An increasing number of environmentalists and political activists are condemning the global warming climate talks in Copenhagen as a huge disappointment and lost opportunity. 

In today's Globe and Mail, Jeffrey Sachs, the noted economist and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, calls the agreement a "farce" and blames U.S. President Barack Obama.  He "decided to declare victory with a vague statement of principles agreed to with four other countries." 

Sachs concludes:  "We gave just witnessed a serious step toward global ruin through our failure to co-operate on a complex and difficult challenge that requires patience, expertise, goodwill and respect for international law -- all of which were in short supply in Copenhagen.

The greatest disappointment for those of us following the airline industry is how this set of powerful interests have been able to avoid any responsibility for global warming and any regulation of their industry despite the overwhelming evidence that emissions from aircraft are a major contributor to the crisis of global warming.

The consequences of this irresponsibility are overwhelming.  It is time that we held the airline industry to account.

Bill Freeman