COLLEGE PARK Sept 23, 2008 - A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds the majority of supporters of John McCain and Barack Obama largely agree on how to deal with both the country's energy needs and the problem of climate change.
Asked whether the government should require utilities to use more alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, even if this increases costs in the short-run, seventy-five percent of Obama voters and sixty percent of McCain voters say that it should.
Presented two competing arguments, both Obama and McCain supporters reject the argument that making a major shift to alternative energy sources "would cost so much money that it would hurt the economy." Very large majorities in both the Obama (83%) and McCain (73%) camps instead support the argument that "with the rising cost of energy, it would save money in the long run."
Supporters in both camps strongly favor a greater emphasis on increasing energy efficiency: 71 percent of Obama and 55 percent of McCain supporters support requiring businesses to use energy more efficiently, even if it might make some products more expensive.
Only small minorities in both camps favor greater emphasis on "building coal or oil-fired power plants," although more McCain supporters favor this approach (34%) than those for Obama (19%).
Both Obama and McCain supporters favor the United States departing from its current position on the Kyoto Treaty. Told that, "the U.S. and other countries from around the world will be meeting next year to develop a new treaty to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as those caused by using oil and coal," 94 percent of Obama supporters and 63 percent of McCain supporters said that the United States should "be willing to commit to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as part of such a treaty."
These findings are part of a larger international poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org, an international research project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland. The poll of 1,174 Americans was fielded from August 9 - 20, 2008 by Knowledge Networks. The margin of error ranges from +/2.9 to 3.4 percent, depending on the sample size. Because this was an international poll questions about offshore drilling were not included.
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Friday
Bangladesh steps up to tackle climate change
Bangladesh has launched a comprehensive action plan to ensure the country's resilience to climate change over the next decade.
The 2009—2018 plan was presented yesterday (10 September) during the UK—Bangladesh Climate Change Conference in London, United Kingdom.
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, particularly the threat of increased flooding and storms due to its position in the delta of three large rivers — the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna — as well as facing the Bay of Bengal.
Addressing the conference via video message, Fakhruddin Ahmed, head of the Bangladesh government, said the country was on track for achieving the Millennium Development Goals but 'climate change has the potential to wreak havoc on our efforts.'
A major focus of the plan is on research to better estimate and monitor the scale and timing of climate change impacts. The plan calls for more accurate modelling scenarios at a regional and national level, particularly for the predicted hydrological impact on the Ganges—Brahmaputra—Meghna delta system.
It also targets research into the impacts of climate change on the macro-economy and linkages between climate change, poverty and health to identify suitable interventions.
The plan also seeks to establish a Centre for Research and Knowledge Management on Climate Change to ensure Bangladesh has access to the latest ideas and technologies from around the world.
Other measures outlined include agricultural research to develop crop varieties resistant to flooding, drought and salinity, better surveillance systems for new and existing disease risks, and improving early warning systems for storm surges and floods.
The exact costs of the plan are still being worked out, but the government estimates that US$500 million will be needed for the first two years, and US$5 billion needed for the first 5 years.
To address this, the government has established a National Climate Change Fund, injecting an initial US$45 million. In addition, a multi-donor trust fund (MDTF) was announced at the conference for contributions from international donors.
Mirza Azizul Islam, Bangladesh's Finance Adviser, called for a 'new sense of urgency' and appealed to all development partners to contribute generously to the trust fund, adding that the funds currently available are grossly inadequate.
'Climate change in Bangladesh is about deprivation and destitution of large sections of the population, with their lives plunged into darkness,' said Islam. 'The government of Bangladesh is committed to face the challenges of climate change.'
United Kingdom secretary of state Douglas Alexander also announced £75 million (around US$132 million) of grant funding from the UK to help Bangladesh fund its mitigation strategies.
Bangladesh and the United Kingdom sealed their long-term commitment to combating climate change by signing a joint document outlining the need to urgently address the challenges and threats posed.
The 2009—2018 plan was presented yesterday (10 September) during the UK—Bangladesh Climate Change Conference in London, United Kingdom.
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, particularly the threat of increased flooding and storms due to its position in the delta of three large rivers — the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna — as well as facing the Bay of Bengal.
Addressing the conference via video message, Fakhruddin Ahmed, head of the Bangladesh government, said the country was on track for achieving the Millennium Development Goals but 'climate change has the potential to wreak havoc on our efforts.'
