CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT OPENS IN DENMARK

BEGINS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE - COP15
WORLD NEGOTIATION MARATHON IN COPENHAGEN

COPENHAGEN (Reuters, AP) - The COP15 climate summit kicked off in Denmark, bringing business leaders and climate negotiators around the world together to discuss climate change and forge an action plan for the future. This international climate summit will bring together the world’s politicians and scientists as they work toward an agreement to battle manmade climate change. With the United States, India and China all announcing their goals, hopes are high that while a biding treaty cannot be struck, a solid political agreement may be able to be reached. The impact on humanity of man-made drought, flood, storms and rising seas were spelt out at the start of the 12-day meeting, which will climax with more than 110 heads of state or government in attendance. Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen warned that the world was looking to Copenhagen to safeguard the generations of tomorrow. "For the next two weeks, Copenhagen will be Hopenhagen. By the end, we must be able to deliver back to the world what was granted us here today: hope for a better future," he said.

The international summit opens with grim warnings of the apocalyptic dangers for mankind if world leaders fail to agree a way to stave off global warming. Opening ceremonies began with a short sci-fi film featuring children of the future facing an apocalypse of tempests and desert landscapes if world leaders failed to act today. "Please help save the world," said a terrified little girl at the end of the film. Delegates must craft a blueprint for tackling manmade "greenhouse" gases blamed for trapping solar heat and disrupting Earth's fragile climate system. They must also put together a funding mechanism able to channel hundreds of billions of dollars to poor nations most exposed to the effects of climate change. If all goes well, world leaders on December 18 will agree a political deal that sets down the course of action, including a roster of national pledges. Further negotiations are expected to take place in 2010 to fill in the details. A legally-binding treaty would take effect from the end of 2012.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

What is vaisnavism? Vaisnava means “who can feel the difficulty of others”. If I have no feeling to feel other’s difficulty – I am not a vaisnava. Vaisnava means – automatically you can feel the difficulties of others. He changes the heart, he make from stone to soft. And when you are soft, you can feel others, you can see others – what I can help? And when you are not vaisnava you want to use others. This is the difference. If I am not vaisnava I have false ego. If I have false ego I don’t understand about the soul and there will be no humbleness. And if you see a vaisnava, he is very humble, because he knows that he is soul. And he is feeling at every place existence of Krishna. So how you will become in false ego when you see Krishna every place? You will become humble automatically. This is vaisnava.

Śrīpad Bhaktivedanta Sadhu Maharaja :
“The Path and the Goal”, talk in Sofia, July 2003
www.sadhumaharaja.org - April 2007.