Watching Bali with that sinking feeling

THE VIEW FROM SUVA

For years, scientists and environmental activists have been talking about the consequences of climate change and in particular sea-level rise – an issue that touches all of our lives in the Pacific.

Observing the global climate change conference from Suva can be a bit puzzling, especially if you stop by the official website.

Which was why I was somewhat wary of an article on Fiji Times Online titled “Victory at Bali for vulnerable nations” today. The article quoted a statement from the International Institute for Environment and Development which said years of tense climate-change talks ended with a “victory for the most vulnerable countries, which won a key decision at the UN conference in Bali.

But in an online search, no other stories of the “victory” for vulnerable states were readily apparent.

Another thing that raised my curiosity about the article was a somewhat different story I’m hearing from Bali.

The scepticism within the NGO community about whether any real gains will be achieved is understandable.

One of my NGO contacts in Bali sounded desperate in an email about “what is going down here.”

“It is going so bad and our island nations are going under because the big economic players don’t care and in part, some our (Pacific Islands Countries’) delegates have not been at meetings where they could really be effective in making our voices heard.”

So there you have it: The international economic powers ignore our concerns while our own leaders can’t get their act together and demand real change on the issue of climate change.

Sure there have been numerous gains – such as Fiji making a huge portion of its ocean zone a marine protected areas.

New reports are emerging about more victims of climate change or environmental refugees: Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Carteret Islands off the coast of PNG are living examples of the greater catastrophe that looms.

Overall you can’t help getting that sinking feeling.

Read more!

Daily Brief from Bali - Friday, 7 December

"Prove You're a Leader - Commit to an Ambitious Bali Mandate", WWF

THE LATEST - We need to see real leadership here in Bali. Government delegations must cut emissions from the rich, one third below 1990 levels by 2020. The political momentum is building. The EU, who committed in March 2007 to a cut of up to 30 percent, is being joined by
others in its ambition. Several emerging economies are supporting formal negotiations and have promised to do their fair share.

THE QUOTE - "Balimust be the "We Do" summit - we can come to an agreement, we can cut emissions, and we can slow the impacts of dangerous climate change," says Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme. "Leaders must agree a formal BaliMandate - not a roadmap to nowhere, but a highway to stopping dangerous climate
change." Read more!

Daily Brief from Bali - Thursday, 6 December

Ambition:
The Bali road map cannot lead to nowhere but must take aim at an emission reduction target that is congruent with what science tells us needs to happen: ambitious emission reduction targets for industrialized countries, stating that peak and decline of global CO2 emissions should happen well before 2020, and that the world should keep well below the danger threshold of 2°C warming (above pre-industrial level).

All those are somewhere on the table but the dots have not quite been connected. Some countries speak about the 25-40% reduction target by 2020, others studiously avoid it. Some say it should be under the Convention track, some say it should be under Kyoto. Those ranges apply to industrialized countries: but where does the global picture come in is still unclear.


What is happening now:
Countries have been changing positions in the negotiations very quickly. Australia's Kyoto ratification is the most pronounced change, Iceland adopted the 2°C language one or two days ago, and even the Canadian environment minister has supported this target openly - an
astounding feat.

Selected building Blocks

Adaptation: We are not yet sure what countries really are seeking on adaptation. What we need at this stage is a paragraph to be part of the Mandate that can make a work programme or similar operational for adaptation.
The discussion about the implementation of the Adaptation Fund is continuing - a number of countries came out in favour of GEF but a core of developing countries continues to hold out against it. Brazil has come out with a clear refusal to endorse the GEF. G77 have presented a
draft decision for operationalizing the Adaptation Fund. However, this may be a decision that goes against the GEF. Objections to the GEF are that it is inaccessible, bureaucratic, and too expensive.

REDD: It seems that draft decision text is okay for many countries (comfortable). Some countries push to widen the REDD agenda by including agriculture and other land use issues - something that WWF rejects as unworkable - we want to keep REDD slim and ensure adequate funding.
There is significant support for the World Bank partnership initiative, and clear interest to provide early funding for pilot projects.

Carbon markets: The discussion is mostly limited to technical issues as described in the last update. The CDM beyond 2012 is still totally open. Sectoral approaches could be under the CDM but even this is unclear. The G77 are talking about policies and measures for sustainable development. Best outcome from today's viewpoint - enlarge scope, sectoral CDM operational, be a part of future negotiation. That should be in mandate decision.

Technology Transfer: Yesterday a stand-off in SBI on TT cost three hours of stalled negotiations. The conflict looks like a legal argument but is in fact political. SBI has established a contact group about TT moving into SBI.
The Chinese proposed a Technology Cooperation Platform - bringing together governments and private actors. An interesting move as it shows that the Chinese are flexible and pragmatic in an issue that has their highest attention.

