Heeding The Cry Of Bali Ha'i
This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
Bloody Mary sings a great song in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific:
Bali ha'i may I call youWell, delegates from around the world are in Bali right now discussing what to do next about climate change. The Kyoto Climate Accords, which the United States did not sign, expire in 2012 and the conference in Bali is designed to come up with what should replace them.
Any night, any day.
In your heart, you'll hear it call you,
"Come away, come away."
Nobel Laureate Al Gore has already said "Whatever new they come up with should be signed on to immediately. There's no time to waste."
The United States though is loath to sign anything that would bind it to mandatory emission restrictions. "Too hard on the economy," they say. Last time around, in Kyoto, the U.S. said "Why should we take the lead? Who's going to make China comply?"
New studies show that at current rates of emission growth the world will soon reach a tipping point where it will be too late to do anything. Let's hope this time America heeds the cry of Bali Ha'i.
Harry's daily commentary can be heard on many CBS Radio News affiliates across the country.