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Vulnerable Nations at Copenhagen Summit Reject 2C Target
Alliance of Small Island States say any deal that allows temperatures to rise by more than 1.5C is 'not negotiable'
More than half the world's countries say they are determined not to sign up to any deal that allows temperatures to rise by more than 1.5C - as opposed to 2C, which the major economies would prefer.
Activists supporting the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu demonstrate in the lobby of the Bella center demanding a better deal for all island states at the UN Climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009.Tuvalu proposed amending the U.N. climate treaty to require the world's nations to keep the rise in temperatures to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) above preindustrial levels.
(AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus) But
any agreement to reach that target would require massive and rapid cuts
in greenhouse gas emissions combined with removal of CO2 in the
atmosphere. An extra 0.5C drop in temperatures would require vastly
deeper cuts in carbon dioxide and up to $10.5 trillion (£6.5tr) extra
in energy-related investment by 2030, according to the International
Energy Agency.
Holding temperatures to an increase of 1.5C compared to preindustrial levels would mean stabilising carbon concentrations in the atmosphere at roughly 350 parts per million (ppm), down from a present 387ppm. No technology currently exists to feasibly remove CO2 from the atmosphere on a large scale.
The temperature issue was starkly highlighted yesterday when Tuvalu, one of the world's most climate-threatened countries, formally proposed that countries sign up to a new, strengthened and legally binding agreement that would set more ambitious targets than what is presently being proposed. This divided G77 countries, some of whom led by China and India argued against it, fearing that it would replace the Kyoto protocol.
But they were supported by many of the vulnerable countries, from sub-Saharan Africa as well as the small island states, with passionate and powerful statements about the catastrophic impact of climate change on their people.
"Tuvalu has taken a strong stand to put the focus back on their bottom line. Nothing but a legally binding deal will deliver the strong commitments to urgent action that are needed to avoid catastrophe, especially to the most vulnerable countries and people," said the Oxfam spokesman Barry Coates.
Today the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis), a grouping of 43 of the smallest and most vulnerable countries, including Tuvalu, said any rise of more than 1.5C was not negotiable at Copenhagen. They are backed by 48 of the least developed nations.
But the UN conference chief, Yvo de Boer, implied this morning that the proposal had little chance of being adopted. "It is theoretically possible that the conference will agree to hold temperatures to 1.5C but most industrialised countries have pinned their hopes on 2C," he said.
The 2C figure, which was included in the leaked draft negotiating text prepared by the summits host Denmark has emerged as the figure favoured by large economies and the likeliest to be adopted. But the poorest countries say that latest science implies that a 2C warming would lead to disastrous consequences – for example from sea level rise.
"We have two research stations, one in the Pacific and one in the Caribbean. They both suggest a rise of 2C is completely untenable for us," said Dessima Williams, a Grenadian diplomat speaking for Aosis.
"Our islands are disappearing, our coral reefs are bleaching, we are losing our fish supplies. We bring empirical evidence to Copenhagen of what climate change is doing now to our states," she said.
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16 Comments so far
Show AllThis a perfect example of how free market fundamentalism can work hand in hand with environmental concerns.
The island nations are facing potential ruin due to submersion caused by rising sea levels. At the same time, western nations have an excess of material that can be used as landfill material to raise the surface altitude of those islands to ensure their survival.
Here's where Chicago School economics steps in to save the day, as it has in so many other third world countries (e.g. Timbuktu, Indonesia, Detroit).
We in the west have enormous amounts of left over coal ash from our power plants, not to mention spent nuclear fuel. We simply use this otherwise wasted material to raise the surface levels of these islands and the inhabitants will be safe from the rising seas.
Another problem solved by free market fundamentalism. Thank You Milton Friedman, for all the work you've done to help the downtrodden and improve the lot of humanity.
The genius of Milton Friedman can be used in many ways to help the soon-to-be-flooded.
Another way his brilliant theory could be used to help the poorest would be his innovative idea of eliminating the much-hated minumum wage.
By eliminating this intrusive Stalinist dinosaur, millions of people in the developed above-water countries would be made available to transport all that depleted uranium and coal ash, and to help the remaining undrowned locals build those world-class levees.
These small island nations are being ignored, and their peoples condemned to cultural genocide, all because they don't have economies of scale that could affect the appetite of the monster known as Capitalism.
