CLIMATE CHANGE: BOTH LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL

Today's K-W Record carries their Editorial "Hopeful progress out of Cancun". In my mind this is a classic example of the glass half full versus the glass half empty. The Record can not be faulted for saying "...the continued commitment of so many countries with so many competing interests to keep on fighting climate change gives us all reason for hope." Furthermore "Nations at odds with other nations did not walk away. They kept talking." My perspective is as follows. I've spent the last twenty years of my life "talking" about the issues here in Elmira. At best we've accomplished 2-5 years worth of improvement while talking for twenty years. Recalcitrant parties routinely specialize in "talking". They are willing to sit down and talk until the cows come home. Here in the microcosm of Elmira I believe we've reached the point where the time for talking is done. We know what needs to be done and have known for twenty years. Both on the local stage and the world stage it is past due for concrete action. Again quoting the Record "It is sobering to hear that world leaders now admit they will not keep an agreed- upon goal of keeping the rise in global tempuratures from exceeding 2 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels."