Posts Tagged climate
The Ugly Truth About Obama’s “Copenhagen Accord”
on December 21, 2009 by Vanity Fair | VF.com in Arts/Entertainment, Comments (0)
Obama briefs world leaders in Copenhagen, December 18. The so-called Copenhagen Accord is a mere side deal that leaves undone the true hard work of tackling climate change. Official White House photo by Pete Souza.
Well, so much for Hopenhagen.
Organizers of the U.N. climate summit had proposed that upbeat respelling of the Danish capital when negotiations began two weeks ago, and one saw it everywhere in Copenhagen: in metro station advertisements, activist press releases and newspaper headlines. But the cheery new name did not survive the talks themselves. In the end, Hopenhagen became Nopenhagen.
Boarding the plane home on Saturday after the summit’s collapse, my eye was caught by a large wall photo of Barack Obama. Something about it wasn’t right, though. Bleary-eyed after an exceptionally late night of covering the dueling press conferences of the summit’s final hours, it took me a moment to see what was off. Only when I read the accompanying text did I notice that this Obama had a head of lightly gray hair. Barack Obama 2020, the text said, followed by a quote: “I’m Sorry. We Could Have Stopped Catastrophic Climate Change … We Didn’t.”
Copenhagen Alert: Obama’s Speech Flops, Summit in Crisis
on December 19, 2009 by Vanity Fair | VF.com in Arts/Entertainment, Comments (0)
He came, he saw, he disappointed. As President Barack Obama arrived in Copenhagen on Friday morning for the last day of the U.N. climate summit, all eyes were upon him. Only Obama, the argument went, had the power and prestige to break the deadlock at this summit, widely regarded as humanity’s last good chance to preserve a livable climate. But hopes that the president would bring something new to Copenhagen, that the U.S. position would move closer to what science says is required to avoid catastrophic climate change, were dashed by the president’s surprisingly lackluster remarks. Looking tired from his overnight flight from Washington, Obama told his fellow heads of state and government, “I did not come here to talk. I came here to act.” But Obama’s speech for the most part merely restated what has long been the U.S. position: a mere 4 percent reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, when science says reductions of at least 25 to 40 percent are necessary. Obama did not put it this way, of course. He said that the U.S. will cut emissions by 17 percent by 2020, in line with the Waxman-Markey climate bill that passed the House of Representatives over the summer. But the U.S. has moved the goalposts. By employing a baseline of 2005, rather than the international scientific standard of 1990, Washington makes its proposed emissions cuts look much larger than they actually are. It’s like promising to kick a 50-yard field goal from the 30 yard line.
Thom Yorke Surprises Climate Change Conference
on December 18, 2009 by Vanity Fair | VF.com in Arts/Entertainment, Comments (0)
Climate change talks are winding down in Copenhagen and President Obama has taken the stage. But he’s not the only international star making an appearance. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, an outspoken and wonky environmentalist, decided at the last minute that he wanted to check in on the talks. But how did the lead singer of one of the world’s most influential rock bands get in without a letter from Gordon Brown? “I’m here as a press person. Do you imagine they’d let me in otherwise?”
In Copenhagen, Protesters Call for a Planetary Bailout
on December 14, 2009 by Vanity Fair | VF.com in Arts/Entertainment, Comments (0)
A candlelight march in Copenhagen. Photo by Carl Ganter/350.org. Bright yellow with black letters, the first placards I saw at the massive climate rally in Copenhagen on Saturday said, BLA BLA BLA—ACTION NOW! and NATURE DOESN’T COMPROMISE. Handed out free to all comers by Greenpeace, they bobbed up and down in a sea of humanity that was gathered beneath the austerely beautiful, neo-baroque palace housing Denmark’s parliament. But the placards also crystallized the vast gap between what science requires and what—so far—the world’s governments have been talking about doing here at the Copenhagen climate summit. Despite a wind-chill index below freezing, the crowd in Parliament Square numbered in the many tens of thousands. Organizers claimed 100,000; a police spokesperson told me they did not have an exact figure, “but there were many.” Judging by the diversity of faces and accents, the majority of demonstrators seemed to have come from abroad—not just the rest of Europe but Asia, Africa, and North and South America—although there was also a sizable contingent of Danes, including supermodel Helena Christensen, who addressed the rally on behalf of the humanitarian group Oxfam and, she said, of people she had recently photographed in the mountains of Peru (her mother’s homeland) who are suffering from drought, thanks to the melting of mountain glaciers. “We have one question for the political leaders of the world,” Kumi Naidoo, international executive director of Greenpeace International, told the rally. “If you can find not millions, not billions, but trillions of dollars to bail out the banks, the bankers, and their bonuses, how is it that you cannot find the money to bail out the planet, the poor, and our children?”
