Those who signed the Copenhagen climate agreement, following the pangs of an uncomfortable labour that almost caused the negotiations to collapse, are fully aware of the threats and dangers surrounding Planet Earth, should greenhouse gas emissions, namely carbon dioxide, continue to intensify and increase. They are also aware that rising sea levels will not only submerge the countries that stood in opposition to what has been agreed upon by the major countries' leaders, and that the climate disturbances that cause devastating disasters do not solely affect poor or developing countries- which are otherwise unable to defend themselves against nature's rebellion. The developed countries, which only agreed on a partial agreement, have been continuously seeking to enhance the role of the scientists, and to support scientific research and economic development with the aim of strengthening their competitiveness and thus boosting their commerce, and also developing the fields of medical and pharmaceutical research. Nonetheless, it was significant that these same countries ignored the reports prepared by Earth scientists, climatologists, and environmental and global warming experts which are all warning of impending climate catastrophes. A reverse symbolic image of these leaders, and those who support them within their countries such as the economic powers that want to continue to pollute the environment and disturb the climate, occurs when these leaders, as they send exploration missions to outer space to probe the edges of the universe, seem to be adamant through legislation and through their sheer will not to contaminate any planet where a probe has landed. They thus agree on maintaining everything beyond the Earth's outer atmosphere clean and free of debris, despite the fact that this outer layer does not provide any form of natural protection to life. This is while these leaders continue to destroy the planet suitable for life, and to kill all life in it. The irony here is that Planet Earth is the only vessel in the universe suitable for the aspirations of the humans to probe deep space and explore the planets around it. Thus, the end result of the talks and discussions which lasted two weeks in the Danish capital did not culminate in a climate agreement that meets, not the ambitions of the Earth's population, but their wishes in ensuring the continuation of climate equilibrium. Even those who signed the agreement saw it as an insufficient starting point, while those who refrained from signing it envisioned it as the mechanism by which their countries will be destroyed, and their peoples will be displaced, and many of their features on the map would be erased. But until next February, when the countries will submit their plans on how to translate the agreement into action that curbs greenhouse gas emissions, the standings of environmental economy will be strengthened, be it industrial or agricultural. Perhaps this economy will help reduce temperature, as the peoples' green awakening will push the world further into “a green economy”. What would certainly help in this area is governmental support for such an economy, which would also lessen the government's burden of unemployment caused by the crisis of excessive economic liberalization, and which led to a deep recession that will take years for global economies to recover from. With the exception of building more civilian nuclear reactors, and the engineers, technicians and personnel this needs, we find that the engineering involved in renewable and clean energy, both in production and equipment, would provide a favourable atmosphere for an energy industry that is based on hydropower, solar energy, wind energy or even geothermal energy...and also a wide umbrella for the creation of distinguished job opportunities. Environmental engineering as such may require the innovation of high-tech equipments, to reduce the threats of oil contamination and the hazardous emissions this may cause. In fact, science has created many generations of fuels that have lower levels of emissions harmful to the environment and to health, such as unleaded gasoline – as lead is a toxic substance -, or the other less polluting types of diesel, or even by equipping cars with cleaner engines. Moreover, environmental engineering aspires to improve the quality of housing, which would reduce their energy requirement, whether by innovations in building materials and techniques, or in the energy conducting devices themselves. This is effective because the improvements of energy efficiency in households contribute in the mitigation of the effects of climate change. For instance, commercial institutions in the United States reduced the cost of their lighting by 80 percent within 18 months, by adopting fluorescent light fixtures. Meanwhile, it is no secret that the plans aimed at curbing global warming also involve carbon capture, which relies on further innovation in finding the most cost effective technologies to do so, and which also requires hiring experts and technicians. In its annual issue for 2010, The Economist quoted the President of the Maldives, (an island nation that is under the threat of submersion) Mohamed Nasheed, by saying that his government is developing a 10 year strategic plan for environmental equilibrium, aimed at eliminating dependence on fossil fuels by 2020. Next year, new projects for renewable energy will be launched, and the programs that take advantage of waste to generate energy will be broadened. Furthermore, Nasheed believes that the invention of “eco-friendly coal” in his country will help in developing agriculture by increasing its yield and reducing harmful emissions. He also talks about local facilities that are testing new technologies suitable for “green” development, and about a tourist centre which has become the first of its kind in the world in terms of not generating any pollution, which provides both luxury and clean environment at the same time. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that economic recession boosts innovation and investments in eco-friendly sectors. An American businessman who was participating in the Copenhagen Summit said: “when everyone is wealthy and happy as was the case 18 months ago, it is easy to forget these matters because everyone is busy making money. But when we are in the midst of an economic recession, the business-oriented focus on environmental responsibility, on increasing efficiency and other environment-related issues, becomes stronger.” Between the Copenhagen Summit and next February, then, many countries will propose their plans for the reduction of emissions, which will of course pave the way for green industries, or environmental industries.
