Indigenous voices must be heard in Copenhagen

By Valerie Taliman (originally published Dec. 4)

On the eve of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, many Native peoples and governments remain unaware of what is at stake.

Our communities are disproportionately suffering the adverse effects of climate change, and Native voices must be heard in the global debate. Yet how many Indian nations are sending representatives, or participated in formulating the position and policies put forth by the United States?

It’s another classic case of powerful people in faraway places making decisions that will impact indigenous lands, lifeways and communities without adequate input or consent from Native peoples.

World leaders from 192 nations are meeting in Copenhagen to set parameters for a crucial new climate change agreement. The United States and China, the two biggest polluters on the planet, have set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and it is imperative that world leaders adopt serious measures to tackle global warming.

The current carbon reduction proposals being considered are below those recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. According to the IPCC, developed countries need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 – 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 – 95 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, in order to provide a “reasonable chance” of averting warming that will significantly risk severe and irreversible impacts on human and ecological systems.

Read entire article in Indian Country Today