A major focus of the plan is on research to better estimate and monitor the scale and timing of climate change impacts. The plan calls for more accurate modelling scenarios at a regional and national level, particularly for the predicted hydrological impact on the Ganges—Brahmaputra—Meghna delta system.
It also targets research into the impacts of climate change on the macro-economy and linkages between climate change, poverty and health to identify suitable interventions.
The plan also seeks to establish a Centre for Research and Knowledge Management on Climate Change to ensure Bangladesh has access to the latest ideas and technologies from around the world.
Other measures outlined include agricultural research to develop crop varieties resistant to flooding, drought and salinity, better surveillance systems for new and existing disease risks, and improving early warning systems for storm surges and floods.
The exact costs of the plan are still being worked out, but the government estimates that US$500 million will be needed for the first two years, and US$5 billion needed for the first 5 years.
To address this, the government has established a National Climate Change Fund, injecting an initial US$45 million. In addition, a multi-donor trust fund (MDTF) was announced at the conference for contributions from international donors.
Mirza Azizul Islam, Bangladesh's Finance Adviser, called for a 'new sense of urgency' and appealed to all development partners to contribute generously to the trust fund, adding that the funds currently available are grossly inadequate.
'Climate change in Bangladesh is about deprivation and destitution of large sections of the population, with their lives plunged into darkness,' said Islam. 'The government of Bangladesh is committed to face the challenges of climate change.'
United Kingdom secretary of state Douglas Alexander also announced £75 million (around US$132 million) of grant funding from the UK to help Bangladesh fund its mitigation strategies.
Bangladesh and the United Kingdom sealed their long-term commitment to combating climate change by signing a joint document outlining the need to urgently address the challenges and threats posed.
Obama on Climate Change
DENVER, Colorado, August 29, 2008 (ENS) - Climate change has made Senator Barack Obama's list of "threats of the 21st century" alongside terrorism and nuclear proliferation, poverty, genocide, and disease.
Accepting the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night before 75,000 supporters at Denver's Invesco Field, Obama said he would "build new partnerships" to defeat these threats.
"And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president - in 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East," he declared.
"Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years, and John McCain has been there for 26 of them," said the senator from Illinois of his Republican opponent.
"In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office."
"Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close," said Obama.
"As president," he promised, "I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power.
"I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America," he said. "I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars."
"And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced."
Obama has won the support of many environmentalists for his climate and energy plans.
In a scorecard comparing Obama's energy policies with those of his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Sierra Club last week came out clearly in favor of Obama.
"Both candidates are talking about energy, high prices and global warming, so it's important to look past the rhetoric and see what is at the heart of their plans," said Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club political director.
"As this scorecard illustrates, the contrast in this election could not be starker," she said. "Barack Obama wants to give tax relief and $1,000 energy rebates to working families, while John McCain wants billions more in tax breaks for oil companies making more than $1,000 a second in profits."
The League of Conservation Voters said Wednesday that Obama has a "proven record as an environmental champion" and found 10 reasons to support his candidacy.
Speaking tonight in support of the newly selected Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Al Gore described the choice facing American voters as one that will determine the fate of the planet.
He spoke from experience, having run for the presidency in 2000 and won the popular vote only to watch as the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the vote counting in Florida, in effect handing the White House to his opponent, George W. Bush.
"That's why I came here tonight: to tell you why I feel so strongly that we must seize this opportunity to elect Barack Obama president of the United States of America," said Gore.
"Take it from me, if it had ended differently," Gore told the crowd, "we would not be denying the climate crisis; we'd be solving it."
But today, Gore said, "We are facing a planetary emergency, which, if not solved, would exceed anything we've ever experienced in the history of humankind."
"We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the future of human civilization," said Gore. "Every bit of that has to change."
Gore, who shares the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for doing his utmost to warn the world about global warming, delivered a searing picture of potential climate disaster tonight.
Former Vice President Al Gore addresses fellow Democrats in Denver. August 28, 2008
"Many scientists predict - shockingly - that the entire North Polar ice cap may be completely gone during summer months during the first term of the next president," he said.
"Sea levels are rising; fires are raging; storms are stronger. Military experts warn us our national security is threatened by massive waves of climate refugees destabilizing countries around the world, and scientists tell us the very web of life is endangered by unprecedented extinctions," Gore warned.
The former vice president, who served in the Senate with McCain as president pro tem during the Clinton administration and before that as a senator from Tennessee, told the crowd tonight, "In spite of John McCain's past record of open-mindedness and leadership on the climate crisis, he has now apparently allowed his party to browbeat him into abandoning his support of mandatory caps on global warming pollution."
