From Dr. Benny Peiser of the GWPF
Rich Nations Block Push To Count Past CO2 Emissions At UN Climate Summit
Japan set a new target for greenhouse gas emissions that critics say will set back United Nations talks for a treaty limiting fossil fuel emissions. The new target effectively reverses course from the goal set four years ago by allowing a 3.1 per cent increase in emissions from 1990 levels rather than seeking a 25 per cent cut. —Bloomberg, 15 November 2013
Japan’s decision added to gloom at the Warsaw talks, where no major countries have announced more ambitious goals to cut emissions, despite warnings from scientists about the risks of more heatwaves, droughts, floods and rising sea levels. —Reuters, 15 November 2013
Slow-moving U.N. negotiations on fighting climate change can advance only if rich nations fulfill their promise to provide billions of dollars in finance to developing countries, China’s chief climate negotiator Su Wei said Thursday. He told reporters in Warsaw that developed nations should make good on pledges made in 2010 and immediately pay the promised $30 billion to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change. Rich countries also need to clarify how they intend to scale that up to $100 billion per year by 2020, he said. “That would be a very important starting point and key to the successful conclusion of the negotiation of a (post-)2020 agreement,” said Su. —Reuters, 14 November 2013
The U.S. and European Union blocked a proposal supported by 130 nations including Brazil and China that would use [CO2 emission] levels dating back to the industrial revolution to help set limits on emissions in the future. The proposal goes to the heart of one of the most divisive concepts in the talks — the notion of equity. Developing countries say that because industrialized nations have been emitting greenhouse gases for 200 years, they must bear the most responsibility to rein in the pollution blamed for global warming. Richer countries see a focus on the past as a tool by poorer nations to avoid making bigger efforts to curtail their own emissions. –Alex Morales, Bloomberg, 15 November 2013
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kcrucible says:
November 17, 2013 at 5:19 am
“Anyone here know how the number is supposed to be calculated?”
Usually politicians don’t want to talk about actual debt to gdp. They want to talk about INTEREST PAYMENTS ON THE DEBT to GDP.
It’s still rather sickening how many tax dollars are utterly wasted in interest payments because politicians want to buy votes on the government credit card.
++++++++++++
It’s even worse, because eventually, the interest rate on the debt will go up. When interest rates are closer to normal (like 6%) and the debt is around 20Trillion (like it will be before 2016), the interest on our debt will be over a Trillion per year… and game over.
PS-I used to work in the foundry industry.
stephen richards says:
November 16, 2013 at 12:59 pm
No but a recent report claimed that cancers were up in Beijing
…like everywhere in the world where people
a) do no longer die young because of illnesses, starvation, or hazardous workplace conditions
b) are getting the medical attention needed both to keep them alive long enough to develop cancer, and to diagnose that cancer
Nobody was diagnosed with cancer in the stone age, but that doesn’t mean life was healthier then!