Home
Delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, had quite a day.
The week leading up to the conference, a report was circulating that
Denmark, host of the conference, had a drawn up a text that was sure to
come under fire. Yesterday afternoon Britains’ The Guardian Newspaper
published what they claimed to be this text. Further the paper also
claims to have read “a confidential analysis by developing countries”
which “shows deep unease”.
The draft acknowledges that 2020 as the year which global emission
should peak, while also acknowledging that developed countries have
collectively peaked and that the timeframe will be longer for
developing countries. The text goes on to specify emission reduction
targets for both developed and developing countries.
What as the latter up in arms is possible shift of control of enforcement of any agreement to developed countries.
Confused yet?
Under the present agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, developing countries
are exempt from obligations, but industrialized countries have stressed
that this will not be feasible in the future. The Danish text says that
“developing countries, except the least developed which may contribute
at their own discretion, commit to nationally appropriate mitigation
actions”. According to The Guardian’s sources, “developing countries
are infelicitous about the new proposed division between the ‘least
developed’ and other developing nations.
Another sticky point is the suggestion to transfer more control over
the enforcement of the Copenhagen agreement from the UN administration,
to the World Bank. Such a move would indirectly shift more control over to the industrialized world.
In other news, UPI is reporting the period from 2000 -2009 will be
considered to be one of the warmest on record. Additionally the World
Meteorological Organization said 2009 will rank among the 10 warmest
years since 1850. The WMO said temperatures for the current year stand
between 0.6 degrees and 1 degree Fahrenheit higher than the average
from 1961-1990.
The WMO said the period from 2000-2009 was warmer than the 1990-99 decade, which was warmer than the 1980-1989 time span.
Forecasters cited El Nino conditions and human-caused global climate
change for the increases. Only in North America were lower average
temperatures recorded.
“We are in a warming trend – we have no doubt about it” said WMO Secretary General, Michel Jarraud.
And from the “Did they really do that file”, you may remember when
CEO’s of the former Big Three Automakers arrived in Washington, hands
held out, looking for a big influx of cash, but they all arrived via
private jet. Only to be scolded by the commission and ordered to
dispose of the luxury items. Fox news is reporting
that delegates haven’t been arriving in fleet of Smart cars, but rather
the city airport has been swarmed with 140 private jets, and over 1200
hired limousines and “a carbon footprint the size of a small country”.