Gore said Obama will be a president who inspires America to believe we can use the sun, the wind, geothermal power, conservation and efficiency to solve the climate crisis.
By contrast, he said "the carbon fuels industry - big oil and coal - have a 50-year lease on the Republican Party, and they are drilling it for everything it's worth."
At the White House today, presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters that President Bush believes the Obama nomination shows "that America is the best country on Earth and a place where everybody, if they work hard, can achieve great things."
Accepting the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night before 75,000 supporters at Denver's Invesco Field, Obama said he would "build new partnerships" to defeat these threats.
"And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president - in 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East," he declared.
"Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years, and John McCain has been there for 26 of them," said the senator from Illinois of his Republican opponent.
"In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office."
"Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close," said Obama.
"As president," he promised, "I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power.
"I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America," he said. "I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars."
"And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced."
Obama has won the support of many environmentalists for his climate and energy plans.
In a scorecard comparing Obama's energy policies with those of his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Sierra Club last week came out clearly in favor of Obama.
"Both candidates are talking about energy, high prices and global warming, so it's important to look past the rhetoric and see what is at the heart of their plans," said Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club political director.
"As this scorecard illustrates, the contrast in this election could not be starker," she said. "Barack Obama wants to give tax relief and $1,000 energy rebates to working families, while John McCain wants billions more in tax breaks for oil companies making more than $1,000 a second in profits."
The League of Conservation Voters said Wednesday that Obama has a "proven record as an environmental champion" and found 10 reasons to support his candidacy.
Speaking tonight in support of the newly selected Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Al Gore described the choice facing American voters as one that will determine the fate of the planet.
He spoke from experience, having run for the presidency in 2000 and won the popular vote only to watch as the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the vote counting in Florida, in effect handing the White House to his opponent, George W. Bush.
"That's why I came here tonight: to tell you why I feel so strongly that we must seize this opportunity to elect Barack Obama president of the United States of America," said Gore.
"Take it from me, if it had ended differently," Gore told the crowd, "we would not be denying the climate crisis; we'd be solving it."
But today, Gore said, "We are facing a planetary emergency, which, if not solved, would exceed anything we've ever experienced in the history of humankind."
"We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the future of human civilization," said Gore. "Every bit of that has to change."
Gore, who shares the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for doing his utmost to warn the world about global warming, delivered a searing picture of potential climate disaster tonight.
Former Vice President Al Gore addresses fellow Democrats in Denver. August 28, 2008
"Many scientists predict - shockingly - that the entire North Polar ice cap may be completely gone during summer months during the first term of the next president," he said.
"Sea levels are rising; fires are raging; storms are stronger. Military experts warn us our national security is threatened by massive waves of climate refugees destabilizing countries around the world, and scientists tell us the very web of life is endangered by unprecedented extinctions," Gore warned.
The former vice president, who served in the Senate with McCain as president pro tem during the Clinton administration and before that as a senator from Tennessee, told the crowd tonight, "In spite of John McCain's past record of open-mindedness and leadership on the climate crisis, he has now apparently allowed his party to browbeat him into abandoning his support of mandatory caps on global warming pollution."
Gore said Obama will be a president who inspires America to believe we can use the sun, the wind, geothermal power, conservation and efficiency to solve the climate crisis.
By contrast, he said "the carbon fuels industry - big oil and coal - have a 50-year lease on the Republican Party, and they are drilling it for everything it's worth."
At the White House today, presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters that President Bush believes the Obama nomination shows "that America is the best country on Earth and a place where everybody, if they work hard, can achieve great things."
Wednesday
Business must tackle climate change: Kevin Rudd
There is no way around the fact that tackling climate change will cost businesses money, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.
But he thinks business is ready to do its part to reduce greenhouse pollution.
The Business Council of Australia (BCA) sparked controversy recently when it warned that emissions trading would drive down profits and force some businesses to close.
The BCA's call for the scheme to be changed enraged conservationists and the union movement, who accused big business of dodging its responsibility on climate change.
Mr Rudd said "reasonable people" would be able to work out a way forward.
"(But) it will never happen cost-free, it is not a cost-free business. Anyone who says that is misleading, and I don't intend to say that," he said.
He was prepared for a bit of "argy bargy" with the business community.
"I just regard that as part of this (process)," he told reporters.
