Climate Change: The Long & Winding Road to Cancun
Norwegians put Developed World to Shame
With a qualified result, at best, achieved in Copenhagen last December, progress toward reducing the world’s green house gas (GHG) emissions appears to have stalled, pending the next major conference on climate change COP16, scheduled for Mexico this coming December. Some progress appeared to have been made at Copenhagen toward reducing the destruction of tropical rain forest, but concerns are this may be negated by their re-zoning for palm oil plantations and the like. Additionally, some 83 countries, accounting for 78% of world GHG emissions, this month reported their plans for GHG reductions. While this is qualified good news, it does not yet go far enough and so far, any results would remain unenforceable and unverifiable.
An encouraging lead, however, came from Norway, who stole a march over other developed countries, declaring it would reduce by 40% its GHG emissions by 2020, becoming carbon neutral by 2030. This in stark contrast to the EU, who at Copenhagen backed off from a promise to increase their commitment to reduce GHG emissions from 20% to 30% by 2020, in the face of reluctance in the US Congress to legislate on climate change and the Chinese refusal to accept any independent verification of their stated GHG reduction targets.
Announcing this, a Norwegian government spokesman agreed that in the long run India and China would have to reduce, not just slow emissions, but rich countries, who been emitting greenhouse gases for many years, have no right to deny other people’s right to development. The question was, how to ensure countries like India and China continue to develop and lift people out of poverty while reducing, not just slowing, the growth of emissions? It was possible, he said, through increased aid and technology transfer. An agreement covering all emitters but in a differentiated way was what was required. While Norway has said it will be carbon neutral by 2030, no one seriously expects China or India to become carbon neutral any time soon, if at all, he added.
Whiten your Roofs
Have we been paying attention yet? Have any of us been painting the roofs of our houses white and having our local authorities white-metalling our roads? If not, why not? Because that’s what Prof. Steven Chu, President Obama’s energy advisor, has told us lot living in hot countries need to do. If we did, homes in warmer climes would save energy and money on air conditioning deflecting the sun’s rays, he says. More pale surfaces would slow global warming reflecting heat back into space, not trapped by dark surfaces, leading to greenhouse gases and increased temperatures.
The Nobel Prize-winning physicist tells us the world is in a crisis situation. However the US was not considering any large scale geo-engineering projects using science to reverse global warming, but was in favour of “white roofs everywhere”, he said. Whitening roofs and roads in urban environments would offset the global warming effects of all the cars in the world for 11 years. That’s nice, but in view of the lack of action in the US generally, is that really going to do it for the planet one wonders?
In the run up to the COP15 Copenhagen Conference last December Prof. Chu resoundingly declared, “the US will move, inevitably it will move first, and I hope China will follow”. Alas, not much leadership, nor followship for that matter as yet. So perhaps it really is all up to us to paint the alang alang…
Baloney! We Need Innovation, says Bill Gates
Bill Gates, for one does not agree with Prof. Chu. He thinks it’s not wrong but it’s fiddling while the planet burns. The world is presented with two timeframes as goals for Co2 reduction, 30% by 2025 and 80% by 2050. Mr Gates says. 80% by 2050 is the one to go for.
Trouble is, we tend to focus on the 2025 solution because it’s more concrete and easier, but it won’t do the job, says Mr Gates. To make the 80% goal by 2050 we will have to reduce emissions from transportation & electrical production to zero. That means innovation that leads to entirely new approaches to generating power.
To do that a system of R&D with economic rewards for innovators and strong government encouragement is the key. Right now there just isn’t enough going on today to get us to where we need to go. The danger is people will think they just need to do a little bit and things will be fine. If CO2 reduction is important, we need to make it clear to people what really matters - getting to zero.
Saving the Sumatran Tiger
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia this month launched a public campaign to save the Sumatran tiger as part of WWF`s “Year of the Tiger” program. The campaign seeks to persuade the general public, business and government to develop concern for the fate of the Sumatran tiger, the only surviving tiger species in Indonesia.
There are only 400 Sumatran tigers living in the wild in the country, a WWF spokesperson said. They are endangered because of the continued trade in tiger body parts and because tiger habitat is still being destroyed by human activities. Unless we act now, extinction is only a matter of time, she added, calling on business and government to act.
KPK Action to Save the Forest
A coalition of leading Indonesian NGOs in Indonesia has called for urgent action by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to investigate forestry mafias and corruption cases in the sector, Antara reported earlier this month.
The coalition includes Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), Working Network of Riau Forest Rescuers (JIKALAHARI), Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), Save Our Borneo (SOB), Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI), Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), Sawit Watch, Kontak Rakyat Borneo and SILVAGAMA.
“Corruption cases in the forestry sector must become a KPK priority”, said a WALHI spokesman. There were nine big cases pending causing the country to lose Rp 6.66 trillion.
He called on KPK to form a special task force to investigate cases of egregious forest destruction. “Illegal logging activities are controlled by criminal syndicates. The worst damage is caused by illegal conversion of forest land into palm oil plantations and mining areas aided by unscrupulous investors and senior officials,”, he said.
Last year the report stated, some 7.8 million hectares of forests in Central Kalimantan alone have been turned into palm oil plantations and mining areas. In Papua, according to the government’s Forestry Consolidation Bureau, 5.8 million hectares of forest have been lost in the last six years and it is estimated Papua will lose its entire forest area by 2020.
