It's not easy being green

One of the most important conferences on environmental protection took place this month in Doha, Qatar — the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. The conference is significant for each and every one of us and our children, and for the entire planet. The conference ended, however, in overall disappointment and minimal accomplishments.

In 1992, a U.N. convention on the changing climate was adopted, and in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gasses was signed. It will be extended at the end of this year.

Israel became a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol in February 2004 and is obligated to contribute to global efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In 2009, one of the more important climate conferences was held in Copenhagen, where participating countries were supposed to decide on concrete guidelines for reducing harmful emissions and set clear goals to end global warming. Instead, the Conference of Parties "took note" of the Copenhagen Accord but did not formally adopt it.

Less than a year ago, a conference was held in Rio de Janeiro. It also failed to produce significant achievements and binding measures. Once again, binding resolutions or target dates to reduce carbon dioxide emissions were absent.

Let's put aside the rest of the world for a moment and focus on ourselves. Any way we look at it, we are still, in the words of Israeli songstress Corinne Elal, "half a pinhead on the map of the world." This is also true regarding the amount of harmful emissions we produce.

On the other hand, over the years we have become a Westernized, gluttonous, polluting monster. Israel has almost 8 million densely packed residents. Between 2000 and 2008 electricity production increased from 41.4 million to 54.5 million kilowatts, and the demand for electricity is constantly hitting record highs. There has been a sharp rise in the number of private vehicles, which produce airborne pollutants.

We are experiencing extreme climatic phenomena rooted in global climate change. In 2000, we saw the heaviest snow to ever fall in the Negev, while July of the same year was our hottest month ever, with temperatures reaching 41.4 degrees Celsius (106.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in Jerusalem. In 2010, we had our hottest summer overall.

We experience climate change in Israel as well, but unfortunately the Doha conference won't provide the solution. Once again, representatives from the 200 participating countries were not able to reach clear guidelines with clear goals to reduce greenhouse emissions. The main objective — to replace the expiring Kyoto Protocol — was not achieved, and the countries merely agreed to extend it until 2020. We are once again witnessing the human race's lack of ability to make fundamental decisions, despite their relevance to the survival of the human race itself.

Yet, all things considered, there is room for optimism. Slowly but surely we, along with the country's leaders, are undergoing a process of environmental awakening. Ultimately, we cannot remain indifferent. Action must come from the people. Each one of us, within our own private sphere, must think globally and act locally. If we do so, we can effect change and ensure a greener planet for generations to come.