Mr Rudd said business was ready to help tackle climate change.
"What I detect overall from the business community is actually something quite good. None of them have said to me so far: `Oh by the way, we don't want to act on climate change'," he said.
"Roll the clock back a few years and it might have been the starting point."
The Australian Greens want to see a secret document which apparently puts forward options to give business an "easier cop".
According to media reports, the federal government has privately released a paper which canvasses alternative approaches to emissions trading, ahead of a meeting with business chiefs on Friday.
Greens senator Christine Milne called on Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, who allegedly is behind the document, to come clean.
"That document will show us, once and for all, what he's proposing as an easier cop for the big end of town and whether the minister knew about it," Senator Milne said.
She also took aim at the government over its looming decision on whether to approve a controversial $5.3 billion coal mine proposed for central Queensland.
The federal government could stop the development going ahead. It is yet to make a decision.
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong told the Senate that Environment Minister Peter Garrett received a referral from the company in July.
"And the minister has yet to make a determination on this proposal," she said.
The federal government also moved to save itself from burying millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in the wrong place.
The government made a mistake in amending laws to allow for carbon dioxide from power stations to be buried under the seabed.
By using the wrong way of calculating distance, the laws as they stand would be 200 metres out across the board, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said.
"(This) would cause concern and uncertainty for industry if not corrected," Mr Ferguson told parliament.
But he thinks business is ready to do its part to reduce greenhouse pollution.
The Business Council of Australia (BCA) sparked controversy recently when it warned that emissions trading would drive down profits and force some businesses to close.
The BCA's call for the scheme to be changed enraged conservationists and the union movement, who accused big business of dodging its responsibility on climate change.
Mr Rudd said "reasonable people" would be able to work out a way forward.
"(But) it will never happen cost-free, it is not a cost-free business. Anyone who says that is misleading, and I don't intend to say that," he said.
He was prepared for a bit of "argy bargy" with the business community.
"I just regard that as part of this (process)," he told reporters.
Mr Rudd said business was ready to help tackle climate change.
"What I detect overall from the business community is actually something quite good. None of them have said to me so far: `Oh by the way, we don't want to act on climate change'," he said.
"Roll the clock back a few years and it might have been the starting point."
The Australian Greens want to see a secret document which apparently puts forward options to give business an "easier cop".
According to media reports, the federal government has privately released a paper which canvasses alternative approaches to emissions trading, ahead of a meeting with business chiefs on Friday.
Greens senator Christine Milne called on Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, who allegedly is behind the document, to come clean.
"That document will show us, once and for all, what he's proposing as an easier cop for the big end of town and whether the minister knew about it," Senator Milne said.
She also took aim at the government over its looming decision on whether to approve a controversial $5.3 billion coal mine proposed for central Queensland.
The federal government could stop the development going ahead. It is yet to make a decision.
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong told the Senate that Environment Minister Peter Garrett received a referral from the company in July.
"And the minister has yet to make a determination on this proposal," she said.
The federal government also moved to save itself from burying millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in the wrong place.
The government made a mistake in amending laws to allow for carbon dioxide from power stations to be buried under the seabed.
By using the wrong way of calculating distance, the laws as they stand would be 200 metres out across the board, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said.
"(This) would cause concern and uncertainty for industry if not corrected," Mr Ferguson told parliament.
New Zealand to pass legislation on Climate change
New Zealand First has announced it will support Labour's flagship emissions trading scheme, meaning the major climate change legislation will pass into law.
In a statement just released, the party said it faced the decision of whether to support a scheme over which it would have some influence, or to leave the country in a situation of uncertainty.
"We have secured a package that will ensure that all households wil receive a one-off payment to mitigate the impact of the ETS," leader Winston Peters said.
People on low incomes - including New Zealand superannuation - will receive what Mr Peters described as a "front-loaded CPI adjustment" to ensure that they keep ahead of the projected cost of the emissions trading scheme to their households.
As well, New Zealand First said a dedicated portion of the $1 billion energy efficiency fund that the Greens announced yesterday would go to SuperGold cardholders.
"The most critical aspect secured by New Zealand First was the introduction of a new requirement for the agriculture and industry allocation plans to be further scrutinised by a select committee and Parliament to ensure that as circumstances change, the ETS has the ability to meet these," Mr Peters said.
New Zealand First's decision to back the scheme means Labour now has sufficient support to pass it, after several months of intense negotiation.
