The first BIG youth action during the United Nations Climate Change Negotiations is up on aycc’s youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eozcU2f6jow
Day 2 of UN’s Climate Change Negotiations began with Canada’s lead negotiator Michael Prentice re-affirming Canada’s stubborn stance coming into the negotiations. For the last two years, all nations have been painting this very complex and layered picture of Climate Change - constantly highlighting different perspectives and abilities. The whole reason behind the negotiations is to co-operate and work as a global team to avoid permanent disaster. It is shameful that Canada is not budging with our 2006 conservative federal government targets that reflect a short term GHG reduction of 3% from 1990 levels. These targets are embarrassing compared to our developed peers USA, Japan and EU. We are seeing co-operation and flexibility from India, China and even Obama is showing his team playing spirit, when is Canada going to start actually negotiating? The COP chair re-affirms our need for co-operation stating that “Our leaders expect us to adopt a global agreement 11 days from now. Let’s get it done now!”. Canada, we need a to start participating NOW.
On the international front; A newly found threat to the wellbeing of the world was the Ukraine. The Ukraine was awarded avaaz.org’s First place Fossil of the day award for ” for having the single worst carbon emissions reduction target in the world: a -20% reduction from 1990 levels… which means a 75% increase from current levels. The semi-technical term for this sort of “reduction”-is hot air. It’s this hot air that was sold to Japan (Ukraine has sold Japan €300 million worth of emissions permissions) ; it’s this kind of hot air that is boiling the climate; and it’s this kind of hot air that will keep Ukraine and other dedicated emitter in the Fossil rankings until they see the light.”
THE UMBRELLA GROUP which is the Industrialized non-EU countries:
Canada, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Norway, Russian Federation, Ukraine, United States and Australia, where also highlighted by the Fossil Award Presenters today for proposing that carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects should qualify as CDM projects. “The brollies have gotten used to subsidizing the coal and oil industries in their own countries–but do they really have to subsidize the same dirty companies in developing countries too? The CDM should be reserved for projects that move developing countries towards actual clean energy solutions.”
The second day concludes with the Association of the Small Island States announcing they will not accept a made for television solution.
This is not television, it is more real that your alarm clock waking you up this morning. These Small Island States are literally on the brink of extinction. Shut the TV off Canada and start taking action !
Now Although there are CRU East Anglia stolen e-mails to be discussed, money to be spent, and a couple weirdos like Bjorn Lomborg who sees Copenhagen as his claim to fame - the real issue is the world renown scientifically backed understanding that there is currently 387 parts per million of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere, our sea level is raising, we are facing draught in places where there is no other alternative for survival and we are suffering unpredictable changes in our climate. We need not forget that our survival is dependent on this stable ecosystem called earth and no matter the cost, we need to secure it’s stable future to be able to secure ours.
Here in Canada, Canadians began a hopeful two weeks of climate negotiations on Monday Dec 7th by screaming out
“Harper/Ignatieff: L’inaction climatique coûte des vies.”
“Harper-Ignatieff: Climate Inaction Costs Lives.”
In desperation 14 green peace protesters hung a massive banner on the West Block of Parliament to try to get their government to represent them fairly on the international stage. This is it Canada, we are getting a dirty global reputation because of our inaction on climate Change and these next two week is the time to right a wrong.
In Copenhagen, there too was a active launch to the Negotiations. Here is a great video that show cases the Global Youth Movement in Copenhagen on the day of the opening negotiations. Video done by my friend Mike of Australian Youth Climate Coalition International:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv0LRwoZ9JE
Although there are many people globally being active there are also many leaders impeding action- even on the first day of the Negotiations. We are already seeing the industrialized countries, Annex 1 countries in climate-ease, showing no commitment to decrease their green house gas emissions- not to mention all the whining they are doing about the funds needed to help the developing nations who are willing to commit to doing the same. We are seeing Sweden, Finland and Austria backing a European Union proposal to count the effects of logging relative to “projected reference levels” rather than actual emissions relative to 1990; which means be able to increase their logging without accounting for the increase in emissions. This proposal would create an inappropriate loophole in the EU targets, loosely giving carbon-cutting credits if anyone decreased their forecasted logging plans and therefore not accounting for emissions caused by increased logging. A decrease in logging plans is essential, but the acquisition of carbon-credits would undermine the entire carbon-credit market. It’s matters like this that complicate the negotiations; it’s when a select few try to make a buck off the good will of the majority of the nations. But, it is certainly up to us to catch these slight of hands and prevent them from continuing to dirty the negotiation process.
Groups like AVAAZ.org have made it clear that they are watching the negotiators closely and any kind of misbehaving will be highlighted with a Fossil of the Day Award. The first award goes to All industrialized countries with second place heading to Sweden, Finland and Austria. I will blog about the Award winners daily. You can contribute by visiting the embassy of the awarded nations and presenting them with their fossil award. So for example you were to visit the Swedish Embassy in Toronto today to present them with the award; many others are doing the same in their country. All embassies have to record any daily activities and therefore this project has the potential to reached many embassies globally and reflect back to their nations government. If you have a minute even an e-mail to the embassy would go a long way. We are in this together and we must start working together. oh I pray our leaders will do the same.
Hoping for a brighter tomorrow…
Obama White House made public that the leaked e-mails denying climate change is dismissed as “silly”. I say, lets put our energy into progressing together towards a healthier planet; stop questioning something that: if not dealt with could mean absolute and utter catatrophe or when dealt with will ony better the safety and securety of our futur health and well being.
If you want to know more about the check out the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P70SlEqX7oY
The climate has natural ups and downs; the variation between the temperature of the land masses compared to the ocean including the heat transfer to the ice and constantly changing earth surfaces has yet to be perfectly monitored by scientist.
But there is no question that the atmosphere’s chemical composition is changing fast. We are currently at 387 parts per million of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere- whether the land mass temperature fluctuates to try to balance the ecosystems, the chemical concentration is factual. Lets help the planet try to balance out the temperature to avoid disaster. Never mind arguing about it.
Lets say you are eating dinner, business as usual, and you begin chocking on something. You have maybe 10 seconds before you fall unconscious.
Do you want to spent your precious time figuring out what it is that is lodged in your throat and how it got there or do you want to use your precious time to ask your neighbour to help you get that thing out of there!
What a great conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.
Lots to learn and share about Green and sustainable building in Ontario and Abroad. I was able to really stabilize my database with all the new technologies available. Also, now that I fully understand and can implement LEED certification for new building and renovated projects - I am ready and excited to GREENOVATE YOUR HOME ;) Imagine what we can do …
