America Rising

Misc on April 19, 2011 | Make a Comment

Encouraging signs from the Powershift 2011 conference in the US…

Europe & Canada’s dirty oil deal?

Misc on January 20, 2011 | Make a Comment

Updates: Is the EU about to ban tar sands? Take Action: Write to Your MEP

Cross post from UK Tar Sands Network:

On January 14th 2011 a group of protesters invaded the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and demanded a meeting with Stephen Green, the new Minister for Trade. Calling themselves the “Big Society Trade Negotiators”, they were concerned that trade negotiations between the EU and Canada, due to start in Brussels the following Monday, would dramatically boost Europe’s involvement in the Canadian Tar Sands -the most destructive project on earth. They occupied the lobby and conducted a noisy teach-in about trade and the Tar Sands. They only left after the Minister offered them a meeting at a later date.

Unbeknownst to most citizens, the EU and Canada are in the midst of negotiating an ambitious free trade deal (the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA) that could open up the European market to imports of carbon-intensive Tar Sands oil for the first time [1]. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the talks is the plan to allow multinational companies like BP and Shell to sue national governments over social and environmental regulations [2]. This is happening despite the increasingly urgent need for governments to crack down on the destructive and dangerous activities of such companies… Links & References

James Hansen – Why we need a carbon tax

Misc on January 9, 2011 | Make a Comment

He first warned about climate change 30 years ago. Now James Hansen wants us to get serious about a tax on carbon. He tells Phil England why it’s our last chance

Pubished in The Independent Tuesday, 4 January 2011

Grave warning: Climate scientist Professor James Hansen , who has spent the past 30 years advising US administrations from Jimmy Carter to George W Bush, says action must be taken now

Grave warning: Climate scientist Professor James Hansen , who has spent the past 30 years advising US administrations from Jimmy Carter to George W Bush, says action must be taken now.

Professor James Hansen’s last formal engagement was delivering a keynote paper to the American Geophysical Union Autumn meeting. After that, he spent the holidays not enjoying wintry walks or taking advantage of the sales, but doing something altogether more industrious. “I’m writing a paper to provide the scientific basis for [law] suits against the government – just to make them do their job,” he says… Links & References

Weak Cancun outcome agreed in face of Bolivia’s opposition

Misc on December 11, 2010 | Make a Comment

The talks in Cancun continued overnight and adopted the two new Chairs’ texts in the face of sustained opposition by Bolivia at around 4am Cancun time on Saturday 11th December. The decisions are finally up online: the main Long-term Co-operative Action agreement, the Kyoto Protocol decision and the the full set of decisions. The Guardian followed the process on their live blog.

While many are relieved that something (anything!) has been agreed and that therefore “the multilateral process has been saved,” some less rose-tinted analysis is emerging… Links & References

REDD Alert!

Misc on December 9, 2010 | Make a Comment

Indigenous Ppl Reject REDD from IEN on Vimeo.

  • Draft UN forestry deal is a “flawed and potentially planet-wrecking scam”
  • Chair refuses to include adequate protection for natural forests and indigenous peoples’ rights
  • Carbon markets likely to play a role despite country delegations and civil society opposition
  • Forest protection requires respecting Indigenous rights and tackling demand for forest products & land

    • A Done Deal?

    Some observers are saying that a deal on avoiding deforestation (or “REDD” in UN jargon) is near to being closed in Cancun. World Bank head Robert Zoellick (not that he has any interest in these matters…) said yesterday, “This one’s wrapped up and ready to move.” On Tuesday Ban-Ki Moon said conditions were “ripe” for a deal on forestry… Links & References

    Latest text omits Bolivian proposals

    Misc on December 6, 2010 | Make a Comment

    At half-way through the Cancun talks, the Chairs of the two working groups have produced two new draft texts. There had been rumours and fears that a secret text was being drafted up that would be sprung on negotiators, but in the end, the two draft texts presented on Saturday night are supposed to be built on previous drafts as well as building on discussions that have ensued in Cancun during the first week of the talks.

    The new negoiating text for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2013-2017) continues to include the Bolivian proposal of 50% cuts in greenhouse gases by developed countries by 2017, along with other options. Discussions in the Kyoto track are continuing despite Japan’s announcement that it would not make further commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. Japan’s position puts it in breach of its legal commitment under Article 3.9 of the Protocol.

    Meanwhile in the parallel “Long-term Cooperative Action” negotiating track the Chair presented a text entitled “Possible Elements of the Outcome“. Negotiators are still digesting these two texts, but Bolivia gave its initial response in a speech to the conference on Saturday night. It described the text as “imbalanced” and noted many omissions: Links & References

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