Response measures: This subject was originally created because OPEC - led by Saudi Arabia
- insisted on being compensated by oil consuming countries for a potential loss of income through fuel switch and energy saving measures. Now the subject is moving beyond the Saudis: unintended consequences are getting a wider audience - e.g. coal in South Africa and won't be an export good anymore. Products form organic farming from Thailand that might not be exported to Europe because of emissions.

Finance and trade ministers meeting
This weekend, a meeting of finance and a meeting of trade ministers are
scheduled to take place outside of the UN Conference.

Trade Ministers will talk about the US and EU proposal to work on tax
barriers on clean technology. Finance Ministers will also report on this
to the COP.
Read more!

Blue Awards

Islands Magazine's December issue is featuring "Blue Awards" for sustainable tourism. Fiji's Cousteau resort received one - and it would be great if any of us could get a copy of the magazine and find out how many Pacific resorts made the list.

Island’s Magazine Editorial Director, Ty Sawyer explains the meaning of the award in this excerpt:

“It’s no longer a fringe group that wants to save the planet. Its become a worldwide phenomenon borne of the necessity to save and sustain all those cultures and places that make the world and incredible place to experience. So we here at ISLANDS decided to celebrate, support and honor the places and people who are so important to islands travel, those who have taken up the challenge to make responsible and sustainable tourism practices a vital part of the way they do business and, more importantly, the way they live. To celebrate these incredible and on-going achievements, we’ve put together our inaugural BLUE LIST and launched our ISLANDS Global Sustainable Tourism Awards, which we’ve dubbed THE BLUE AWARDS.

And here is the synopsis from the magazine website

The Blue List
We've done all the hard work for you. We've looked in every nook and cranny, under every palm tree, on every beach, in countless resorts, under the sea and on islands everywhere for people and places that have embraced, nurtured and protected the amazingly diverse natural and cultural heritage of our planet. What we've discovered on this journey is how incredible the world is and how it inspires us as island travelers. This issue is a celebration of the leaders and innovators in sustainable tourism, people committed to preserving everything that is unique about our island experiences. In these pages, you'll find 100 of the best of the best — our Blue List. Blue, of course, because islands are defined by water.

THE WINNERS » 54 We've also established the annual ISLANDS Global Sustainable Tourism Awards. You'll find the first five winners — Wakatobi Dive Resort (pg. 59), Seacology (pg. 62), Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort (pg. 71), Kosrae Village (pg. 81), and Nihiwatu (pg. 92) — among those on the list. But in the end, anyone who contributes to the preservation of the island dream deserves a commendation. Read more!

Daily Brief from Bali - Wednesday, 5 December

Wednesday 5 December

Put clean technology where it's needed, says WWF

THE LATEST - Technology transfer is one of the key elements in deploying
solutions to climate change around the world. New technology to reduce
carbon emissions is becoming more affordable every day, but the
technology needs to be widely available to the countries, companies, and
communities that most need it.

THE QUOTE - "Technology transfer and cooperation is an essential part of
any post-2012 climate deal and is moving centre stage in the
negotiations in Bali," says Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global
Climate Change Programme. "The shift to a cleaner, safer economy is
doable, affordable and in many ways beneficial; governments from around
the world should keep an open mind and bring technology cooperation
right to the heart of the formal negotiations on the Bali mandate."

Read more!

Bali Policy Update from WWF

OVERALL:
At the conference opening yesterday (3 Dec) the different country groupings showed their first hand. After the official opening, both tracks and both subsidiary bodies opened as well, with heated discussions already emerging in at least one.

Besides the first possible confrontations (see further down) there is also a set of possible early wins - countries are keen to ensure those as that would help them to explain what the conference is about, especially to the domestic public. The possible early wins include finalization of the adaptation Fund and REDD - Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation.

One overall aspect here is that on linking mitigation and adaptation - an issue that WWF has pushed for years. This thinking is now starting to pervade the system, as several statements showed. This is helpful politically because it demonstrates that countries realize how much they are bound together in these negotiations.

There is also a proliferation of ideas on funds, which is not a realistic way forward. The UNFCCC has already got 3 funds and a plethora of new ones would not get funded and be useless. At some stage these ideas will have to be pulled together - we are on the look-out for initiatives in this direction.

The intervention from the NGOs in CAN Climate Action Network to the plenary was given by WWF Indonesia's head of communications, Elshinta Marsden.

ADAPTATION:
Adaptation has lost its image of afterthought and is now square on the agenda. A number of key States form G77+ as well as the EU made it a central point in their opening statements. It appears both under the Convention and in the AWG.

Least developed countries (LDC) and AOSIS (small islands states) are calling for a strong link between mitigation and adaptation.

One relatively new aspect is the inclusion of bunker fuels in the adaptation fund.

