Conference Delegates

Delegates from around the world have met to discuss plans for strict carbon dioxide emissions caps. But the United States still has not ratified the agreement, and continues to be the world's largest polluter.

Watch as world broadcasters play the blame game and US broadcasters provide surprisingly little coverage.

Some say the future of the Earth's climate is being decided for you, this week in Indonesia. Ten thousand (10,000) delegates and a lot of finger pointing. A comparison of how broadcasters worldwide are covering this story.

Sources: TV5, France; CCTV and Asia Today, China; NHK News, Japan; BBC, U.K.; NBC News, U.S.

Climate Change Flooding

"The UN Climate Change Conference at Bali is considered the next step in fostering a new international treaty to combat global warming. After almost two weeks of open dialogue, the conference finds itself in a deadlock between the European Union (EU), the United States (USA), Canada and Japan. The EU is demanding that industrial nations lower their emissions of greenhouse gases by 25 to 40%, by the year 2020.

While the US, Canada and Japan are unwilling to accept concrete targets. Ben Wikler: ..."The US was behaving itself during the first part of these hearings and it was Canada that was doing most of the obstruction. There are a few different issues that are the center of contention at these nedogiations. One of them is these cuts by 2020 of 25 to 40 percent..."

Bhoditara Searles

The next stop on our Healing Quest is one of my favorite islands. It's home to a bunch of pioneers who work on global healing. The jungles of Hawaii hold many surprises. An experiment in permaculture. It's central tenet is that humans can ensured their own health only by joining with nature to foster healthy environments.

Permaculture supporters are deeply disturbed that the effects of urbanization, industry, and 'big agriculture'. They're trying to foster radical changes in how people produce food and shelter and think about their relationship with the entire planet.

Don May and Bhoditara Searles share some insights.

Denial & Delay Since 2000

"Instead of the mandatory reductions in greenhouse gases in the Kyoto treaty, Bush suggested weaker voluntary pledges from industry to cut emissions. And then launched an energy policy that heavily emphasized drilling and digging."

"This administration is good friends with the fossil fuel industry. Bush himself comes out of the fossil fuel industry. And there's been a concerted attempt by the fossil fuel industry to sow doubt about the scientific consensus on global warming"