Global climate talks approve new package, fund

[cory777]

Source: Reuters

CANCUN, Mexico, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The world's governments approved a modest plan on Saturday to combat climate change, including a new fund to help poor nations, despite objections by Bolivia.

"This is a new era of international cooperation on climate change," Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa told delegates at the end of two weeks of talks overshadowed by disputes between rich and poor countries.

The deal comprises a "Green Climate Fund," reaffirms a goal of raising $100 billion in aid by 2020 and has measures to protect tropical forests and new ways to share new clean energy technologies.

Read more: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/global-climate-talks-approve-new-package-fund

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Activist News http://activistnews.blogspot.com/

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. K&R

Not sure if this holds anyone to anything in particular, but it's still important that we all know the state of the politics on climate change.

[Elmore Furth]

2. The predicted costs are staggering.

NASA has reported that the January-November 2010 global temperatures set a record for the warmest in the 131 years. NASA has predicted that a 2 degrees Celsius (3.8 F) above preindustrial levels could trigger catastrophic climate impacts and 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 F) would cost millions of lives.

Even the CIA and the Pentagon have done contingency planning for social disruption from climate change.


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/12/10/world/asia/AP-Climate.html?_r=1&ref=aponline">UN Climate Meeting OKs Green Fund in New Accord

[Bragi]

3. This war is over, the bad guys won

The forces of inaction have won this war, and nothing meaningful will be done to stop climate change from becoming the worst case scenaria.

It doesn't matter what people think or do, the economic and political powers will not permit an reduction in the use of fossil fuels until it serves their ends, and that won't be till vr late in the game, when resourcs are almost depleted.

In the meantime, get familiar with more famines, starvation, mass migrations, droughts, floods, resource wars, and of course, even more hyper-security to protect the last few Walmarts from the barbarians.

Message to anyone uder the age of 30 -- Gee, sorry about the coming collapse. I wish my generation wasn't so greedy and docile. Maybe you'll do better, though admittedly, we've not left you much to work with.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. A bit more detail in the BBC report:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11975470

[ananda]

5. Too little too late.

This is just window dressing.

[lunatica]

6. This is a pretense of action, to fool those who will die into doing it quietly

[Lars77]

7. Cancun delegates reach climate change deal

Source: CNN

Delegates at the United Nations climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico, approved an agreement early Saturday, despite objections from Bolivia and with praise from the United States government.

On Saturday, the White House said President Barack Obama congratulated Mexican President Felipe Calderon on the conference's conclusion in a phone call.

"Obama congratulated President Calderon for his leadership and Mexico's excellent work chairing the Cancun conference to a successful conclusion," the White House said in a statement, "that... advances the effort to address the challenge of climate change."

Bolivia's government, meanwhile, claimed rich nations "bullied and cajoled" other countries into accepting a deal on their terms.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/12/11/mexico.climate.summit/index.html?hpt=T1

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If the American government are happy, and Boliva are protesting i'm gonna guess this deal was shit.

[pipoman]

8. Too bad Calderon can't put forth the same effort to fight

poverty and desperation in his country.

[pampango]

9. BBC: UN climate change talks in Cancun agree a deal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11975470

UN talks in Cancun have reached a deal to curb climate change, including a fund to help developing countries.

Some countries' resistance to the Kyoto Protocol had been a stumbling block during the final week of negotiations. However, diplomats were able to find a compromise.

Delegates cheered speeches from governments that had caused the most friction during negotiations - Japan, China, even the US - as one by one they endorsed the draft.

BBC environment correspondent Richard Black said the meeting did not achieve the comprehensive, all-encompassing deal that many activists and governments want. But he said it was being "touted as a platform on which that comprehensive agreement can be built".

[BREMPRO]

10. "touted as a platform on which that comprehensive agreement can be built"

sounds like a save face kick the can down the road kinda deal. Like to see the details but given the track record of non-binding Kyoto, not optimistic that this will produce any measurable results.