That is good news for Prime Minister Helen Clark, who has been desperate to pass the major legislation since she made climate change a big part of her political agenda almost two years ago.
In a statement just released, the party said it faced the decision of whether to support a scheme over which it would have some influence, or to leave the country in a situation of uncertainty.
"We have secured a package that will ensure that all households wil receive a one-off payment to mitigate the impact of the ETS," leader Winston Peters said.
People on low incomes - including New Zealand superannuation - will receive what Mr Peters described as a "front-loaded CPI adjustment" to ensure that they keep ahead of the projected cost of the emissions trading scheme to their households.
As well, New Zealand First said a dedicated portion of the $1 billion energy efficiency fund that the Greens announced yesterday would go to SuperGold cardholders.
"The most critical aspect secured by New Zealand First was the introduction of a new requirement for the agriculture and industry allocation plans to be further scrutinised by a select committee and Parliament to ensure that as circumstances change, the ETS has the ability to meet these," Mr Peters said.
New Zealand First's decision to back the scheme means Labour now has sufficient support to pass it, after several months of intense negotiation.
That is good news for Prime Minister Helen Clark, who has been desperate to pass the major legislation since she made climate change a big part of her political agenda almost two years ago.
Tuesday
2 Moons on 27th August
27th Aug the Whole World is waiting for.............
Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky Starting August.
It will look as large as the full moon to the naked Eye. This will happen On Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch The sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The Next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.
Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY Will ever see it again.
Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky Starting August.
It will look as large as the full moon to the naked Eye. This will happen On Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch The sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The Next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.
Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY Will ever see it again.
Euractive on climate Chnage
LAGOS, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- The latest round of UN climate talks, which began last Thursday and will conclude this Wednesday in Accra, Ghana, aims at overcoming disagreements over the tools that countries can use to cut greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate progress towards a new climate treaty by the end of 2009, said a recent article from the euractive website.
"There is little time left to get a solid negotiating text on the table. Clearly the clock is ticking," Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has told some 1,000 delegates from 160 countries at the opening of the six-day meeting.
The article said the meeting is the third UN climate change conference since nations committed, in Bali, to adopting a global climate pact by no later than December 2009. But progress was slow at the last two meetings in Bangkok and Bonn.
Onlookers believe disagreements between developed and developing nations as well as uncertainties about the direction of U.S. climate policy after President George W. Bush leaves office, the economic slowdown and the recent collapse of global trade talks at the WTO will mean delegates at the Accra talks will be uneager to make any firm commitments, according to the article.
In Accra, experts are to attempt to reach agreement on the rules and tools that developed nations can use to reach their emission reduction targets, de Boer explained.
Among the means being considered are the Japanese-led proposals for sector targets, a 'bottom-up' approach whereby different emissions reduction targets would be set for individual industry sectors, such as steel or power generation, according to their specific characteristics and circumstances.
But developing countries are wary of such approaches. They fear that developed nations could use sector benchmarks, such as the amount of energy required to produce a tone of cement, as a means of effectively blocking goods from developing countries' less efficient industries, it said.
The Accra gathering is part of the crucial UN process designed to reach agreement on stronger cooperative action on climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009.
"There is little time left to get a solid negotiating text on the table. Clearly the clock is ticking," Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has told some 1,000 delegates from 160 countries at the opening of the six-day meeting.
The article said the meeting is the third UN climate change conference since nations committed, in Bali, to adopting a global climate pact by no later than December 2009. But progress was slow at the last two meetings in Bangkok and Bonn.
Onlookers believe disagreements between developed and developing nations as well as uncertainties about the direction of U.S. climate policy after President George W. Bush leaves office, the economic slowdown and the recent collapse of global trade talks at the WTO will mean delegates at the Accra talks will be uneager to make any firm commitments, according to the article.
In Accra, experts are to attempt to reach agreement on the rules and tools that developed nations can use to reach their emission reduction targets, de Boer explained.
Among the means being considered are the Japanese-led proposals for sector targets, a 'bottom-up' approach whereby different emissions reduction targets would be set for individual industry sectors, such as steel or power generation, according to their specific characteristics and circumstances.
But developing countries are wary of such approaches. They fear that developed nations could use sector benchmarks, such as the amount of energy required to produce a tone of cement, as a means of effectively blocking goods from developing countries' less efficient industries, it said.
The Accra gathering is part of the crucial UN process designed to reach agreement on stronger cooperative action on climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009.