Generally there is no contention between the countries on this issue. But the heat is rising when it comes to the governance structure of the Adaptation Fund (AF) which has not been sorted for two years: Both the US and the EU want to put the AF under the governance of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). The G77 are rejecting the GEF proposal and want to put the management of the AF under the UNFCCC secretariat - there are parallels to this proposals, namely in the Montreal Protocol.

Here in Bali, GEF is lobbying wildly at the side lines - Bali is generally seen as the place where the blockage on the fund could finally be raised and things might move - so that Least Developed Countries could start to receive funds.

This will continue to keep us busy today in the SBI. There is lots of work being done on the adaptation fund is behind the scenes - there seems to be a feeling that resolution is possible. WWF had put forward criteria WHEN???? which we now see being used by some Parties in the negotiations (very satisfactory). WWF is also preparing interventions jointly with Oxfam and others.

CARBON MARKETS and CDM
Not yet really started but we have helped to cause some action with in the Climate Action Network (CAN) working group to get prepared for heavy action - including an Eco article for tomorrow. WWF is leading the CAN working group on CDM.

CDM will however come up for the first time in today's morning session of SBSTA. Three topics are particularly relevant: the inclusion of CCS, Include hydroflurorcarbons (HFC) in the CDM, and the limit small scale forest sinks (now limited to 8 kilotons per year in project size).

REDD:
Several major delegations mentioned their desire to have a resolution. Degradation was mentioned several times. Formal negotiations start this morning under SBSTA. An intervention form CAN is foreseen this morning which WWF has heavily contributed to.

On-going efforts by CAN to forge a position are finally bearing fruit (to Ken's relieve) - we expect a decision on that today; However, lack in terms of focus and details on some key elements mean that WWF will want to define those ourselves.

Intervention scheduled for SBSTA this morning. Ken has heavily contributed to that.

The big issue is how to integrate REDD with the post-2012 negotiations as much of the REDD discussion so far was under the Convention.

TECH TRANSFER
The current mandate of the Expert Group on Technology Transfer EGTT comes to an end here in Bali (it was already prolonged for one year in Nairobi). So a decision on how to deal with technology transfer (TT) - under which structure and set-up - is needed urgently. TT is a crucial topic - technology will be needed both for mitigation and adaptation, and instruments span from information exchange to financial support. Copy right issues are amongst the contested.

Yesterday, China came out saying that the current slow pace of EGTT leads to a lock-in effect and is too slow. China proposed the idea of a technology collaboration platform, showing new flexibility in an issue which is pivotal to the Chinese effort here in Bali.
China has been moving since Vienna, it is very serious but not married to one particular format.

The big struggle however - which held up negotiations for 2.5 hours - was that G77 came out with a differing view on the agenda, wanting to link TT to SBI as well as to SBSTA.

The EU supported the current EGTT work - it should continue but with an elaborated mandate, such as a think tank. EGTT should also support the post-2012 negotiations.

The CAN Technology working group will be meeting the delegations of 10 different countries during this week, and has started to work on a variety of other tasks. John from WWF Denmark is one of the two coordinators of this group.


RESOURCES:
Check out today's ECO at the CAN website www.climatenetwork.org
And the WWF website. www.panda.org/climate Read more!

Pacific villagers seek help at Bali climate

From The Associated Press
December 4, 2007 Tuesday 4:56 AM GMT

Fleeing rising seas, Pacific villagers seek help at Bali climate conference
By CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent
KILU Papua New Guinea

Squealing pigs lit out for the bush and Filomena Taroa herded the grandkids to higher ground last week when the sea rolled in deeper than anyone had ever seen. What was happening? "I don't know," the sturdy, barefoot grandmother told a visitor. "I'd never experienced it before."

As scientists warn of rising seas from global warming, more and more reports are coming in from villages like this one on Papua New Guinea's New Britain island of flooding from unprecedented high tides. It's happening not only to low-lying atolls, but to shorelines from Alaska to India.

This week, by boat, bus and jetliner, a handful of villagers are converging on Bali, Indonesia, to seek help from the more than 180 nations gathered at the U.N. climate conference. The coastal dwellers' plight once theoretical appears all too real in 2007, and is spreading and worsening.

Scientists project that seas expanding from warmth and from the runoff of melting land ice may displace millions of coastal inhabitants worldwide in this century if heat-trapping industrial emissions are not sharply curtailed.

A Europe-based research group, the Global Governance Project, will propose at the two-week Bali meeting that an international fund be established to resettle "climate refugees."

Summarizing the islanders' plight, Ursula Rakova said: "We don't have vehicles, an airport. We're merely victims of what is happening with the industrialized nations emitting `greenhouse gases.'"

The sands of Rakova's islands, the Carteret atoll northeast of Bougainville island, have been giving way to the sea for 20 years. The saltwater has ruined their taro gardens, a food staple, and has contaminated their wells and flooded homesteads. The remote islands now suffer from chronic hunger.

The national government has appropriated $800,000 to resettle a few Carteret families on Bougainville, out of 3,000 islanders.

