GWW 2007 Highlight — The UN Bali Climate Change Conference

I didn't have to look far back over 2007 for the year's climate change highlight — I didn't get past the exciting outcome from the UN Bali Climate Change for two weeks starting in early December. Trawling the Internet, I find I have been getting a much better sense of the nail-biting excitement from the Bali Conference bloggers, than from msm reports. And I have a gratifying sense that we have an active, informed, healthy blogosphere around the issue. The Climate Institute blog, for example, provides the blow-by-blow that lead to the culminations of the negotiations, "Science based targets had survived the process and made their way into a key part of the process towards Copenhagen in 2009."

Global Warning Climate Change Energy

Revolving Doors' reaction to Bali breakthrough

.

"YES!"

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Calvin Jones' Bali breakdown

Calvin Jones of Climate Change Action offers his Bali Overview:

1. It's complex! (and that's becoming problematic)
2. Linking national cap and trade with international climate funds
3. Deforestation progress on funding and structure (with unwelcome guest)
4. Australia ratifies but fails to take the lead
5. Two degree consensus approaching: just adopt c&c you fools!
6. CDM Review
7. Adaptation Fund
8. Technology Transfer

Click. He's been doing the hard work following the progress of the conference.

Global Warning Climate Change Energy

Bali agreement on a 2009 climate pact

Bloody hell, how hard is it for the US to accept the science? What an other-world reality they have about global warming. Complete denial is head-shaking stuff, but, hey, we were there not a month ago living under John Howard's special brand of 25 stations, nuclear-powered delusion.

Reality bumped Howard out of the way, and put Kyoto Kevin on the winner's dais.

And reality is crudely bumping a recalcitrant, intransigent US along in the direction that the progressive front-runners are heading in.

Overall it's better than I expected, but less than I hoped for. And I am pleased that the Washington wrecking crew did not manage to spoil further.

My prediction is that come the start of the 2009 climate pact meeting the first black, female, or climate-friendly, white, male Republican US President will receive the same rousing standing-ovation that greeted Kevin Rudd when he set in train the Kyoto Protocol ratification.

It is highly symbolic that he chose Kyoto ratification for his first act as Australian Prime Minister. Rudd has set a precedent; he has set-up a stage for a correctly thinking, new US President to step onto and send a powerful signal of, not just an engagement with the rest of the world on climate change solutions, but a highly symbolic collaborative re-engagement. It would improve their global image problem, overnight. As it has Australia's under Rudd's ratification.

clipped from news.smh.com.au Bali talks set 2009 for new climate pact A drama-filled 190-nation conference set a 2009 deadline for a landmark pact to fight global warming after an isolated United States backed down on last-ditch objections. The United States, the only major industrial nation to reject Kyoto, reached a compromise with the European Union (EU) to avoid mentioning any figures as a target for slashing greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement instead only makes an indirect reference to scientists' warnings that the world must sharply cut back emissions to prevent a rise in temperatures that would put millions of people at risk. But on an unscheduled 13th day of talks, the United States said it would not accept the statement as it wanted developing countries such as fast-growing China to make tougher commitments. Senior US negotiator Paula Dobriansky said she had heard "many strong statements from many major developing country leaders on a greater role in helping to address urgently this global problem". It "doesn't seem it's going to be reflected in our outcome here in the declaration," she said, telling the conference that the United States would reject the draft. Dobriansky was loudly booed by other delegations. A US environmental activist representing Papua New Guinea said on the floor to rousing cheers: "If you're not willing to lead, please get out of the way." After repeated verbal lashings, Dobriansky again took the microphone and said that Washington would "go forward and join consensus," to the cheers of the conference. Indian Science Minister Kapil Sibal, who had been vocally critical of the US position, offered his thanks to the United States for not blocking the consensus. "We believe that they too are as equally committed as the rest of the world to combat climate change. So thank you very much to the delegation of the United States for coming on board," Sibal said. The agreement came only after the head of the United Nations jetted in, the UN climate chief nearly broke down in tears and chairman Indonesia apologised abjectly for a disastrous procedural mix-up. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew in to make an unscheduled last-minute appeal for a deal. "Seize the moment, this moment, for the good of all humanity," Ban pleaded. "The world is watching," said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. "The worst thing that can happen is for our great project, for the human race and our planet Earth to crumble because we cannot find the right wording."