Re: Too Bloody Cold!!!!
on December 8, 2009 by Beer Garden in Miscellaneous, Comments (0)
Posted by Neil:
I am amazed anyone could/chooses to live in in such a climate? :runforhills:
Give it back to the Injuns? :hide:
Climate Change Editorial Published in 56 Countries Worldwide
on December 7, 2009 by Vanity Fair | VF.com in Arts/Entertainment, Comments (0)
Today marks the start of the Copenhagen climate change talks. In an act spearheaded by the Guardian, “56 newspapers in 45 countries [took] the unprecedented step of speaking with one voice through a common editorial.” Over the next two weeks, world leaders from 192 countries will debate the best way to combat climate change before it’s too late. While many fear that leaders will not reach a “fully polished treaty,” President Obama’s presence is a welcome change of face for American involvement. Read full text of the editorial below.
Climate Breakthrough: Obama and China Commit to Change
on November 23, 2009 by Vanity Fair | VF.com in Arts/Entertainment, Comments (0)
Barack Obama speaks to Chinese president Hu Jintao, September 2009. Official White House photo by Pete Souza.
You wouldn’t know it from the coverage in the mainstream media, but last week may go down as a turning point in the history of the climate crisis. After months of putting health care first, President Obama finally stepped up the plate and, amazingly, secured what has long been the Holy Grail of climate diplomacy: a U.S.-China climate deal. Speaking in Beijing on November 17 alongside Chinese president Hu Jintao, Obama said he hoped the U.S.-China accord would “rally the world” toward solutions at the U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen, December 7 to 18. After months of Obama’s aides lowering expectations for Copenhagen, and even suggesting that he would not attend the summit, the president signaled that climate change is a top priority and that he is prepared to spend real political capital to achieve a breakthrough, both in Copenhagen and on Capitol Hill. It is fitting that Obama’s breakthrough came in Beijing, the capital of the world’s other climate superpower. China and the U.S. are by far the world’s largest annual emitters of greenhouse gases: together, they account for roughly 40 percent of global emissions. Thus the two wield what amounts to veto power over international progress against climate change: if the U.S. and China don’t reduce their emissions, it won’t much matter what anyone else does. The Beijing climate agreement, which emerged from back-channel negotiations that began before Obama became president, marks the first time that both nations have committed to reduce their emissions of the greenhouse gases that are overheating the planet. Crucial details about the deal—in particular, who reduces how much, how soon?—have not yet been disclosed, however, and probably remain the subject of intense negotiation.
Is It Correct To Use “tax Outgoing” Here?
on November 14, 2009 by admin in Expats, Comments (1)
———————– With regards to the tax climate, the NFIA can arrange an appointment between the company with the ministry of finance to make sure that company knows that the […]
I Got A Job Opportunity In An Oil Company In Bonny Island , How Is The Living There Is It Safe For Expatriate?
on by admin in Expats, Comments (1)
What about the climate in bonny island and food conditions there Tags: Bonny, climate, Company, Expatriate, food conditions, island, Living, Opportunity, Safe, There Related posts Is it safe to […]
SurvivaBall Will Save You from the Environment
on October 21, 2009 by Vanity Fair | VF.com in Arts/Entertainment, Comments (0)
Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill, The Yes Men, a political prank group, wore big canvas balls and flanked Senator Arlen Specter demanding that he support the climate change bill or else provide their bulky costumes, SurvivaBalls, for all his constituents. The SurvivaBall is an alternate solution to the Senate climate change bill, or, as the SurvivaBall infomerical suggests, “SurvivaBall is nothing less than a self-contained living system—truly, a gated community for one. If you have a SurvivaBall, even if everyone else is dying, at least you can weather all storms.”
Feeling the Heat
on September 28, 2009 by BeijingReview.com in Beijing, news, Comments (0)
The road to the Copenhagen conference on global climate change appears to be bumpy, as countries face a sharp array of disagreements
China, UK, Switzerland to Cooperate on Climate Project
on September 25, 2009 by BeijingReview.com in Beijing, news, Comments (0)
The project aims to study the impact of climate change on China and help China better handle climate change
Indian Style Furniture And Its Popularity
on August 12, 2009 by Michelle Santana Smith in Miscellaneous, Comments (0)
Indian furniture is recognisable by its distinctive style and design and is usually made of a dark hardwood. The individuality of any piece of Indian furniture gives any room a warm personality and its reputation as beautiful cultural furniture is demonstrated by the intricate artwork and craftsmanship that is clearly visible on every piece.
Re: National Geographic
on July 30, 2009 by The Back Alley in Miscellaneous, Comments (0)
Posted by Brewer:
I heard that too, it would wreck the world too in many ways, affect the climate.
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