Latest on Cliamte Change : Nigeria Won't Take Loan
Nigeria said on Monday at the ongoing Accra Climate Change Talks that it would no longer accept any credit facility to tackle issues of climate change.
Dr. Victor Fodeke, leader of Nigerian delegation to the talks told the News Agency of Nigeria that the country would not accept any credit facility no matter what the repayment conditions were.
“It is in the light of this that we are here mobilising other African countries to adopt our position as an African agenda, we shall push for adaptation and not mitigation,‘‘ he added.
Fodeke said that the country welcomed effort by Annex 1 parties to leverage financial support for developing countries but that as a non-contributor to the scourge of climate change, no support would be deemed too much.
He said, “Africa is the continent that will be affected by climate change more than any other region in the world.
“At the same time, widespread poverty in Africa means that many Africans are very vulnerable to climate change but have contributed almost nothing to the crisis.
“It is of utmost importance that the post 2012 deal will contain a powerful and coherent framework for adaptation that provides the necessary funding, technology and capacity building to allow Africa to adapt to the already unavoidable levels of climate change.”
He said that such a framework would be built on principles that would facilitate a massive upscale of adaptation in developing countries, especially those in Africa.
He said the country was already articulating a set of programmes and polices that would assist in the reduction of the impact of climate change in Nigeria.
Fodeke, who is also the head of the Special Climate Change Unit of the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, listed such programmes to include the establishment of an International Centre for Climate Change Activities as well as the Climate Change Hall of Fame Project.
“This programmes will put issues of climate change on the front burner in Nigeria,‘‘ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent covering the meeting reports that the over 30 Nigerian delegation to the talks include stakeholders drawn from the oil and gas sector, government departments and NGOs, among others.
Dr. Victor Fodeke, leader of Nigerian delegation to the talks told the News Agency of Nigeria that the country would not accept any credit facility no matter what the repayment conditions were.
“It is in the light of this that we are here mobilising other African countries to adopt our position as an African agenda, we shall push for adaptation and not mitigation,‘‘ he added.
Fodeke said that the country welcomed effort by Annex 1 parties to leverage financial support for developing countries but that as a non-contributor to the scourge of climate change, no support would be deemed too much.
He said, “Africa is the continent that will be affected by climate change more than any other region in the world.
“At the same time, widespread poverty in Africa means that many Africans are very vulnerable to climate change but have contributed almost nothing to the crisis.
“It is of utmost importance that the post 2012 deal will contain a powerful and coherent framework for adaptation that provides the necessary funding, technology and capacity building to allow Africa to adapt to the already unavoidable levels of climate change.”
He said that such a framework would be built on principles that would facilitate a massive upscale of adaptation in developing countries, especially those in Africa.
He said the country was already articulating a set of programmes and polices that would assist in the reduction of the impact of climate change in Nigeria.
Fodeke, who is also the head of the Special Climate Change Unit of the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, listed such programmes to include the establishment of an International Centre for Climate Change Activities as well as the Climate Change Hall of Fame Project.
“This programmes will put issues of climate change on the front burner in Nigeria,‘‘ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent covering the meeting reports that the over 30 Nigerian delegation to the talks include stakeholders drawn from the oil and gas sector, government departments and NGOs, among others.
Discounts scheme to fight global warming
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea on Monday announced plans for a discount scheme to encourage citizens to buy more energy-efficient products.
Consumers who buy such products will receive carbon points that can be used to pay utilities, transport and other bills or to buy other appliances, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.
The "carbon cashbag" system will begin in October.
"It aims to spread the culture of reducing greenhouse gases and promote a shift in consuming patterns to energy-efficient and less carbon-emitting products," the ministry said in a statement.
It has selected 33 electronics goods, including refrigerators, television sets, washing machines and vacuum cleaners, for an initial list.
President Lee Myung-Bak this month unveiled a "green growth" strategy to drive the economy in future decades.
South Korea is a leading producer of greenhouse gases but is not one of the countries obliged by the Kyoto Protocol to make specific cuts in emissions.
Consumers who buy such products will receive carbon points that can be used to pay utilities, transport and other bills or to buy other appliances, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.
The "carbon cashbag" system will begin in October.
"It aims to spread the culture of reducing greenhouse gases and promote a shift in consuming patterns to energy-efficient and less carbon-emitting products," the ministry said in a statement.