Bali deal deadline over, talks continue

Come on guys, get it together.

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk The UN climate summit in Bali is "on the brink" of a deal, according to the UN's senior climate official, as talks look set to extend into an extra day. The EU has been pressing for a final text committing industrialised nations to specified emissions cuts, but the US, Canada and Japan are opposed. Some developing countries said they were being pressurised to accept cuts in their own emissions. "(We are) on the brink of agreement, I think," he said. "Absolutely not deadlocked; people are working very hard to resolve outstanding issues." Planet Bali's parallel worlds Neither EU nor US has accepted the text; but as talks continued beyond the scheduled close, delegates from both blocs said agreement was possible. "I think the situation is good, and the climate in the climate conference is good, and we will have success in the end," Germany's Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters. Britain's early industrialisation means it has probably produced more greenhouse gases than any other

Rudd the Ratifier clarifys Australia's Kyoto intentions

...to another round of applause at Bali. This time to the high-level Heads of State meeting.

clipped from www.smh.com.au Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has told world leaders in Bali that climate change is the defining challenge of this generation, and says Australia stands ready to respond to the problem. The community of nations must reach agreement. There is no plan B. There is no other planet any of us can escape to. We only have this one. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd addresses the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Photo: Glen McCurtayne He told delegates at the United Nations climate change conference in Bali today that Australia would commit to "real" and "robust" short and medium term targets to slash greenhouse gases, after the Garnaut review is finished next year. Mr Rudd received enthusiastic applause as he was introduced at the high-level segment of the Bali talks, after earlier formally handing over the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. "It will require tough choices, and some of these will come at a political price," he said.

Singapore PM has a go at Howard's climate policies

There must be a great depth of feeling for the Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, normally circumspect, to take a passing shot at the ex-Prime Minister, John Howard for his climate change recalcitrance.

He also gave the US a poke in the ribs.

clipped from www.smh.com.au Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - who will meet Mr Rudd later today for bilateral talks - took a veiled swipe at former prime minister John Howard, as he described the challenge of dealing with global warming as a "long and difficult process". "It will need political support from the populations of our countries, for we will face tough choices," Lee told the gathering. "In Europe, climate change policy is already a major political priority. "In Australia, public pressure forced former prime minister John Howard to change his government's stand after a severe decade-long drought. "Even in the US, attitudes are shifting." The island nation of Palau had praise for Australia's move to ratify Kyoto. "I congratulate the new Australian Government and Prime Minister Rudd for seeing the light," President Tommy Remengesau jnr said. "Let us hope that the United States will not be far behind."

Open email to Wayne Swan, Federal Treasurer

To: Wayne Swan, Federal Treasurer
Cc: Tim Blair, Daily Telegraph
Bcc: Global Warming Watch

Re: Gettin' me some of that Global Warming Religion


Dear Mr Swan,

Firstly, thank you for organising with Tim to answer the questions raised by his thought-provoking article in Saturday's Daily Telegraph.

Any questions about this column should be addressed to wayne.swan.mp@aph.gov.au.

I wondered about the wisdom of your accepting the hospital-pass, and tacking the weighty climate change issues Tim aired for his knowledge-starved readership — you must be busy delivering my tax-cuts. But it soon becomes apparent how clever Tim is. You are the Treasurer after all (btw, congratulation your new job, and good luck).

As you know, Tim is considering switching his belief system — Capitalism, it seems — to "Join the Green revolution!", and his article is about his due diligence.

My questions, which I now raise to you, are:

1) What part of that bloody year long electoral assault did I sleep though to miss the news that global warming awareness is now a religion?

