Receding shoreline evident from remains of trees killed by encroaching bay, east of Panama City, FL.

Against all predictions, the world’s nations met in conference on the climate and accepted the reality that a desperate situation demands rational action. It’s absolutely riveting that an agreement has been hammered out in recognition of our world’s deteriorating situation, despite all the past disagreements among nations.

Previous negotiations collapsed in Copenhagen when developing nations refused to commit to a plan that did not support their concessions by developed nations. Their needs were put before planetary concerns, as developed nations put their economic needs before those of the planet as well. Edging through that morass, all the nations except Bolivia accepted an accord that will take steps toward environmentally sound development patterns.

UN talks in Cancun have reached a deal to curb climate change, including a fund to help developing countries…Delegates cheered speeches from governments that had caused the most friction during negotiations – Japan, China, even the US – as one by one they endorsed the draft.

The Green Climate Fund is intended to raise and disburse $100bn (£64bn) a year by 2020 to protect poor nations against climate impacts and assist them with low-carbon development.

A new Adaptation Committee will support countries as they establish climate protection plans.

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And parameters for funding developing countries to reduce deforestation are outlined…Developing countries will have their emission-curbing measures subjected to international verification only when they are funded by Western money – a formulation that seemed to satisfy both China, which had concerns on such verification procedures, and the US, which had demanded them.
Most admirably, this new level of insistence by powerful countries that something actually be accomplished managed to overcome the myriad quibbles that destroyed efforts to move into modern day realities of environmental action in Copenhagen.

Emergency level pollution of the world has demanded that nations overcome their needs to project image rather than deal with problems we all face. It’s a bit overwhelming that losing ice floes, glaciers, and lowlying land masses was necessary to impel national interests be submerged under dire threat to the world as a whole. It has, however, moved nations to act as adult entities.

The promise for the future is solid, neither joyous nor cataclysmic. That in the face of obvious catastrophe all nations did get over their pique commands respect – and creates a basis for realistic negotiation going forward.

Individuals acting individually in small ways is no longer the best hope we have for our planet.