COP24 Climate Talks Head into the Final Hours
HOWELL: 1.5 degrees. Let's turn to those crucial climate talks that are taking place in Poland. Many scientists agree that if the earth's temperature rises more than 1.5 degrees, then it could produce disastrous environmental results. Delegates from nearly 200 countries at the COP 24 summit are trying to negotiate a plan to limit global warming and move the Paris climate agreement ahead. But reports say disputes over finances have been a major sticking point. Ironically, the very place where these talks are taking place is the heart of Poland's coal country. Our Nick Paton Walsh has that part of the story.</s>NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): If there's a glimmer of hope for climate change on the planet it's not down here. A thousand meters mining underground, women are seen as bad luck, and everyone greets each other with "God bless you". (on camera): It's quite startling this far below the earth to see how divorced this world is from the global challenge above of COP 24. (voice over): This coal helps make steel even for cleaner technologies so nobody feels change is coming soon. "Global warming is overrated," he says. "It's based on political motives to lower coal use." Poland has the motherload of coal. It does indeed. Black gold is at the core of life and prestige here. Mining hasn't lost any of its sparkle. In this tiny block of flats, coal this is how in the damp they keep themselves warm, the real constant in this former miner's life. But it's also what they wear, how they wash and even in where they worship. This was once a mining community. But now the men in overalls are here to fix gas supplies and former teachers know change can't be stopped. "We care about the environment," she says. "But it is regrettable our families won't have jobs. The coal stoves are going away," another adds. "I even use gas now." They were teaching three-year-old children how to separate rubbish, she asks and what to do with it. A paradox too, then for a summit about how the world will measure emission reductions. Technicalities that are both easy to dismiss but also vital to ensure a drop and save our planet. (on camera): A lot of this is about presentation, and about convincing people of the trillions of dollars they've got to spend to prevent catastrophe. But there is something also utterly vital (ph) missing. And that's a message of international consensus. The summit thrown by a refusal to welcome a key scientific report last weekend led by Russia, you have space here but few people from the United States who were are listed as here on floor mat. People keep coming to ask him where is America. Their joined by Kuwait who share a space around this engine with Saudi Arabia who mark their office like this. (on camera): No one inside. This is the Saudi room, though, yes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>WALSH (voice over): but the joke isn't funny anymore, not with 12 years to avoid global disaster. The U.S. instead found itself chanted down by protesters as it promoted fossil fuel use. It's a different world here for Barack Obama's former climate change envoy Todd Stern.</s>TOOD STERN, FORMER CLIMATE CHANGE ENVOY: There's been a certain amount of chucking those eggs at a more political level as well. And having the U.S. not engaged in that instrumental way and not engaged that that senior political way from the President and you know down to -- really to my level. That's -- that makes it more difficult here. The worst thing you can do is look at the ITCC (ph) report and say oh, my God, look where we are, and put your, you know, put a pillow over your head and say I can't think about this. And let's just go see walls.</s>WALSH: But even if there is success here, it is outside these walls in daily lives globally, but the great change must come. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN -- Katowice.</s>HOWELL: Nick -- thank you. Still ahead here on NEWSROOM -- space tourism may be a giant leap closer as a supersonic plane reaches incredible new heights.