Groentje-18
17 mei 2007, 16:09
Updated: More red ink spilt from US pens onto climate pacts
http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/j/jeltovski/lowrez/mf86.jpg (http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/j/jeltovski/lowrez/mf86.jpg)Update 16 May: Angela Merkel has said that the US and Germany remain split over the G8 climate agreement. Her climate adviser said on 15 May that if the summit did not agree on "at least one quantifiable target, then it will have failed completely", according to this FT report (http://www.blogger.com/href=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3f13045c-0349-11dc-a023-000b5df10621.html).
The national science academies of the G8 and of China, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa issued a statement to Angela Merkel today, challenging governments to implement "climate friendly energy systems" in order to address the impacts of climate change. The full statement can be read here (http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/displaypagedoc.asp?id=25504).
So far as future climate change policy is concerned, a few key meetings are taking place later this year. Very close to top of that list is the 2007 G8 summit (http://www.g-8.de/), which will take place from 9 to 8 June in Heiligendamm, Germany.
The meeting will bring the world's leading economies - and some of the world's top polluters - together in a discussion of how to proceed with international climate policy after the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. Take note: the US will be there.
There have been a lot of climate "noises" coming out of the US since January, some more proactive than others. Capitol Hill is gradually turning green (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19325973.900-the-climate-changes-on-capitol-hill.html), both through practice and through policy. California is doing its bit to show the Federal government how green is done (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11735-arnie-sues-us-government-over-washing-machines.html). New York is about to host a summit of city mayors (http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/41861/story.htm) from around the world to discuss how cities can lead by example.
But although George W. Bush kicked off the year with a pro-green State of the Union address (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11020-bushs-address-tackles-energy-and-climate.html), and despite leading US businesses (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11016-calls-to-act-on-global-warming-precede-bush-speech.html) and legislators putting pressure on federal government to impose caps on emissions (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11199), the White House still refuses to set such caps.
Over in Europe (another key G8 presence), the trend is quite the opposite. Governments have agreed to stringent emissions targets (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11343).
So how well will these two sit under the same roof in Heiligendamm? Not well, apparently. The BBC reports today (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6651295.stm) that the US has already reached for its red pen and struck long lines through a draft G8 agreement on climate change. According to BBC reporter Richard Black, the US has opposed mentioning temperature and emissions targets in the draft, as well as a call to create a global carbon market. They have also struck out the following phrases:
"we are deeply concerned about the latest findings confirmed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)"
and
"climate change is speeding up and will seriously damage our common natural environment and severely weaken (the) global economy... resolute action is urgently needed in order to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions"
It seems to me that climate change negotiations have come to a stalemate. The number of times we've reported on individual governments or small groups of governments opposing key parts of international climate change documents - namely the 2007 IPCC reports - is staggering (see Saudis blocking reductions in fossil-fuel consumption (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19426013.400-saudis-blocking-reductions-in-fossilfuel-consumption.html), China's demands dog latest climate talks (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11761), Behind the scenes at the IPCC (http://www.newscientist.com/blog/environment/2007/02/behind-scenes-at-ipcc-china-is-new-us.html)). Part of this is simply what is to be expected from gathering such diverging economies and governments into one room and attempting to reach consensus. But it leaves me baffled. The hopes for the last conference of the parties to the Kyoto protocol, in November 2006, was that it would at least create the embryo of a post-Kyoto protocol. Instead, it simply delayed action to 2007.
Will 2007 simply see the deadline extended once more? The US federal government is being pushed from all sides: states (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11735-arnie-sues-us-government-over-washing-machines.html), cities (http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/41861/story.htm), legislators (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11199) and even businesses (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11016-calls-to-act-on-global-warming-precede-bush-speech.html). What is it waiting for?
Catherine Brahic, Online environment reporter
Bron: http://www.newscientist.com/blog/environment/
http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/j/jeltovski/lowrez/mf86.jpg (http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/j/jeltovski/lowrez/mf86.jpg)Update 16 May: Angela Merkel has said that the US and Germany remain split over the G8 climate agreement. Her climate adviser said on 15 May that if the summit did not agree on "at least one quantifiable target, then it will have failed completely", according to this FT report (http://www.blogger.com/href=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3f13045c-0349-11dc-a023-000b5df10621.html).
The national science academies of the G8 and of China, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa issued a statement to Angela Merkel today, challenging governments to implement "climate friendly energy systems" in order to address the impacts of climate change. The full statement can be read here (http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/displaypagedoc.asp?id=25504).
So far as future climate change policy is concerned, a few key meetings are taking place later this year. Very close to top of that list is the 2007 G8 summit (http://www.g-8.de/), which will take place from 9 to 8 June in Heiligendamm, Germany.
The meeting will bring the world's leading economies - and some of the world's top polluters - together in a discussion of how to proceed with international climate policy after the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. Take note: the US will be there.
There have been a lot of climate "noises" coming out of the US since January, some more proactive than others. Capitol Hill is gradually turning green (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19325973.900-the-climate-changes-on-capitol-hill.html), both through practice and through policy. California is doing its bit to show the Federal government how green is done (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11735-arnie-sues-us-government-over-washing-machines.html). New York is about to host a summit of city mayors (http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/41861/story.htm) from around the world to discuss how cities can lead by example.
But although George W. Bush kicked off the year with a pro-green State of the Union address (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11020-bushs-address-tackles-energy-and-climate.html), and despite leading US businesses (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11016-calls-to-act-on-global-warming-precede-bush-speech.html) and legislators putting pressure on federal government to impose caps on emissions (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11199), the White House still refuses to set such caps.
Over in Europe (another key G8 presence), the trend is quite the opposite. Governments have agreed to stringent emissions targets (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11343).
So how well will these two sit under the same roof in Heiligendamm? Not well, apparently. The BBC reports today (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6651295.stm) that the US has already reached for its red pen and struck long lines through a draft G8 agreement on climate change. According to BBC reporter Richard Black, the US has opposed mentioning temperature and emissions targets in the draft, as well as a call to create a global carbon market. They have also struck out the following phrases:
"we are deeply concerned about the latest findings confirmed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)"
and
"climate change is speeding up and will seriously damage our common natural environment and severely weaken (the) global economy... resolute action is urgently needed in order to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions"
It seems to me that climate change negotiations have come to a stalemate. The number of times we've reported on individual governments or small groups of governments opposing key parts of international climate change documents - namely the 2007 IPCC reports - is staggering (see Saudis blocking reductions in fossil-fuel consumption (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19426013.400-saudis-blocking-reductions-in-fossilfuel-consumption.html), China's demands dog latest climate talks (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11761), Behind the scenes at the IPCC (http://www.newscientist.com/blog/environment/2007/02/behind-scenes-at-ipcc-china-is-new-us.html)). Part of this is simply what is to be expected from gathering such diverging economies and governments into one room and attempting to reach consensus. But it leaves me baffled. The hopes for the last conference of the parties to the Kyoto protocol, in November 2006, was that it would at least create the embryo of a post-Kyoto protocol. Instead, it simply delayed action to 2007.
Will 2007 simply see the deadline extended once more? The US federal government is being pushed from all sides: states (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11735-arnie-sues-us-government-over-washing-machines.html), cities (http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/41861/story.htm), legislators (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11199) and even businesses (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11016-calls-to-act-on-global-warming-precede-bush-speech.html). What is it waiting for?
Catherine Brahic, Online environment reporter
Bron: http://www.newscientist.com/blog/environment/