bangladesh & COP16: "real people don't live underwater"

by boatsie

फ़ेस् फ़ीयर् विथौत् फ़ीयर्

"Fear the threat until it comes. When it comes, turn and face it without fear." Sanskrit.

In no uncertain terms, officials and scientists representing Bangladesh at the Cancun talks made it clear yesterday that their country, which unabashedly occupies Ground Zero in the climate wars, is fearless and righteously proud in its determination to save itself by ensuring it receives an equitable share of fast track financing to assist developing countries in adapting to climate change.

"Loans are not an option for my country," said Bangladesh Minister of State for the Environment Dr. Hasan Mahmud. "We did nothing to create this problem and we should not be charged in solving it."

Unless something is done now, chances are in less than 40 years you will look at the map and Bangladesh will no longer be there. What will remain of this country will not be recognizable.

continued at Daily Kos....

LocaPower to the People! - Cancun can because locals can

by citisven

I don't know about you, but following all the different angles of negotiation at a conference as broad and multidimensional as the UNFCCC makes my head spin. I understand that dealing with a complex problem like climate change that literally affects every nation and every individual on earth offers no simple solutions, but the pitfall of trying to think about everything can be that you end up doing nothing.

This is why I'm very pleased to see that local governments and their representatives are gaining some real traction in Cancun.  

On Saturday, local governments took a huge step when the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) officially adopted the concept of "governmental stakeholders" for the first time in UNFCCC history.

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The Biggest Obstacles to a Climate Deal at COP16 are Overwhelm and Emotional Disconnect

by greenmedia

In a completely unscientific study, Green Media News has found the biggest obstacles to reaching a global deal on climate change are the massive overwhelm and emotional disconnect that stop climate change issues from becoming part of the national discourse.

Huh?

OK, I'm overwhelmed with all this. And I have a high tolerance for minutia; if I'm overwhelmed, that's not a good sign for the climate movement.

I have to admit I'm torn. I've been reading news from Cancun all afternoon. And I'm tempted to go down the list and talk about all the things that are happening at COP16 and around the world relative to climate change.

Fyi this article was cross-posted to Green Media News at around midnight last night.

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Fossil Fools? Carbon Currencies & War Rooms

by boatsie

India’s Minister of State for Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh chaired a impassioned Saturday panel on "Equitable access to Carbon Space: A Paradigm for Agreement," promoting a 'shared vision' for negotiations based upon equitable 'carbon space' for developing countries

An enthusiastic crowd spilled out into the corridors to continue discussion after the expert panelists indicated keen interest in a few of the inspired ideas floated during the Q&A, all seemingly 'pie-in-the-sky' suggestions -- like advancing a shift from gold to a global carbon standard or replacing traditional finances with effort based systems as bargaining chips.

Later that evening, expectations ran high at the World Climate Summit, hosted by Carbon War Room co-founder and eco-gladiator Sir Richard Branson, who presented the first ever Gigaton Consumer Discretion Award to one of the  Global 1000 climate conscious companies.

Raising a buzz poolside today that if big news does breaks from Cancun, it just might come from a highly unexpected source.

continued at Daily Kos....

The Tantra of Climate Change: Keep Holding Back

by greenmedia

Cross-posted to Green Media News.

Let's face it - Climate Change talk is boring. Most people just don't get excited talking about things like "MRV" (the monitoring, reporting, verifying and reducing of greenhouse gas emissions across geo-political borders) and those who aren't on the front lines of the climate change action movement generally don't have the attention span to focus on serious talk like this... well at least, not when "Dancing with the Stars" is on.

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DailyCancun: A Mayor Breakthrough!

by citisven

This week in Cancun, governments and NGOs from around the world are taking another shot at solving the climate crisis after last year's highly anticipated VIP-laden COP 15 conference in Copenhagen that created a big bubbly buzz and ended in a long contemplative sigh of nothingness.

