IF the deluge of information about climate change and the dire consequences awaiting not too far in the future were not enough to put fear in your belly, the data coming out of the ongoing conference in Copenhagen most certainly will. The purpose of the conference is to give the best ever information to politicians and to sign some sort of an agreement that would ensure world's unified response to fight global warming. Hopefully, the politicians will get serious fast about the debacle the entire world is facing. The Kyoto Protocol, the world's last agreement on confronting climate change, is set to expire in 2012 and progress on slowing global warming has been imperceptible. A 2007 report on climate change listed the likely effects of global warming as drier arid regions, flooding of coastal areas as global seas rise, more flooding as glaciers melt and then a drying up of future water supplies, and the extinction of up to 30 percent of all plant and animal species. New data shows that the polar ice caps are melting much faster than expected, presenting the possibility of quickly rising seas. None of this, of course, is good news, especially with a global financial crisis weighing down on the entire world. There have been hints from various world leaders that everything is going to be different in the future because of the current financial crisis, but no one has really had the courage to come out and say that everything must be different. Building hybrid cars and going “green” is important but the very lifestyle that most of the world leads must be reassessed and altered if we are to continue to call this planet home. We must begin to use less of everything, especially sources of energy. Oil, of course, has become the foundation of the Saudi economy but the vast financial resources generated by this natural resource must be reinvested into new energy sources such as solar and wind that cannot be depleted. The carbon capture technology that the Kingdom has already invested in is a huge step in the right direction. But we must also make recycling paper and metal as much a part of our daily activities as paying our bills. While big houses are still desirable, they should – if not scaled down – at least be built with energy-efficient features. Luxury will always be the goal of many. But it is time to redefine the boundaries of luxury that are acceptable to society and make sure that they are not exceeded. The days of personal laissez-faire must be considered numbered. No matter who is paying for the luxury, we are all going to pay for in the end. __