It has selected 33 electronics goods, including refrigerators, television sets, washing machines and vacuum cleaners, for an initial list.
President Lee Myung-Bak this month unveiled a "green growth" strategy to drive the economy in future decades.
South Korea is a leading producer of greenhouse gases but is not one of the countries obliged by the Kyoto Protocol to make specific cuts in emissions.
Monday
Uganda Government News: UN reports warns on climate change effects
A new United Nations-backed report has appealed to government leaders to take urgent action to ensure that weather-related hazards, which are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change, do not lead to a corresponding rise in disasters.
In Uganda global warming has led to flooding in Teso region and prolonged draught in Karamoja causing increased famine and diseases.
The new study identified India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sub Sahara Africa and Indonesia as being among global warming’s “hotspots,” or countries particularly vulnerable to increases in extreme drought, flooding and cyclones anticipated in coming decades.
Commissioned by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the non-governmental organization (NGO) CARE International, it examined the possible consequences of global warming in the next 20 to 30 years.
Charles Ehrhart, one of its authors, who serves as Climate Change Coordinator for CARE International said the impact of a natural disaster is determined by several factors, such as access to proper equipment and information, as well as the ability to exert political influence.
The report cited the most effective means to curb human vulnerability to disasters are: boosting the ability of local and government institutions to respond to crises; empowering local people to have a stronger say in disaster preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation; and providing services and social protection for the most vulnerable populations.
The new study’s launch coincided with the gathering of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that kicked off yesterday in Accra, Ghana.
The seven-day event is the latest round of UN-sponsored global climate change negotiations, bringing together more than 1,600 participants to discuss future greenhouse gas emission reduction targets ahead of a major summit set for 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In Uganda global warming has led to flooding in Teso region and prolonged draught in Karamoja causing increased famine and diseases.
The new study identified India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sub Sahara Africa and Indonesia as being among global warming’s “hotspots,” or countries particularly vulnerable to increases in extreme drought, flooding and cyclones anticipated in coming decades.
Commissioned by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the non-governmental organization (NGO) CARE International, it examined the possible consequences of global warming in the next 20 to 30 years.
Charles Ehrhart, one of its authors, who serves as Climate Change Coordinator for CARE International said the impact of a natural disaster is determined by several factors, such as access to proper equipment and information, as well as the ability to exert political influence.
The report cited the most effective means to curb human vulnerability to disasters are: boosting the ability of local and government institutions to respond to crises; empowering local people to have a stronger say in disaster preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation; and providing services and social protection for the most vulnerable populations.
The new study’s launch coincided with the gathering of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that kicked off yesterday in Accra, Ghana.
The seven-day event is the latest round of UN-sponsored global climate change negotiations, bringing together more than 1,600 participants to discuss future greenhouse gas emission reduction targets ahead of a major summit set for 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
India global warming hot-spot: UN study
New York, Aug 23 (PTI) A UN study, that examined possible consequences of global warming in the next 20 to 30 years, has identified India as one of the "hot-spots", particularly vulnerable to increase in extreme drought, floods and cyclones in the coming decades.
Commissioned by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the CARE International, the study found that India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Indonesia are the global warming hot-spot nations that are already facing considerable political, social, demographic, economic and security obstacles.
"Climate change will greatly complicate and could undermine efforts to manage these challenges," Climate Change Coordinator for CARE International Charles Ehrhart, one of the authors of the report, said.
The impact of a natural disaster is determined by several factors, such as access to proper equipment and information, as well as the ability to exert political influence, he noted.
"The striking lack of these explains why poor people, especially those in marginalized social groups like pastorates in Africa, women and children, constitute the vast majority of disaster victims." The report asked governments to take urgent action to ensure that weather-related hazards, which are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change, do not lead to a corresponding rise in disasters
Commissioned by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the CARE International, the study found that India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Indonesia are the global warming hot-spot nations that are already facing considerable political, social, demographic, economic and security obstacles.
"Climate change will greatly complicate and could undermine efforts to manage these challenges," Climate Change Coordinator for CARE International Charles Ehrhart, one of the authors of the report, said.
The impact of a natural disaster is determined by several factors, such as access to proper equipment and information, as well as the ability to exert political influence, he noted.
"The striking lack of these explains why poor people, especially those in marginalized social groups like pastorates in Africa, women and children, constitute the vast majority of disaster victims." The report asked governments to take urgent action to ensure that weather-related hazards, which are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change, do not lead to a corresponding rise in disasters
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