While much of the approach to the Big Kahuna in Cancuna is still centered around cryptic diplomat speak that tries to accommodate everybody and pleases nobody, the one question that the indefatigable ecocity advocate Richard Register has been asking for over 35 years — Why on earth aren't they talking about cities??? —

seems to finally have been heard:

After cities were shut out at COP15, Marcelo Ebrard, Mayor of Mexico City and Chair of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change, has been invited to speak at a high level panel at COP16.

HALLELUJAH!

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At COP16, UNFCCC and USA Look for Agreement to Agree

by greenmedia

Cross-posted to Green Media News.

In her opening remarks at COP16 yesterday, United Nations Climate Chief Christiana Figueres called for a "solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity."

Meanwhile, one delegate on the ground reported feeling a strange mix of hope and frustration in the air as the negotiations were about to begin.

Figueres concentrated her remarks on the three issues she sees as the most important reasons why a global climate action deal needs to be reached and why the UNFCCC is the right body to be driving the process:

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COP16 Climate Talks Kick Off in Cancun, Mexico - So What?

by greenmedia

Cross-posted to Green Media News.

Representatives from countries around the world gathered today in Cancun, Mexico for the COP16 climate talks which will continue for the next 12 days. This is the first round of talks by the UNFCCC (United Nations Frameworks Conventions on Climate Change) since last year's COP15 conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

COP15 last year failed to produce a world-wide agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which was expected by a large majority of the world's population. Therefore, expectations for COP16 this year are very low. Notably different this year is the stated intention of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to cooperate with politicians and negotiators rather than play an adversarial role.

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DailyCancun: Applying the lessons of Copenhagen in Cancun

by boatsie

David Turnbull is Executive Director of the Climate Action Network - International, a network of over five hundred NGOs in dozens of countries working to develop and advocate for global solutions to the climate crisis. He joins DailyCancun this evening to reflect back on the failures of COP15 and forward as he presents a vision of what we've learned and a vision of realistic goals we can hope to achieve at COP16 in Cancun

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dailycancun: #racetothefuture

by boatsie

Climate activists launch an opening salvo in their imaginative and visionary global campaign to inform and awaken the world to the urgency of the November 28-Dec. 10 UNFCCC talks.

"We have lost something very precious. That is an understanding of our interconnectedness with nature and a world beyond the material." - His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales

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1st 'global hug' eco-shorts festival earthship

by eKos

Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.

Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.

Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.

Tonight's editor: speck

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Yes We Can Can-cún: Opening Salvo of 700 Climate Scientists

by boatsie

Great news on the Environmental front this morning! 700 climate scientists plan to take on the corporately funded climate skeptics.

Last week, it appeared a fait accompli that the GOP would emerge victorious in reigning in EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. And things don't bode well for the US as the the UNFCCC prepares for COP16 later this month.

Hard to believe Obama flew into Copenhagen last winter with the hope of the world propelling AirForce One forward.

If  The Copenhagen Accordwas a dismal failure then, can we expect anything from Cancun?

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Yes We Can Can-cún, the monday earthship

by eKos

Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.

Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.

Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.

Today's editor: boatsie

All views expressed by today's editor do not necessarily represent those of eKos or eKos listed diarists.ss

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10/10/10: Massive worldwide action to cut CO2 emissions

by eKos

Bill McKibben: "... this may turn out to be one of the iconic #1010101 photos" a tweet @ circa 8AM PST

Welcome to the 10/10/10 Earthship, Daily Kos’ roundup of events around the world on what Bill McKibben is calling "the most widespread day of civic engagement on any issue ever in the planet's history."  Share your stories and don't forget to upload your pictures to 350.org

Tonight's editors: the people of the world.

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ecoadvocates: Join hands in fighting BP & Offshore

by boatsie

Tonight's EcoAdvocates edition includes a guest post by by Dave Rauschkolb, founder  of Hands Across the Sand , the June 26 day of solidarity on beaches around the world in response to the Deepwater Horizon Disaster; Kevin Grandia reporting from tcktcktck's FreshAir Center on "What's next after the UNFCCC Bonn talks?" and tonight's editor, boatsie, who provides background information and advocates for a few eco-actions in "Act Now!"

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