They have no stick to hold over the heads of the First World leaders. These island nations have no economic clout to threaten the 'haves' of the world with losing.
And that is the real story.
Copenhagen, with all it's leaks and rationalizing, is the wealthy of the world telling the poor of the world that they have to suffer and die in the name of European Colonist descendant material comfort.
Galenwainwright, I think the fact that they are speaking together as a group is a hopeful sign. And the fact that their message was picked up by at least some of the world's media, and at least some people not living in those islands care about what happens there. True, for now, these people do not seem to have the power to change things. But if they keep up the pressure, something's gotta give. What's important is sustained action - from this point forward.
The island nation of Maldives has a young president - who took office only a year ago, after a great struggle. The previous president ran the country for a full 20-years and wanted to continue. Despite vote-rigging and intimidation of opponents, he lost, and had to hand over the presidency to this 42-year old guy - who is turning out to be some sort of spokesman for many island nations.
Students are agitating in California. Even though it's ostensibly over fee hikes, I think they are fed up with a few other things - like layoffs, while not cutting the big expenses and privatization of various services in the universities. And some of the faculty members also support the students' "occupation". And they are getting support from other states, and even other countries.
These may look like unconnected stories. When things reach a desperate situation (these islanders are staring at such a situation in the near future), things begin to happen and change comes about faster than anyone can imagine. Unconnected protests begin to connect and people begin to notice.
"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always."
- Mahatma Gandhi
(If I remember correctly, Richard Attenborough's movie "Gandhi" opens with this quote)
And that's been the plan all along, Galenwainwright, as the population of the world increases.
Who started the Eugenics Movement in the '20's? Not Hitler. He copied it and and put it together with Henry Ford's efficient, assembly-line method of building Model T's.
With arable land currently being gobbled up for very low prices in Africa by the mega-chemical/agricultural companies who will have factory farms and supply the chemical fertilizer and genetically-engineered, unreproducing seed, the tribal villagers, the subsistence farmers will be out of luck. The harvested food will be sold elsewhere for profit, but along with the drought in a good part of Africa and farmers and their families, with their own land degraded and water less available and unable to buy the chemical, genetically-modified foods, starvation will take care of a good portion of the people.
Sounds like a horror story. However, we are dealing with a Predator Class of enormously wealthy and powerful people, many or, I would guess, most of whom happen to be the progeny of the old-time, white, Christian colonialists. Obviously, it is in the interests of the current descendents to keep the family traditions going because you get to have loads of money, enormous power and influence, and be able to live lives of great luxury.
At some point Jews, who were a very small minority just about anywhere they settled, were subject to oppression, pogroms, individual or group attack, and they were considered "Christ Killers." However, because education and critical thinking for males was emphasized in the Jewish traditions, and many had a talent for business and numbers, they learned to make themselves useful, and became money lenders, pawn brokers, investors, and likely served in accountant capacities.
The founder of the Rothschilds' dynasty more than a hundred years ago got it right as he worked his way up the ladder and became a rich man. His mantra was HE WHO CONTROLS THE MONEY, CONTROLS THE WORLD.
The Rothschilds control the block in London that is called the City of London. It's all financial institutions. Major world banks were started and are owned by Jews. Thus when we ask how can Zionist Israel get away with its treatment of Gazans or are able to do pretty much as they please in taking land from the Palestinians, it is because they can. They are part of a huge support system that controls much of the monies in the U.S., England, Germany, et al. and likely a good portion of the rest of the world.
So, I write this, knowing that most people still don't get it. The Larger Picture is an ugly one. The classic ocean predator is The Shark. Sharks are indiscriminate about what they attack and what they eat. They are certainly not known for their sentimentality about human life swimming in the water, including Tuvalus and other island peoples or folks swimming off the Kennedy Compound on Cape Cod. If sharks are hungry or threatened they will attack and kill.
This U.S. of A. is scheduled to go down the tubes. Since it has very little major industry left, how much will out-of-work workers here be willing to work for to feed their families? China and India are the heavily populated up-and-coming nations. That's where our industry has gone or is going.
Global warming? It wouldn't surprise me if the very wealthy already have underground and overground facilities/residences already fully equipped with everything one would need to survive any kind of weather changes (or maybe even nukes if not hits close by), have the purest of water and air, greenhouses with artificial lighting, domed ponds, barns for animals, etcetera, and enough land for bountiful food.
