I studied Ecology at Durham University a long time ago but I have never stopped educating myself about environmental issues.
My humble conclusion regarding climate change is that without energy storage capabilities, wind and solar power (potentially the answer to global warming) are not much use on a grand scale. The best way to store variable and intermittent energy is to use electrolysers which can then create the cleanest and most durable form of power; Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Technology should therefore head the list in Copenhagen. To top it all Hydrogen is compatible with today's engine technology and infrastructure. Massive R&D may be required but will surely pay off in the end.
Some argue that nuclear too is clean, sustainable and carbon-neutral. They forget that enormous quantities of water are needed to cool the nuclear reactors (creating heat) and that the half-life of Plutonium-239, a particularly lethal component of nuclear waste, is 24,000 years. This does not mean that Plutonium-239 is harmless after 24000 years however. The length of time that must elapse before the material is considered truly “safe” is at least 10 half-lives, thus 240,000 years give or take a few millenniums.
In the interim “Green” buildings with high-tech insulation and oversized triple-glazed windows have already proven to be extremely energy efficient. Green designs additionally save on water and indoor air quality and so they are an all-round winner.
We can also go back to our old beliefs. As a student I had posters up in my tiny, unheated room that screamed “Save the rainforest” and “Plant a tree”. These protests are even more relevant today than they were 20 years ago; Almost 30 % of the Amazon has disappeared since I graduated (WWF) and now experts are saying that up to 85 % of the rainforest could disappear by 2150 (WWF + UK Meteorological Centre).
I also used to put on an extra cardigan so that I could put off inserting another pound into my coin-operated gas meter. In fact, until we all have Hydrogen Fuel Cells providing us with clean and conscious-free energy, coin (or bank-card) operated gas/electricity meters could be an provisional answer for reducing energy waste.
As a result of being currently unemployed (and therefore restless) I spent the entire morning studying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s website. I found this statement: “The good news is that technology already exists that could stabilize and even reduce greenhouse gas levels within a few decades. The problem is that getting such technology in place -- installing and paying for more efficient procedures for burning fossil fuels and for using renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind power -- is politically and economically difficult.”
I wish they could elaborate on this. Maybe they will in December.