I Am Yours, You Are Mine, You Are What You Are

I've never written anything in this space on the endless debate between those touting the dangers of global climate change and those who are given the moniker of "climate change deniers", but I did run across this column by the earlier referenced Thomas Friedman in today's NY Times (free to you courtesy of the abolition of Times Select).

From what I have read from friends such as Patrick Vincent, who recently returned from a year teaching in China, all of the changes that the G-8 and other developed nations attempt to make in the area of energy consumption are the equivalent of the Dutch boy's finger in the levee. I understand the truism that "every little bit helps", but it would seem that the only true solution is some type of system that applies across the global spectrum to developed and developing nations alike in the realm of energy consumption.


The only problem with this approach is that we begin to deny the same freedom to developing nations such as China and India that we once had when we began our rise to a higher standard of living. There was no one standing over the shoulder of the United States, Britain, France, Japan, and others as we began to consume energy in ever increasing amounts.


I'm not sure how to balance the competing values of a higher standard of living for those currently in poverty with the need to be good stewards of the natural resources that we have been given. Any thoughts?