Copenhagen Follow-up

A month after the Copenhagen Climate Summit, the leading nations in greenhouse gas emissions have turned in their plans to decrease. At the Summit nations promised to give $30 billion to developing countries affected by climate change and to reduce temperature increases. Scientists and environmentalists have bereaved the lack of substance to the Summit as there was no legally binding agreement, but U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called it an "essential beginning." It is the first time the U.N. has written statements from multiple nations on their intentions of cutting emissions. China's promised to decrease the most, saying they would reduce "carbon intensity"by 40-45% by 2020. The U.S. promised the least decrease, saying they cut emissions by 17% by 2020. The next U.N. negotiations on global warming will be in December of this year in Cancun, Mexico.

By Abbey Smith