My diagram starts with fossil fuels and deforestation, which is causing global warming and climate change. Because of the climate change we are in need of a global cooperation and agreement that climate change is an issue and impacts all countries. The flow chart then points to The Copenhagen Accord with is an adaptation of the Kyoto Protocol, which was a treaty to reduce effects greenhouse gas emission impacts on climate warming. The Copenhagen Accord was developed to help reduce deforestation and emissions, as well as assist developing countries to adapt to cleaner technology and do their part in the reduction of global warming. With anything, it comes down to it, politics and money are generally the main drivers for countries to adapt policies, and this was no different. The Accord did help countries more than others, thus in the flow we have supporters and opposition to the plan. With the U.S. being a huge supporter of the Copenhagen Accord, and needed more supporters to the plan. As indicated in the flow chart, the U.S. would take any measure to find ways to get opposing countries on board. To gain more support the U.S. sent cables to try to dig up dirt on other countries using spying techniques to threaten countries, bribing countries and making promise to countries. In this day in age everything can be tracked and traced, a journalism from the Guardian helped Wikileaks with the cable leak. Even after Wikileaks revealed how the US manipulated the Accord, a majority of the countries did sign, if fact in total there will be 140 countries that adopt the accord. Those 140 countries contribute 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. With so many countries associated with the Accord, did the U.S. even need to do any of their shenanigans? Did the U.S. impact either side of the results, make some countries not agree because of the U.S. deception and we could have had an higher adoption rate, or is the adaption rate so high because of what the U.S. did?

I have mixed reviews on whether or not the State Department Cables should have been made public because I think it really puts the U.S. in a terrible and non-trusting light. Being a U.S. Citizen I think having this information public could impact world relationships as a whole. On the other hand, having some transparency can be good to really know that the U.S. government can be manipulative. I guess being a little naive; I had no idea that we would play so dirty. I do not condone the actions taken by the United States to persuade other countries. I understand the importance of a global focus on Climate Change, because I do feel that it is real issue in our world today. The areas that the Accord focuses on are emissions, deforestation and encouraging countries using clean technology, which area important and a global collective action is what it is going to take to make it work, but taking such drastic actions such as bribery and spying is bullying the world. The United States should not be conducting diplomacy in this self-interested manner. Every country is looking out for their her own countries WIFM’s (what’s in it for me) to any policy, rather than taking a negative approach, the U.S. should try to sell it to the world in how it benefits everyone. What should be done? For those country’s that are not going benefit as much as others, changes should be made to the agreement for countries to adapt the proposal. There will probably never be total agreement among countries on any plan or proposal, but coming up with a solution that benefits at least 80-90% of the countries should be considered. The UN should revisit the topic of a Global Climate Change, but not allow the US to drive the policy, but rather have an open forum where the policy is developed collaboratively.