You can also join the Facebook page or watch it on YouTube.