Monday, February 09, 2009

Australian wildfire toll continues to rise

Officials expect more than 200 are dead as a result of wildfires burning across Australia.

More than 750 homes have been destroyed with 5,000 people homeless.

Australians have a 'stay and fight' policy that often works well for normal bushfires. However the record record 115 degree heat and years of drought have caused conditions unlike any seen in recent memory.

There have already been questions asked as to the role of climate change's contribution to the severity of fires since Australia has been previously identified as a region vulnerable to global warming. Climate change experts have warned that Australia is likely to experience an increase in both frequency and severity of wildfires.

"[The fires] are a sobering reminder of the need for this nation and the whole world to act and put at a priority the need to tackle climate change," Australian Green Party leader Bob Brown told the Sky News.



USA Today
More than 200 feared dead in Australia wildfires
Los Angeles Times, CA - 6 hours ago
Senior Wildlife Officer Geoff McClure inspects the destruction in Marysville, Australia, about 62 miles northeast of Melbourne, after wildfires almost ...
Video: Massive devastation in Australian bushfires - 9 Feb 09 AlJazeeraEnglish



Australia declares bushfire disaster a crime scene Reuters

Death Toll Climbs in Australia Fires New York Times

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Gore urges U.S. to tackle climate change

Al Gore called on Washington lawmakers to take action on climate change, and said that President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan would help fight global warming.

Obama's plan includes significant investment in renewable energy and cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

"For years our efforts to address the growing climate crisis have been undermined by the idea that we must choose between our planet and our way of life," Gore told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday.

"In fact, the solutions to the climate crisis are the very same solutions that will address our economic and national security crises as well."



New York Times
Gore Pushes for Climate Change Commitment
ABC News - 1 hour ago
By Z. BYRON WOLF and TERI FINNEMAN With the Washington, DC encased in ice from a winter storm, climate change crusader Al Gore argued for President Obama's economic stimulus plan, saying it will help fight global warming.
Video: Gore Urges Action on Economy, Global Warming AssociatedPress


Gore urges passing stimulus deal to aid climate Reuters

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

UN climate change talks hit snags

UN climate talks in Poznan, Poland were lumbering along with many nations hesitant to commit to specific targets.

Interestingly, China, which was non-committal at the earlier Kyoto talks, has taken something of the lead even suggesting a bold proposal. China has suffered severely from pollution caused by dirty coal-burning plants that have fueled its meteoric rise.

Beijing will agree to a plan that places carbon limits based on per capita emission levels for every person on the planet. For example, China argues that a 2.33 tonnes of carbon cap for each individual in the world would force rich nations to buy allowances from poorer nations, which emit less.

One reason China may be enthusiastic about the plan is that according to some estimates it will not be until 2050 that Beijing would reach the proposed limits. The United States, on the other hand, already produces a whopping 20 tonnes of carbon per capita.

There will be some exceptions to the limit, for example, Russia because of its position in the colder northern hemisphere will be allowed a higher cap for heating needs.

The proposal though sounds fair as it appears to balance out the load between rich and poor nations who have not contributed equally to the present problem of climate change.



ABC News
All eyes on EU as UN climate talks stumble on
AFP - 1 hour ago
POZNAN, Poland (AFP) - UN talks on crafting a new climate change treaty lurched forward here on Wednesday, with delegates hoping the EU might lead the way by signing its own pact at a crunch summit this week.
Rich nations plan "great escape" on climate: China Reuters
Poznan climate talks: what's the forecast? CNN International

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Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Oxfam calls for £34 billion to help poor nations cope with climate change

Oxfam is calling on industrial polluters to pay green taxes of £34 billion (US$51 bn) annually to help poor countries handle climate change.

Contributions would build flood early warning systems and provide seeds for drought-resistant crops.

"With a global financial crisis unfolding, these mechanisms could raise enough money from polluters without governments having to dip into national treasuries. Billions of dollars can be raised and invested to prevent future climate change and to help poor people adapt to the negative impacts of global warming," said Heather Coleman, Oxfam's senior climate change policy adviser.

Nations are meeting in Poznan, Poland to discuss a new climate change agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol.


Oxfam calls for £34 billion per annum to help poor cope with ...
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 4 hours agoIn a new report, "Turning Carbon into Gold," Oxfam said that rather than asking taxpayers to foot the bill for climate change, polluters should pay. ...

Raise climate adaptation cash by selling emissions rights - Oxfam ... Reuters AlertNet
Miliband hoping for strong commitments to battle global warming Independent
Activists blast US at climate change talks The Associated Press



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Monday, December 01, 2008

WWF urges new EU nations to adopt low carbon economy

New European Union members in Eastern Europe have been hesitant to adopt a low-carbon goals claiming that such a move would have a detrimental impact on their economies.

Ahead of a meeting between these nations at the Poznan forum on climate change in Poland, the World Wildlife Fund asked the new EU members to embrace new technologies and to retire the polluting economy of the past.

EU leaders have agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in 2020 on 1990 levels; and to have 20 percent of renewables in EU's energy mix and a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency by 2020.


Canada.com

New EU member states urged to approve EU's ambitious climate ...
Xinhua - 1 hour ago
BRUSSELS, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Monday called on new European Union (EU) member states to reach out for the benefits of low-carbon economy and approve the EU's ambitious climate change policies.
Climate change effort opens in Poland United Press International
International Climate Change Forum Opens in Poland Voice of America

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Friday, October 17, 2008

UN climate change chief worried about EU committment

Yvo de Boer, the secretary general of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, is worried that the European Union nations may miss deadlines on emission cuts.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, at an EU summit, that the group was still targeting greenhouse gas emissions reductions of at least 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. However, the bloc appears to have changed its position on coming up with a detailed plan by the end of this year.



Canada.com

UN climate chief concerned at EU disarray
International Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
AP AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: The UN climate chief says he is concerned the European Union may miss its self-assigned deadline on a climate change policy.
European Nations Seek to Revise Agreement on Emissions Cuts New York Times
UN fears for Europe's climate plan The Press Association

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