ISTANBUL - A former German minister said Friday that there are important difficulties facing the globe.
Delivering a speech on "Developing New Strategies against Global Warming and Climate Change" at the Green Marketing Conference in Istanbul, former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said that the need for humans to change behaviors is not only an ethical matter, but is the reality of global development.
"The United States will no longer be the number one country polluting the world most. China will replace the U.S. as the country polluting the world most," Fischer said.
"Carbon dioxide oscillation per person in the U.S. is 20 tonnes, in Europe 11 tonnes and in China 2 tonnes. Carbon dioxide oscillation is not merely an ethical concept. The parameters of global economy must change. Economies having an impact on the globe must go through a revolution. We must experience changes that will affect the environment," Fischer said.
"The business world of the future will find the issue of environment as the biggest problem to deal with," Fischer noted.
"Asian countries are currently in a stage of development. We are witnessing an environmental disaster caused by the Asian countries," Fischer said.
"A new term has begun in international relations. The present global population of seven billion will be nine billion in the year 2050. It will be a great problem to keep nine billion people in welfare and peace. It will not be possible to make the world safer by staging wars as in the 19th century," Fischer said.
"Problems of the world are common for all from a perspective of economic interests and development. International cooperation is the key for solutions. Turkey has not yet signed the Kyoto Protocol. I understand Turkey's reasons, but I do not agree with them. This is short sightedness on the part of Turkey. The Kyoto decisions are crucial for global climate of the future," Fischer said.
"No country should be left out of the Kyoto Protocol," Fischer noted.
Touching on Turkey's EU membership, Fischer said that he wants to see Turkey in the union. "However," said Fischer, "I want to see a Turkey that is in conformity with the EU."
(SOL-AÖ)