It's an on-going plan, you see. And that's not a conspiracy theory. It has been a conspiracy all along.
Again, the mid-1980's David Rockefeller quote with upper-case emphasis on certain words by me:
"David Rockefeller admits media collusion with his one world plans: 'We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings [Bilderberg Group since 1954 - cm] and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty [now fifty-five] years. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO DEVELOP OUR PLAN FOR THE WORLD if we had been subjected to the light of publicity during those years. But now the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. THE SUPRA-NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY OF AN INTELLECTUAL ELITE AND WORLD BANKERS IS SURELY PREFERABLE TO THE NATIONAL AUTO-DETERMINATION PRACTICED IN PAST CENTURIES."
Rockefeller writes on page 405 of his memoirs: "Some even believe we are PART OF A SECRET CABAL WORKING AGAINST THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES, characterizing my family and me as 'internationalists' and of CONSPIRING with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure - one world, if you will. IF THAT IS THE CHARGE, I STAND GUILTY, AND I AM PROUD OF IT."
The tantalizing question, folks, is how and what to do, or is it best to accept, to prepare and live the best life one can? And it's easy for me to say that because I own land and can grow and raise food and have woods for firewood, and thus a small community is a possibility again.
Interesting ride this.
/cm
Hmm. I suspect yet an other eloquent Obama speech concerning the issue of rising sea levels, followed by a US relief shipment consisting of Chinese made hip waders and water-wings to all the Aosis countries.
The jig is up. Fundamentalist American capitalism has no brakes and is fueled by American exceptionalism. The myth of American exceptionalism will be recognized just one short moment before human annihilation. Burn baby burn!
Since 2002, The Coalition of the Willing has killed and wounded, like, 10x more humans than populate the 43 small islands.
IOW, think we give a shit about y'all?
Answer: think again.
Sorry, small islands, but the truth sucks sometimes...
For generations, these misguided islanders have been squandering their most precious resource, bonemeal, literally entombing it in shallow graves at the high points of their islands. This completely short-circuits the coral growth cycle that keeps their heads literally above water.
Had these bonemeal resources been properly recycled, the coral of these atolls would have grown prodigiously compared to the stunted growth observed, and easily kept up with rising sea levels. No need for massive concrete seawalls; just sprinkle a few bags of 18-51-20 along each mile of beach. Heck, with proper trace mineral supplements, an interior coral highlands will develop in a matter of years, allowing for a booming downhill skiing industry to broaden the tourist economy.
According to Tod Stern Climate Change Envoy "people where blissfully ignorant of the fact that emissions caused green house effects" where does he get this nonsense? The electric car was made in the 1970's, rapid transit was on the table for big cities like L.A. then too. What happened? they where squashed, the companies where bought and squashed. Individual cars where touted, now everyone has one how do we get rid of them? That is the same evasive language the tobacco industry uses. Although tobacco proponents have a point when they say people choose to use these materials. We do have a choice not to use oil, not to produce plastics and to avoid dangerous materials like pesticides. We have always known they do damage. Coal is dirty just look at it. Black lung disease is not a new phenomenon. His argument that we were innocent of scientific information years ago is just false.
Developing countries should make and design an affordable electric car and sell them to all the developing countries to replace their gas guzzlers. They could profit and benefit by doing so, they could because they are much smarter than the developed blissfully ignorant countries.
It wouldn't matter if all the co2 were removed from the atmosphere, if you live by the water, you better move unless you really want to learn what the warming is all about.
The rich nations that caused this mess just want to watch the little people tread water.
See my above comment, Humbaba, in reply to Galenwainwright, regarding what happens to folks who tread water in the ocean where the predator sharks make their home.
;- ))))
/cm
This is an emergency. 350ppm is too much. The information age is the great leveller because no one can claim to be excluded from the necessary knowledge. Take some time and look at the research on the internet. This is an order. The media can and does not right now. A man who refuses to read the notices and allows his child to play on the railway tracks is a criminal.
We need to return to pre-industrial levels of CO2 to be safe. The risk is as great as the railway track metaphor indicates, for even if the father cannot see the train, it is still immoral to allow the child onto the tracks.
Through a combination of industrial, agricultural and aquacultural activity it is possible to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere to levels in accordance with the world's natural course.
Each of us heard this call and each of us has the responsibility to do our part. Do something today that will save more energy.