"That's not enough," Rakova told The Associated Press in Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby. "The islands are getting smaller. Basically, everybody will have to leave."

In a landmark series of reports this year, the U.N. climate-science network reported seas rose by a global average of about 0.12 inches annually from 1993 to 2003, as compared with about 0.08 inches annually for the period 1961-2003.

But a 2006 study by Australian oceanographers found the rise was much higher, almost one inch every year, in parts of the western Pacific and Indian oceans.

"It turns out the ocean sloshes around," said the University of Tasmania's Nathaniel Bindoff, a lead author on oceans in the U.N. reports. "It's moving, and so on a regional basis the ocean's movement is causing sea-level variations ups and downs."

Regional temperatures and atmospheric conditions, currents, undersea and shoreline topography are all factors contributing to sea levels. On some atolls, which are the above-water remnants of ancient volcanoes, the coral underpinnings are subsiding and adding to the sinking effect.

The oceanic "sloshing" is steadily taking land from such western Pacific island nations as Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands. In Papua New Guinea, reports have trickled in this year of fast-encroaching tides on shorelines of the northern island province of Manus, the mainland peninsular village of Malasiga and the Duke of York Islands off New Britain.

International media attention paid to the Carteret Islands, the best-known case, seems to have drawn out others, said Papua New Guinea's senior climatologist, Kasis Inape.

"Most of the low-lying islands and atolls are in the same situation," Inape said in Port Moresby.

Here in Kilu on the Bismarck Sea, on a brilliant blue bay ringed by smoldering volcanoes, swaying coconut palms and thin-walled homes on stilts, the invading waves last year forced some villagers to move their houses inland 20 or more yards taking along their pigs, chickens and fears of worse to come.

It did, on Nov. 25, when the highest waters yet sent them scurrying.

"We think the sea is rising," said 20-year-old villager Joe Balele. "We don't know why."

The scene is repeated on shores across the Pacific, most tragically on tiny island territories with no "inland" to turn to.

Preparing to head to Bali to present her people's case Tuesday at the U.N. climate conference, Rakova searched for words to explain what was happening back home.

"Our people have been there 300 or 400 years," she said. "We'll be moving away from the islands we were born in and grew up in. We'll have to give up our identity." Read more!

Daily Brief from Bali - Tuesday 4 December

Paradise Lost - Beautiful Bali under threat from Climate Change

THE LATEST As delegates make their way to the UN's Climate Change Summit on the tropical island paradise of Bali, they must not let the surroundings fool them. Paradiseis under threat from rising sea levels, warming oceans and increases in extreme weather events. WWF says that developed nations should take the lead and take greater responsibility in emission reductions. Financial resources will have to be provided by the international community to help developing countries adapt to the damaging effects of climate change.

QUOTE OF THE DAY "The devastating impacts of climate change reach across the globe, but in the near-term those most at risk, and least responsible, are developing countries," says Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme. "It's the flood-prone
mega-deltas, such as Bangladesh, and drought-prone parts of Africa and Asia that are most at risk right now. The Bali Summit gives world leaders a small window of opportunity to respond and agree to set deeper cuts in CO2 emissions."

Background: In 1992, most countries joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to fight global warming and to adapt to the inevitable temperature increases. Fifteen years later Indonesia is hosting the third Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (MOP3) in conjunction with the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP13) in Bali from 3 to 14 December.
The Bali conference will be the culmination of a momentous twelve months in the international climate debate. Over the past year, overwhelming scientific evidence of global warming, set out in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC), put the reality of human-induced global warming beyond any reasonable doubt.

Key Issues:
· Governments attending the UN's Climate Change Summit in Bali in December must make deeper cuts in emissions post-2012.
· Governments of rich countries must increase funding for climate change adaptation in less developed countries.
· The world must cut emissions by 80 per cent by the middle of this century.

Materials for the Media:
Press Pack - All backgrounders, press work, photos, reports etc at
http://www.panda.org/climate.
TV Footage - For broadcast-standard video, please contact the Media
Team.
Online - Blog at www.panda.org/climate/blog. Global map of climate
change impacts at www.panda.org/climate/ipcc.
Spokespeople:
Hans Verolme, WWF's Global Climate Change Programme, +1 202 492 7358, hans.verolme@wwfus.org.
Fitrian Ardiansyah, WWF-Indonesia's Climate Change Programme, +62 812 9355 105,
fardiansyah@wwf.or.id.

Media team:
Brian Thomson (English, French, Italian) t +62 813 1808 5548, btomson@wwfint.org.
Martin Hiller (English, German, French) t+62 813 1875 9492,mhiller@wwfint.org.
Elshinta Marsden (English, Bahasa Indonesia) t +62 8161806321, esmarsden@wwf.or.id. Mariana Ramos (Portuguese, English, Spanish) t +62 813 1860 2114 marianaramos@wwf.org.br Soh Koon Chng (English, French), t +62 813 1860 2127 skchng@wwfint.org.
Read more!