"Ditch your old ways of thinking," emailers urge. "Join the Green revolution!"

Very well. I'm game.

But first, some due diligence is required. Before signing any contracts, a fellow needs to know his new belief system is in sound working order, unburdened by internal contradictions and free of technical glitches that may end up causing frustrating warranty claims.

Now, I had always thought that climate science, like any science, was more about establishing the the absence of belief. But hey, if living green is somehow a new religion, so be it; You are the new Government. And Tim's a good journo.

So... I re-use, reclaim and recycle.

I offset. I vegetate with drought-tolerant natives. I pay extra for green electricity. I invest in energy-efficient lighting. Catch public transport, or I fill up on E10 at an indy petrol station, getting between 8-12 litres to the 100kms. I wear out more shoe leather than before. Often I don't travel, I Skype instead. I eat locally produced, and less meat now. I consume conscientiously. It's all going rather well, and it's a welcome change from the frenetic pace of before. My doctor is happier with me, and food tastes better. Well, I do some of these things.

So you can imagine my joy at the startling news that now Greed is Good Green is God, Tim's endorsement of you as Australia's first Treasure-Priest. He clearly understands that the acid test for any religion is not evidence of a creation myth, or ancient sacred-texts, or holy men and religious leaders, rituals, festivals, houses of worship, and land.

All that stuff is nice to have for your religion taxonomist, but Tim knows that a tax-free status is what's definitive. Which is why he referred me to you, no doubt: My second question is:

2) Where's my tax deduction for expenses occurred in all of the above?

It doesn't stop there. I don't want to go as far as Cate Blanchett's $1.5 million greenovation of her Hunter's Hill mansion, but I do want to throw a few squid on the solar panels BBQ.

Unless I see a fat little rebate in my tax-return, I'm forced to conclude that climate science is exactly that, science, not faith. And to look twice at the rest of Tim's claims.

Like his problem with your new prime minister appointing a petrol commissioner to monitor price-fixing among petrol companies.

But he also vowed to appoint a petrol price commissioner to monitor big oil companies, with the aim of keeping fuel prices down. Now, the purpose of ratifying Kyoto is to cut our carbon emissions; but the result of cheaper fuel will be to increase carbon emissions.

Tim's not really making a clear conversion from his Capitalism here, which clearly is Orthodox Cartel Capitalism, as distinct from Free-Market Capitalism. He's arguing against ratifying Kyoto, yet wants to limit emissions by ignoring the week-to-week evidence of oil-industry price-collusion.

But I like his argument that Green is the New Religion. I want a tax advantage for my carbon cuts since I am doing my bit.

Yours, in speaking truth to green power,

Wadard

Global Warning Climate Change Energy

Bush systematically mislead US on climate change

clipped from english.aljazeera.net The White House has systematically manipulated climate science for years to play down the dangers of global warming, a US congressional report says. Monday's report, prepared by Democrats after a 16-month investigation, came as the Bush administration pressed a UN climate meeting to drop targets for big cuts in greenhouse gases by rich nations. "The Bush administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming," the report said.

Howard years saw 42% increase in carbon emissions

That will be his legacy.

clipped from www.smh.com.au AUSTRALIA has been named as one of the top three world greenhouse gas "sinners" by a European environmental report, ranking it with the United States and Saudi Arabia for failing its responsibilities towards the global environment. "The worst climate sinners are Saudi Arabia, the US and Australia, which not only have extremely high and mounting emission levels, but also employ insufficient and inadequate climate policies," the director of the Climate Action Network, Matthias Duwe, said at a press conference at the United Nations talks in Bali. Australia ranked behind China, Russia and India because of its policies during the Howard years, the report says.

Global warming denier's get no hearing in Bali

Andrew Bolt is apoplectic.

