Category: Climate chaos

The atmosphere is to the earth as a layer of varnish is to a desktop globe. It is thin, fragile and essential for preserving the items on the surface.150 years of burning fossil fuel have overloaded the atmosphere to the point where the earth is ill. It now has a fever. Read the detailed article, Soothing Gaia’s Fever for an evocative account of that analogy. The items listed here detail progress on coordinating 6.5 billion people in the most critical project undertaken by humanity. 

Copenhagen diary: ‘We are on the Titanic and sinking fast.

admin /16 December, 2009

Copenhagen diary: ‘We are on the Titanic and sinking fast’

Day 10: Tuvalu looks for lifeboats, delegates suffer from lack of sleep and John Prescott steps in

COP15 Copenhagen diary : View into one of the halls of the Bella Center

Tuvalu: “I have a feeling of dread that we are on the Titanic and sinking fast, but we can’t get the lifeboats because the president says we don’t need lifeboats.” Photograph: Heribert Proepper/AP

 

 

Semantics and lifeboats

 

Well, this does not look like a very promising start to the day. There is growing nervousness here – but among developing countries especially – at the failure to produce a definitive written draft of a deal in time for the leaders who are now starting to trickle in.

Copenhagen loopholes could mean rise in emissions, report says

admin /16 December, 2009

Copenhagen loopholes could mean rise in emissions, report warns

Climate summit must close loopholes or greenhouse gases may increase by 10% in 2020 compared with 1990 levels, says Friends of the Earth

Russian power station

A thermoelectric power station in Moscow. Russia is one of the countries with millions of unused carbon pollution permits since the collapse of its heavy industry. Photograph: Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA

 

 

Four major loopholes in the Copenhagen draft texts could see carbon emissions increase by 2020, rather than plunge as scientists say must happen to avert dangerous global warming. That is the conclusion of a new analysis by Friends of the Earth, who argue the loopholes would cause greenhouse gases to rise by 10% by 2020, compared with 1990 levels, if they are not closed in the final four days of negotiations at the UN summit.

Connie hedegaard resigns as president of Copenhagen summit

admin /16 December, 2009

Connie Hedegaard resigns as president of Copenhagen climate summit

Danish prime minister to take over role as unexpected move cited as ‘procedural

Climate people : Connie Hedegaard, Denmark's Minister for Climate and Energy

Connie Hedegaard resigned unexpectedly today as president of the Copenhagen summit. Photograph: Don Emmert/AFP

The president of the UN climate conference president, Connie Hedegaard, unexpectedly resigned this morning. She is to be replaced by the Danish premier.

Copenhagen negotiator accuses Rudd of lying

admin /15 December, 2009

Copenhagen negotiator accuses Rudd of lying Emma Alberici in Copenhagen and reporters, ABC December 16, 2009, 7:56   Related Links The chief negotiator for China and the small African nations at Copenhagen has accused Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of lying to the Australian people about his position on climate change. Lumumba Di-Aping represents China and Continue Reading →

Australia among climate index worst

admin /15 December, 2009

Australia among climate index worst AAP December 14, 2009, 10:34 pm Australia is among the bottom four nations who did the least this year to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming, two European pressure groups said in a report on Monday. In its fifth annual Climate Protection Index, the Climate Action Network Continue Reading →

China must be part of the Copenhagen solution

admin /14 December, 2009

China must be part of the Copenhagen solution

 

 

IF it is to have clarity from the Copenhagen climate change summit, the world needs leadership from China and the US. A political agreement that keeps open the prospect of a legally binding agreement in the future will not be achieved without Beijing, in particular, recognising that it must be part of the solution. A cashed-up China, more powerful than ever since the global financial crisis, must step up to play a lead role with the US.