Climate change hits women the hardest: report

The Hindu - India's National Newspaper
03 December - Staff reporter

NEW DELHI: “Women pay the highest price for climate change as the world fails to adapt. International efforts to help poor women — the world’s most vulnerable — to adapt to climate change will fail unless urgent action is taken,” states a joint report released recently by the international anti-poverty agency Action Aid and the Institute for Development Studies (IDS).

Raman Mehta, who leads Action Aid’s work on climate change in India, said: “Women are hit hardest by climate change because they have fewer means to be able to adapt and prepare for extreme weather conditions made worse by climate change.”

Citing an example from the flood affected regions in the country, Mr. Mehta said: “During our flood rescue operations in the Muzzafarpur district of Bihar this year, we noted that women were bearing the brunt of the adverse conditions. The reasons are many, under economic stress, women have to handle everything. With husbands sometimes migrating for work, they end up facing the challenges alone.” The report also indicates how poor women struggle to cope with the impact of global warming and presents first-hand testimonies on what they think adaptation funds should be spent on. The report urges governments to give women, who are on the frontline of climate change, an equal say in adaptation financing to ensure funds support poor women.

“Our research shows that although poor women are one of the groups most affected by climate change, they also have clear priorities for adaptation – for example having a safe place to store harvest and livestock during the monsoon season,” said Tom Mitchell, research fellow at the Institute for Development Studies. “For adaptation funding to be effective it is crucial that poor women’s needs are reflected in policies and interventions for adaptation to climate change.” Read more!

Climate Change and the Media

Check your inboxes! Va just sent around a fantastic article about how climate change is covered in the media and where we need to go. If you need a copy, just let me know!

The science tells us that a window of opportunity is about to slam shut on our collective fingers. The head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change says there are just two years left to negotiate a stronger, fairer global agreement on how to address climate change. Massive shifts in policy and in public behaviour will be necessary to keep greenhouse gas concentrations below a dangerous level and to adapt to the changes that are already inevitable. The media and those it relies on for information will play an increasing role in whether or not a revolution happens and how it plays out if it does.

The good news is that the climate is not the only thing that is changing.

- Shanahan, M. (2007) Talking about a revolution: climate change and the media. An IIED Briefing Development. International Institute for Environment and Development
Read more!

Fellows Bylines: 2 December 2007

Global fight against gas emissions



By ALUMECI NAKEKE


02 December 2007




When there is a cyclone, flooding or drought most people in Fiji call it a natural disaster but most are not because they are human induced, which results in climate change.
The unpredictable weather nowadays may make some people think that the gods are unhappy
But now people in the Pacific are starting to wake up as they realise that it is the effect of greenhouse gas emissions and now it is about time they make more noises as the United Nations Climate Change Conference begins today in Bali.



While bigger countries are continuing with their harmful emissions, smaller islands like Fiji are suffering.
Samoa's first environment non-governmental organisation, Ole Siosiomaga Society Inc executive director Fiu Mata'ese Elisara-Laulu who was in Fiji recently and will also be in Bali said countries in the Pacific were making the right noises about the issue on greenhouse gas emissions.



"The International Panel on Climate Change comprising more than 1000 renowned scientists have proven that global warming was human induced and it was affecting the whole issue of climate change," he said.
"And therefore because global warming was not only causing cyclones and sea level rise, it was also about health issues as well. When you start to have floods it impacts our water that our people depend on and also affects sanitation and even droughts."



He said oil producing countries were also doing their homework by paying other scientists to disprove the findings by the IPCC scientists and negate it.
"What we are worried about is that climate change in itself is becoming a business," said Mr Elisara-Laulu.



At the Kyoto Protocol, industrialised countries had been given a quota on the amount of greenhouse gas they could emit but another concept emanating from the Kyoto Protocol was the Clean Development Mechanism and this was where carbon trading came in.



"It is basically saying, if I am an industrialised country and given a quota of greenhouse gases that I could emit every year, once my quota is over, that means I cannot continue to produce industrialised goods. So, what I do is negotiate with other small islands in the Pacific like Samoa or Fiji and say, 'Can I please give you small Clean Development Mechanism projects by sending you some money and buying your quota so that I can continue'," explained Mr Elisara-Laulu.
Fiji is one those countries, which has received such "guilt money" and this was confirmed by Director of Environment Epeli Nasome. The assistance was used to fund two hydro projects for the Fiji Electricity Authority, which are Vaturu and Wainikasou.



However, Mr Elisare-Laulau said even the Kyoto Protocol was inadequate because IPCC worked out that we needed more than close to 70 per cent cut to the greenhouse gas emissions.
"Our problem is that it is coined under CDM and our governments see that as development revenue resources. Our accepting that is a means of getting resources for our development but at the end of the day the philosophical we have been saying all along is cutting greenhouse gasses is causing all our problems and we are enabling them to continue."