Since the Bali Conference began, he has devoted six posts to bagging it. Here is his latest.

clipped from blogs.news.com.au With 15,000 global warming believers already choking the UN’s conference on how to cut the gases they emitted just getting there, it’s natural a few had to excluded. And how convenient those exclusions were: The United Nations has rejected all attempts by a group of dissenting scientists seeking to present information at the climate change conference taking place in Bali, Indonesia. The International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) has been denied the opportunity to present at panel discussions, side events, and exhibits; its members were denied press credentials. The group consists of distinguished scientists from Africa, Australia, India, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The scientists, citing pivotal evidence on climate change published in peer-reviewed journals, have expressed their opposition to the UN’s alarmist theory of anthropogenic global warming.

Labor's climate change policies will 'boost Aust credibility'

The previous govt was mainly interested in developing ways that the uranium industry could take over from the oil industry.

clipped from www.abc.net.au The head of a climate change review commissioned by state and territory leaders earlier this year says Labor's policies will go a long way to boosting Australia's credibility at the climate change meeting in Bali next month. Professor Ross Garnaut is canvassing a range of options including emissions trading schemes. He says to be effective such a program would need to be overseen by an independent commission. Professor Garnaut says Australia's original decision to join the US and not sign the Kyoto agreement was discouraging for the rest of the international community, something which could be turned around in Bali. "Us going back, signing Kyoto, will be encouraging for the same reasons and it will mean that our voice will be a bit more credible in the discussions in Bali," he said. Professor Garnaut says progress towards reducing emissions will need to be led by developed countries.

Rudd backs deep 2020 emissions cuts

During the election campaign, Kevin Rudd has repeatedly said that Australia would not set its own 2020 target until he received a report from economist Ross Garnaut next year. But when he arrives in Bali next week he will face international expectations from Europe, China and Indonesia to make Australia's position clear whether, having ratified the Kyoto Protocol, it is committed to its own deep cuts:

clipped from www.smh.com.au THE Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, signalled his support for developed countries, including Australia, agreeing to making deep cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions in the next 12 years. In a significant move last night the Australian delegation to the UN climate talks stated it "fully supports" the proposal that developed countries need to cut their greenhouse gas emission by 25 to 40 per cent by 2020. The public statement came after China and Indonesia demanded at the UN climate change talks in Bali yesterday that developed nations who have ratified the Kyoto Protocol stick to this understanding reached earlier this year. Last night Australia publicly aligned itself with the nations under the Kyoto Protocol that have agreed to consider these cuts, distancing the new Rudd Government further from the US position. Saying Australia "fully supports" the position, the delegation said Australia was, "happy to proceed on this basis".

Chinese whispers at Bali Climate Conference

I heard on the radio that the Chinese are giving the developed world a bollocking over their emissions targets. Fair call. They have more people that will be affected than anyone else.

So I trotted over to China Daily (I'm becoming a regular these days), and found out that,..

China is well on its way to acquiring fully 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020, while the United States is dragging its feet on transitioning away from fossil fuels...

... but no bollocking. And that,..

Asia, home to 60 per cent of the world's population, will bear the brunt of global warming as more extreme climatic changes take place within the region.

... but still no bollocking. Nevertheless they had a pretty good run down on the conference to date.

Bali climate talks advance despite squabbling

(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-12-04 23:19

Yvo de Boer, the UN's top climate official, praised the December 3-14 meeting of 10,000 participants for progress towards a goal of launching formal talks on a long-term climate pact to succeed the UN's Kyoto Protocol.

"But in this process, as in so many, the devil's in the detail," he cautioned at a beach-side conference centre on the Indonesian island.

Governments set up a "special group" to examine options for the planned negotiations meant to bind the United States and developing nations more firmly into fighting climate change beyond Kyoto.

The meeting also agreed to study ways to do more to transfer clean technologies, such as solar panels or wind turbines, to developing nations. Such a move is key to greater involvement by developing nations in tackling their climate-warming emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol now binds 36 rich nations to curb emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly from burning fossil fuels, by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12 in a step to curb droughts, floods, heatwaves and rising seas.

