The conference in Copenhagen on climate change has drawn attention not so much to the fact that our climate is changing due to global warming, but to the abysmal lack of will on the part of world leaders to do anything to stop it.

Those in the developed world, a world largely built on the petroleum industry, are doing whatever it takes to hold onto our wealth and status. No leader in the democratic western world is going to make commitments that could result in his nation going into an economic tailspin. And counterparts in the developing world, democracies and various kinds of totalitarian regimes alike, know full well their people want what the wealthy west has, and the only way they can stay in power is to give it to them. If that means poisoned lakes and foul-smelling air, it is a price they are willing to pay.

We have western countries saying that any agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that does not include India and China is meaningless. And the latter state the problem was created by western nations, so why should other countries have to suffer to help them solve it. One point to each side. Stalemate.

Meanwhile, the world's weather patterns are becoming increasingly unstable, with traditional rainy seasons now hit and miss, and extended droughts. Polar ice continues to melt. Before long, many low-lying islands will be under water, along with large stretches of coastal plains. There will be huge numbers of environmental refugees – people fleeing droughts and floods. Hardest hit will be those in the poorest countries.

However, the rich will not escape unscathed. A quick glance at a world topographical map reveals the harsh truth – a substantial portion of the most densely populated areas, most productive agricultural land, and largest industries in the world are located less than 500 feet above sea level. One need not be a Hollywood producer of horror flicks to imagine what this means for many of the world's great cities – Hong Kong, New York, Amsterdam, London, Beijing, Sydney...

On Dec. 13, at 3 p.m., church bells around the world rang out to draw attention to the danger, and the need to combat climate change. The people at the top may lack the will for positive action, but it is clear the same cannot be said of the people they claim to represent.

At a time of year when visions of sugarplums (and credit card bills) are dancing in our heads, the big news story around the world is not Santa Claus, the recovering world economy or the paperazzi Tiger hunt, it is Copenhagen.

Church bells rang out on Dec. 13, the tradition call to action. If change does not come from the top, it will come from the bottom, bubbling upwards – not necessarily a bad thing. This is how some of the most lasting and important changes have occurred throughout the ages, including the founding of Christianity two millennia ago.

Climate change is an accepted reality – no one denies that part of the problem any longer. What world leaders are denying is the need to take ownership of it. We cannot afford to follow their lead.

To paraphrase a famous statement, we need not ask for whom the bells toll – they toll for all of us. Global climate change is being called the most serious problem the world has ever faced, and it will affect all of us. If we want our children to inherit a world that can sustain them and their children, we need to heed the call to action.

The next time church bells ring around the world will be on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. When we hear them, perhaps we can offer a prayer, not so much for our leaders to wake up and do what needs doing, but for us to have the strength to pick up the ball they dropped, again, in Copenhagen.