...this time anyway.

The leaders of 90 major international corporations and organizations including Citigroup, General Electric, Rolls Royce, and Volvo have issued a joint statement that calls on the world's governments to put a price on carbon emissions, set new targets to reduce them, and enact bold policies to increase energy efficiency.

"Cost-efficient technologies exist today, and others could be developed and deployed, to improve energy efficiency and to help reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in major sectors of the global economy," the statement said. "Research indicates that heading off the very dangerous risks associated with doubling pre-industrial atmospheric concentrations of CO2, while an immense challenge, can be achieved at a reasonable cost.

Also adding their voice of support was insurance giant Allianz SE, whose spokesperson said, "we expect it (global warming) to remain a top-tier issue for the insurance industry for many decades to come," and Alcoa, the world's largest aluminum producer insurance company.

"Of course, addressing climate change involves risks and costs. But much greater is the risk of failing to act," said Alain Belda, chairman and CEO of Alcoa, the world's leading producer of aluminum. "I am convinced that we can build a global plan of action on climate change in ways that create more economic opportunities than risks."

In denying global warming, or refusing to do anything about it, the right wing is facing a growingly formidable opposition that now includes financial leaders, the insurance sector, major metal producers, chemical manufacturers, members of the automobile industry, top economists, the combined consensus of the world's scientific community, the environmental community, and certainly not least, the will of the world's citizens.

The fact that larger action against global warming has not taken place already is a testament to one thing - the overwhelming power of the petroleum industry. They and the political leaders they fund remain the world's biggest enemy in solving this problem.