Canada said in a submission to the talks that "to be effective, a new international framework must include emission reduction obligations for all the largest emitting economies." It did not mention deeper cuts for rich nations beyond 2012.

And Japan on Monday called on all parties to effectively participate and contribute substantially.

"Canada and Japan are saying nothing about legally binding emission reductions for themselves after 2012," said Steven Guilbeault of environmental group Equiterre. "They are trying to shift the burden to China and India."

Then I found some promising stories. One about the Chinese delegate Su Wei, essentially saying developing nations had more at stake in the fight against climate change than developed nations. This exposes the threadbare logic of deniers claiming there is no sense in western nations doing anything about global warming, based on the rationale China is just about to overtake the US in emissions output.

Mr Wei also telegraphed China's attitude to Son of Kyoto — more of the same. This leae the US less room to spoil for 2012.

Su said the future arrangement to address climate change should focus on enhancing implementation of current provisions of the Convention and its Kyodo [sic] Protocol, and further strengthen those provisions in accordance to the latest scientific assessments.

Latest scientific assessments. Perhaps the US will start to consider them too, now that they have rediscovered what military intelligence is used for.

Global Warning Climate Change Energy

Blogging yer Bali Conference

Kyoto Kevin, Rudd the Ratifier, well done! Kevin Rudd made good his election promise by triggering the instrument that sets in process the Australian Government ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, as his first act of Government. It was signed hours after the new Labor cabinet was sworn in by the Governor-General, Sir Michael Jeffrey. Bizarre that the English Queen still has a hand in all this — but there you go.

China Daily noted it. They bloody like our Kevin. They love 'im. The headline of following link leads to a glowing write-up in China Daily today, and leaves one wondering just what they really thought of John Howard for 11 years. :::[A man of reason and foresight takes the reins]

And the UN Climate Conference delegates assembling in Bali now loved it, giving Australia a rousing applause for ratifying, that would make an AA convention blush.

Spontaneous applause erupted for Australia as hundreds of delegates at the Bali climate change conference lauded Canberra's decision to ratify the Kyoto protocol.

[....]

Indonesia's Environment Minister and the new president of the UNFCCC, Rachmat Witoelar, told the conference he spoke for everyone "giving a sigh of relief" on Australia's change of position.

After the initial reaction, Witoelar invited delegates to offer a second round of applause, which they enthusiastically did. Some delegates even rose to their feet.

UNFCCC executive secretary Yvo de Boer later told reporters: "I think that it was an emotional and spontaneous reaction to a very significant political decision on the part of the Australian government to ratify the Kyoto protocol".

"The long applause in fact reflects people's appreciation for the courage shown by Australia to take this dramatically different position, to engage even more strongly with the international community on the question of climate change."

Witoelar told reporters Australia would be given a seat at the negotiating table and invited to fully participate in talks for a new global warming treaty from 2012, when the Kyoto pact expires.

Leaves one wondering what they previously thought of us. Climate pariahs, apparently, according to The Australian.

So what happens next, and what does it all mean? That's what I'll be trying to work out, as I blog the UN Bali Conference over the next 13 days or so.

Global Warning Climate Change Energy

Rudd wins Australian Federal Election on Green vote

Well, that is it. The Australian electorate so convincingly repudiated the meanness and pettiness that became there trademark of the Howard Liberal government. Some rejected Howard's attack on refugees, and their inhumane detention centres. Some rejected the lies, and broken core-promise/non core-promise distinctions. Some rejected the way Hicks was treated in Gitmo Bay. WMB. Many rejected the way we went into the Iraq war, and as many rejected the unneeded assault on workers conditions going by the Orwellian Worchoices name.

For me, it was some of the above, but mainly, mainly because Australia will finally ratify Kyoto, and take our place among the responsible nations of the world committed to taking on the challenge of climate change. All the other stuff will seem like the trivial concerns of humans if we don't take up the fight to minimise global warming, and win.

Global Warning Climate Change Energy