But he said the charter of the United Nations basically gave all countries equal rights and all Pacific countries had the same rights to exist as a nation, as a people and as cultures like any other country in the world.



Our two neighbours Australia and New Zealand had not signed the Kyoto Protocol but newly elected Australian Prime Minister according to The Australian had told world leaders that Australia woul0d ratify the Kyoto Protocol and had ordered senior bureaucrats to move quickly to draft new industrial relations. He had also accepted Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's invitation to attend the climate change summit in Bali.
He said it was an issue for those in the Pacific because Australia was their neighbor and also providing leadership but was aligning itself to other industrialised countries because of economic interests.
"It thereby tries to avoid its responsibilities on climate change and therefore becomes a big issue for us. And for us accepting clean development mechanism resources to adapt to climate change is another big issue – that is giving us the responsibility as if we were part of the causes," he said.



"We have been fighting for long-term responsibilities by the industrialised countries and it should have been accepted by them but unfortunately they are asking us to adapt. We contribute very little to climate change and yet we are still accepting those resources for adaptation projects.



However, some of the countries like United States and Australia and other industrialised have still not signed the Kyoto Protocol but it is amazing that climate change has now come right to their doorsteps.



"This is evident in the happenings of cyclone Katrina in the US, the droughts in Europe and also in Australia and it is only recently that these countries are now starting to address climate change seriously as it is a very global priority now."



Last month 150 countries met in New York and more than 80 heads of government attended and the large turnout was because they had seen the effects of climate change and has forced them and forces them to act.
"After that meeting President Bush called a meeting in Washington DC for 16 of the most industrialised countries of the world but unfortunately, instead of aligning themselves to targets that was set up by UN conventions they started looking at voluntary commitments.



"And it is up to them to voluntarily to meet the targets on the Kyoto Protocol and also on the United Nations Framework on Convention on Climate Change. And we view this with concern and skepticism because it undermines the UN negotiation process for international binding treaty for very hard commitments and timeframe as the Kyoto protocol will end in 2012," he added. Read more!

Surprising results of scientific tsunami damage report

I found this post by Caspar Henderson over at the Coral Bones blog. The last sentence really struck home for me.

At the time, there was much comment in the media, not all of it well-informed, about the impact of the Sumatra-Andaman tsunami of 26 December 2004 on coral reefs across the Indian Ocean. Andrew Baird notifies that an edition of the Atoll Research Bulletin devoted to this issue, no. 544, is now available on line.

In one of the papers, Baird and colleagues report on findings in Aceh. They write:

the initial damage to corals, while occasionally spectacular, was surprisingly limited and trivial when compared to pre-existing damage most probably caused by destructive fishing practice

Read more!

Lake Victoria Climate Change Action Plan

Vinaka to Makareta for sharing the joint position of Commonwealth countries on climate change (click 'Read More'), and welcome home from Uganda!

Makareta reports, "Pacific Islands & Caribbean nations present at the Commonwealth Heads of Goverment Meeting (CHOGM) were satisfied that some committments were made by the more developed memebrs of CHOGM to climate change, especially with the change of government in Australia."


LAKE VICTORIA CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN
We, the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth, are gravely concerned about the threat that climate change represents to human security and economic wellbeing.

2 We reaffirm our continued commitment to the 1989 Langkawi Declaration on the Environment when Commonwealth Heads of Government first defined our collective concern, concluding that:
· Serious deterioration of the environment is a threat to the well-being of current and future generations;
· Delay in halting environmental degradation will result in permanent and irreversible damage;
· Threats to the environment need to be viewed and addressed in a balanced perspective, mindful of the needs to eradicate poverty, provide sustainable development, and enhanced quality of life for all;
· Most environmental problems transcend national boundaries, and therefore require solutions that are mutually reinforcing at global, regional, national and community levels; and,
· Solutions to today’s environmental challenges also require active participation by all.

