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Rev Tutu urges more emissions cuts by rich nations

By Li Xing (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-12-14 08:43

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is answering questions during the Copenhagen climate conference. [Li Xing/chinadaily.com.cn]

Copenhagen: If Archbishop Desmond Tutu is trapped in an elevator with United States President Barack Obama for 30 sections, what would Rev Tutu say to Obama?

The question was raised during a press conference on Dec 13 here, which were presided by Rev Tutu, Bishop Sofie Petersen, of Denmark and Rev Tofiga Falani, from Tuvalu.

Rev Tutu answered: Please give the world the deal that it is expecting. Please let us have a legally-possible deal, not political statement. While developed countries say that they agree to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent, someone says to me that it is too modest.

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It should be 80 percent by the year 2050. Please do not hesitate to contribute $10 billion for assisting developing countries buy clean energy to replace the fossil fuel. During the press conference, Tutu and the two other religious leaders highlighted the fact that developing countries bear the brunt of the climate change.

"We have only one world, this world, if we destroy it, this world disappears," Tutu said.

Then what did Rev Tutu want to say to the Americans in relations to climate change? Tutu said that people are interconnected in this world.

"We are so connected, if we go down, and I will pull you down," he said.

"The rich countries, especially the United States, are not able to quarantine themselves. There is no place which is going to be safe. If we go down, we all go down..."