The majority of the world’s coral reefs are in danger of being killed off by rising levels of greenhouse gases, scientists have warned. Researchers from Britain, the US and Australia, working with teams from the UN and the World Bank, voiced their concerns after a study revealed 98% of the world’s reef habitats are likely … Read More
Month: December 2007
Reasons to Act 1: Decade Hottest on Record
This decade looks set to be the hottest on record and this year is almost certain to be the seventh warmest worldwide since 1850. Eight years in the past decade are in the world’s ten hottest, according to Met Office statistics released to coincide with Bali conference. In the UK 2007 is expected to be … Read More
The Greenhouse Groundhog Day..
Its the greenhouse Groundhog day, again. How often has America prevented progress over international agreements on climate change? The US is trying to remove a reference to 25-40% cuts in carbon pollution by 2020 for developed countries, which remained in the draft roadmap released by the UN yesterday.
Bali: Hot Air and Hypocrisy ..
Great analysis on the Bali conference from Charles Clover, the environment correspondent from the UK right-wing Telegraph, which we reprint in full: “As an exhibition of hypocrisy, the UN climate change conference in Bali takes some beating. The Indonesian President Yudhoyono is there, playing delegates the video of a song he wrote about saving the … Read More
Another Week, Another Oil Spill
Suddenly another week cannot go past without another oil spill. Recently, we have had spills in Russia, California, South Korea and now Norway. Yesterday, about 25,000 barrels of oil spilled into the Norwegian sector of the North Sea at the Statfjord oil field. It is Norway’s second worst oil spill, and yet it is hardly … Read More
“We gather because the time for equivocation is over”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opened the “high-level” talks in Bali with a call to action. “We gather because the time for equivocation is over,” said Mr Ban. “Climate change is the defining challenge of our age. The science is clear; climate change is happening, the impact is real. The time to act is now. … Read More
Bali: Forest Deal on Table
A “breakthrough” on deforestation is set to be the first success of the UN climate talks in Bali. Diplomats are said to be confident that the “road map” to a new climate-change treaty would contain a crucial reference to forests. That would be an important first for a sector omitted from the Kyoto Protocol. Deforestation … Read More
Seoul Declares Oil Disaster
South Korea has declared a section of its west coast a special disaster zone, as thousands of residents, soldiers and police spent a fifth day trying to mop up the worst oil spill in the country’s history. President Roh Moo-hyun said yesterday the government would offer “maximum support” to the residents of the area “focused … Read More
“The future is knocking at our door right now”
Al Gore used the occasion of his 2007 Nobel Peace Prize lecture yesterday to tell the world in powerful, stark language: Climate change is a “real, rising, imminent and universal” threat. Whilst delegates try to trash out a deal in Bali, Gore warned that “our world is spinning out of kilter” and that “the very … Read More
Shell Sells Solar Businesses
Big oil’s timing is always, as ever, impeccable. Just stop and think for a moment. It’s the biggest climate meeting in a decade and you would think that big oil companies would be tripping over themselves to be seen to be green… However, last week came the news that BP was investing in dirty oil … Read More