Earlier this week at the world climate talks in Copenhagen South Africa announced that the country plans to cut its carbon emissions by 34% by 2020. However, South Africa will need the support of “developed countries” to do so. This seems like a brilliant strategy. Most discussions about climate change for nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America center around the idea that the developing world has been able to develop its industrial economies, has done the lion’s share of polluting, and now wants to force “developing countries” (scare quotes intentional to indicate that these terms are not my favorite but they provide shorthand that just about everyone understands) to adhere to standards that those already ahead of the curve never had to meet. It’s a legitimate argument. But it is also one that does not get us anywhere.
South Africa’s approach is a good one: We want to do it. We recognize that we need to do it. But we cannot do it alone. Help us.
That South Africa stands as the most “developed” country in Sub-Saharan Africa and as a regional leader can only help matters. If South Africa can find a way to coerce the US and Europe to help support its goals to reduce emissions other countries will inevitably follow, not lease because their own economies are so closely tied to South Africa’s. South Africa’s announcement is good policy. It’s also a good strategy. And great politics. After all, the announcement led Greenpeace to call South Africa “one of the stars of the negotiations.”
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
