It is past ten o’clock in the morning, which means that Paris climate talks have finally started. Many political figures are at the opening. There is much hoopla. And one cannot but wish the leaders of nearly two-hundred countries to reach an agreement on what to do beyond 2020, when the Kyoto deal about climate change will come to its end. The current goal is to keep the global temperature from rising above two degrees from the pre-industrial time. It is hoped that this would prevent climate change from reaching disastrous proportions. Fingers crossed. Would that the climate were the only environmental challenge facing the human species, the population of which is still growing in many parts of the world, and especially the poorest countries. Anyway, the Paris climate deal is supposed to be signed by all the participants by December 11. Chances are that the talks will take one or two days more, for the deal will depend on the provisions for the poorest countries that have been experiencing the worst of climate change to date. So, December 13, Santa Lucia’s day, is the most likely day the talks will come to a close. In many parts of the world, it is believed that this day marks the Winter Solstice. Wrong as this is, and by nine full days this year, it is a good omen still. Fingers crossed, again.

Addendum (December 12, 2015)

Well, the negotiations went a bit better than I expected. The Paris climate deal was signed in the evening of Saturday, December 12. As I write, there is much celebration across the globe. So far, the only thing that irks me about the aftermath of the talks is Barack Obama’s pompous message. “Almost every country in the world just signed on to the Paris agreement on climate change,” he tweeted, “thanks to American leadership.” American leadership? Are you kidding? Anyhow, it is amazing that nearly two-hundred countries agreed on anything at all after twenty years of negotiations. Congratulations all around, including America! As for climate change and environmental degradation, the deal will hopefully have some effect. Chances are that this effect will be rather small, though. That is, far from sufficient to make much of a difference in years to come.