3 We are conscious that climate change is a direct threat to the very survival of some Commonwealth countries, notably small island states. We are also conscious of the threat to low-lying coastal regions. Climate change can undermine our continuing efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We recognize that the cost of inaction on mitigation and adaptation is far greater than the cost of early action.
4 We believe that the diversity of the Commonwealth places our association in a unique position to support the pursuit of ambitious solutions, particularly through our unqualified support for work through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to reach an agreement on collective, comprehensive and global action.
5 Our Commonwealth diversity also underscores the importance of common but differentiated responsibilities; recognition of the respective capabilities of states, especially the constraints faced by least developed and developing countries; and the importance of developed countries taking the lead. Burden sharing should be equitable, should not perpetuate poverty, and should be compatible with accelerated development.
6 We call for increased financial flows for adaptation, and their improved effectiveness. We urge additional incentives for developing countries, in particular through flexibility mechanisms, for commitments to enhanced mitigation action. Carbon trading will be important in this regard.
7 We recognise the need to overcome technical, economic and policy barriers to facilitate the development, diffusion and deployment of affordable low- and zero-emission technologies and renewable energy. We also recognise the need for energy efficiency and conservation.
8 We firmly believe that no strategy or actions to deal with climate change should have the effect of depriving developing countries of the possibility of sustainable economic development. On the contrary, measures to tackle the impacts of climate change should support the positive economic and social transformation of societies. In particular, the easing of population pressure on agricultural land and the successful development of secondary and tertiary sectors in economies requires the provision of clean energy.
9 We believe that development itself is an important tool in addressing climate change, since a well educated and healthy society, with a diverse economy, is best placed to be flexible and to generate the necessary resources to invest in cleaner technologies and systems, and to fund adaptation measures.
10 Effective action will only be possible with the willing support of the Commonwealth population as a whole, including women and young people. We invite the family of Commonwealth organisations to play a full part in promoting a better understanding of climate change and its impacts, and in addressing adaptation and mitigation challenges.
11 Accordingly, we are resolved, individually and collectively, to pursue active participation through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), caucusing together and leveraging from our shared vision and diversity to the fullest extent possible. These negotiations should be inclusive in nature and should work towards outcomes that are ambitious, comprehensive, equitable, have respect for different national circumstances, and provide for flexibility in addressing climate change. Our shared goal should be to achieve a comprehensive post-2012 global agreement that strengthens, broadens, and deepens current arrangements and leads to reduced emissions of global greenhouse gases. This should include a long term aspirational global goal for emissions reduction to which all countries would contribute.
12 We are also resolved, individually and collectively, to pursue the following actions, which should also inform our positions at Bali:
(i) Pursuit of initiatives to strengthen the quality and participation levels at international negotiations on climate change, such as assisting Commonwealth developing countries with their national negotiating capacity.
(ii) Promotion of Commonwealth work, drawing on our networks of professional associations and other resources, to strengthen consideration of the human and economic aspects of climate change.
(ii) Support for improved land use management, including conservation and sustainable use of forest resources. This should comprise market-based mechanisms and compensatory measures for the preservation of standing forests; provisions for reforestation and afforestation; and measures to combat illegal logging and other causes of deforestation. In this regard, the Commonwealth’s commitment to the Iwokrama Rainforest Programme is renewed and efforts should continue to be pursued to widen international knowledge and support of it.
(iv) Work to study and make recommendations on issues related to the sustainability of fresh agricultural produce in respect of transported exports, particularly from developing countries, with a view to securing more sound information on carbon footprints related to the export of fresh produce.
(v) Renewed efforts to support natural disaster management in member countries. This should include further consideration of insurance proposals for small island states, including those of the Commonwealth Disaster Management Agency, while the Commonwealth Secretariat should continue its work to strengthen natural disaster management in member countries in conjunction with other international efforts.
(vi) The provision of technical assistance and other support, particularly to least developed countries and vulnerable small states, to assess the implications of climate change and the benefits of building adaptation into all aspects of national planning and budgeting, wherever feasible and practical.
13 We are resolved that Commonwealth governments and the Commonwealth Secretariat will play their full part to implement our shared goals and envisaged actions, working in strategic partnership and conjunction with other international institutions, raising awareness, facilitating access, and sharing best practice. Our governments will contribute additional technical and financial support according to our means. Read more!

MPAs help combat poverty

TNC Study Suggests Efforts to Protect the Ocean Environment and Improve Livelihoods in the Developing World Can Be Mutually Beneficial

ARLINGTON, VA — Well-managed, locally-supported marine reserves in the Asia-Pacific region can significantly help reduce poverty and enhance the quality of life for residents of local communities, according to a new study, Nature’s Investment Bank, released today by The Nature Conservancy.

“This important study demonstrates that conservation and human well-being are indelibly linked,” said Stephanie Meeks, acting president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “It’s clear from this study that taking steps to protect vital natural systems, such as through the establishment of marine protected areas, provides clear benefits to people as well as wildlife.”

Governments around the world are wrestling with questions about whether investments in conservation benefit the lives of extremely impoverished people. The Nature’s Investment Bank study provides new, tangible evidence that these investments do bring about measurable economic and quality of life benefits.

Co-authored by Nature Conservancy policy advisor Craig Leisher, Dutch economist Dr. Peter van Beukering, and Brazilian/Australian social scientist Dr. Lea M. Scherl, this study found that restoration of local resources – be they fisheries or coral reefs – increased fish catch and economic opportunities, improved community health, and directly enhanced the lives of local residents.

