Climate change yes, global warming no...

Climate change yes, global warming no...




We are all responsible for the future of the Green Planet:

This is my green blog where I regularly write on 'green issues' - global warming, climate change, pollution, conservation,ecology, environment, earthwatch etc.

Like many other people I believed all the propoganda about so-called global warming, until the coin dropped! In the Antarctic and the Arctic there are areas where the ice is melting in he summer time, and in other areas the ice still freezes regularly. That is not global warming. Australia has experienced droughts of the century, year after year. Many of the deserts continue to expand and waterways dry up or disappear all together. Man- made? Or nature out of control through climate change?

The recent climate change talks showed a lot of promise until they were captured by developing nations who saw an opportunity for a handout through increased aid. These developing nations, such as China and India with huge populations of over a billion each, are responsible for much of the pollution that contributes to the creation of greenhouse gases in any case. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too! They couldn't, or wouldn't understand. that in gaining wealth and resources that the developed world enjoys, they have to be responsible to the planet as well. They cannot emulate the irresponsible actions of the past.

What we all have to do, whether developed or developing countries, is to start actions at home and become responsible to our local communities and regions. We have to remember that water is precious and should not be wasted and contaminated by developing and developed local industries and citizens.

A small nation like my own, New Zealand, with a population of just 4.3 million should not be unfairly penalised because of its perceived affluence, and ridiculously accused of producing greenhouse gases through the effluence of its dairy herds.

In fact New Zealand has actually commenced its own program to combat its polluted waterways - streams, rivers and lakes. The clean-up of algae weed has commenced on more well known lakes such as Lake Rotorua, so as a consequence the work is getting a high public profile in this country. It sets a good example for those responsible for waterways in other regions of New Zealand.

A consensus of opinion is needed among all nations, whether developed or developing, on what action is necessary. There is always a price to pay for development of resources, and it should not be left to future generations. We are all responsible for the future of the Green Planet.

Here

Copenhagen climate talks: No deal we're out of time, warns Obama...

Copenhagen climate talks: No deal, we're out of time, Obama warns:



"Barack Obama acknowledged yesterday that time had run out to secure a legally binding climate deal at the Copenhagen summit in December and threw his support behind plans to delay a formal pact until next year at the earliest.

During a hastily convened meeting in Singapore, the US president supported a Danish plan to salvage something from next month's meeting by aiming to make it a first-stage series of commitments rather than an all-encompassing protocol.

Postponing many contentious decisions on emissions targets, financing and technology transfer until the second-stage, leaders will instead try to reach a political agreement in Copenhagen that sends a strong message of intent.

While this falls short of hopes that the meeting would lock in place a global action plan to replace the Kyoto protocol, it recognises the lack of progress in recent preparatory talks and the hold-ups of climate legislation in the US Senate.

Michael Froman, US deputy national security adviser for economic affairs, said: "There was a realistic assessment ... by the leaders that it was unrealistic to expect a full internationally legally binding agreement to be negotiated between now and when Copenhagen starts in 22 days."

Britain's climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, tried to put a brave face on Obama's move, insisting it is still possible to reach a broad political agreement on carbon emissions targets, but senior Labour MPs admitted they feared the necessary momentum for a detailed agreement would be sucked from the Copenhagen event if politicians know a deal has been postponed to the next scheduled meeting in Mexico City next year.

Gordon Brown had pledged to go to Copenhagen to help broker a deal, insisting there could be no plan B. Miliband again todayurged Obama to attend.

There will now be intense discussions on whether the political agreement at Copenhagen contains any detailed meaningful commitments.

Denmark's prime minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the host and chairman of the climate talks, flew overnight to Singapore to pitch the deferral plan to 19 leaders, including Obama and China's president, Hu Jintao, at an unscheduled event during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. He insisted that the Copenhagen talks could still set political targets and outline commitments.

"Given the time factor and the situation of individual countries we must, in the coming weeks, focus on what is possible and not let ourselves be distracted by what is not," Rasmussen told the leaders. "The Copenhagen agreement should finally mandate continued legal negotiations and set a deadline for their conclusion."

Obama spoke in support of the proposal, cautioning the group not to let the "perfect be the enemy of the good", Froman said.

The proposal by Denmark would buy time for the US Senate to pass carbon-capping legislation, allowing the Obama administration to bring a 2020 target and financing pledges to the table at a UN climate meeting in mid-2010."

So it appears that Copenhagen may have come a year too early? We should know the answer to that question very soon.

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Acknowledgements: BusinessGreen.com is part of the Guardian Environment Network.