“When marine protected areas are developed with government support, scientific data, and are managed primarily by local communities that take pride in the management of their natural resources, significant improvements in quality of life can be seen,” said Craig Leisher, co-author of the study. “Building networks of resilient marine protected areas will help maintain the food and income necessary to support coastal communities as well as curb the use of destructive fishing techniques, and enable coral reefs to survive the impacts of climate change.”

As a Fijian community leader from Waiqanake village named Weku Ratumainaceva noted, “The marine protected area is like a bank to the people. Opening more branches of the ‘bank’ in developing countries can contribute to coastal poverty reduction.”

The study team conducted more than 1,100 interviews within poor communities in four countries and, using rigorous scientific methodology endorsed by several leading environmental economists and social scientists, analyzed the effect of marine protected areas at four very different sites:

• In Indonesia’s Bunaken National Marine Park, local communities benefited from an increase in incomes from dive tourism and a share in revenue from park fees. Interestingly, marine protected area fishers in Bunaken also spent approximately 50 percent less time per year fishing than fishers in an area without a marine protected area, yet their income was roughly equal – suggesting that the protected area fishers have more time to invest in other activities.
• In Fiji’s Navakavu Locally Managed Marine Area, poverty was reduced by increased fish and shellfish catches (the #1 source of income for the local community), and local incomes more than doubled for the community’s 600 people.
• In the Solomon Islands Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area, communities saw better governance and more productive management of Arnavon’s marine resources, leading to cooperation on many other community problems as well as greater food security and better public health.
• On Apo Island in the Philippines, local communities also experienced greater incomes and better public health, due in large part to greater fish catches, more protein, and better nutrition. In addition, increased revenues from tourism were invested to improve local education and healthcare.

The worldwide poverty crisis has risen to the forefront of global issues, and with nearly 3 billion people around the world living on the equivalent of US$2 a day or less, millions are forced to make decisions that damage their environment in order to feed themselves and their families.

When poverty increases, fish stocks are depleted. Fishers are often driven to use destructive methods to catch what little is left, damaging the reefs and fish habitat that produce the food local communities depend upon for survival. With every 5 percent loss of coral reefs, 250,000-500,000 tons of fish are lost as well, threatening food security for millions.

This study highlights the importance of protecting these ocean habitats, to both preserve essential marine life and reduce poverty in coastal areas – not only in Asia-Pacific but across many impoverished coastal communities around the globe.

Nature’s Investment Bank was co-funded by the Nature Conservancy, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Australian Government and WWF-Indonesia, and was completed in collaboration with local NGOs and universities in each of the four study sites.

The report and an accompanying film can be viewed at: www.nature.org/mpapovertystudy
Additional photographs and materials available from Liz via email or at www.thenewsmarket.com (you will need to register, but it is free)

Read more!

Press Release: Google creates renewable energy R&D group and supports breakthrough technologies

Mountain View, Calif. (November 27, 2007) – Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced a new strategic initiative to develop electricity from renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The newly created initiative, known as RE < C, will focus initially on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems and other potential breakthrough technologies. RE < C is hiring engineers and energy experts to lead its research and development work, which will begin with a significant effort on solar thermal technology, and will also investigate enhanced geothermal systems and other areas. In 2008, Google expects to spend tens of millions on research and development and related investments in renewable energy. As part of its capital planning process, the company also anticipates investing hundreds of millions of dollars in breakthrough renewable energy projects which generate positive returns.

"We have gained expertise in designing and building large-scale, energy-intensive facilities by building efficient data centers," said Larry Page, Google Co-founder and President of Products. "We want to apply the same creativity and innovation to the challenge of generating renewable electricity at globally significant scale, and produce it cheaper than from coal."


Page added, "There has been tremendous work already on renewable energy. Technologies have been developed that can mature into industries capable of providing electricity cheaper than coal. Solar thermal technology, for example, provides a very plausible path to providing renewable energy cheaper than coal. We are also very interested in further developing other technologies that have potential to be cost-competitive and green. We are aware of several promising technologies, and believe there are many more out there."

Page continued, "With talented technologists, great partners and significant investments, we hope to rapidly push forward. Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. We are optimistic this can be done in years, not decades." (One gigawatt can power a city the size of San Francisco.)

"If we meet this goal," said Page, "and large-scale renewable deployments are cheaper than coal, the world will have the option to meet a substantial portion of electricity needs from renewable sources and significantly reduce carbon emissions. We expect this would be a good business for us as well."

Coal is the primary power source for many around the world, supplying 40% of the world's electricity. The greenhouse gases it produces are one of our greatest environmental challenges. Making electricity produced from renewable energy cheaper than coal would be a key part of reducing global greenhouse-gas emissions.

"Cheap renewable energy is not only critical for the environment but also vital for economic development in many places where there is limited affordable energy of any kind," added Sergey Brin, Google Co-founder and President of Technology.

For more information on Google's commitment to a clean energy future, see http://www.google.com/renewable-energy

For broadcast-standard video and other multimedia files for the announcement, see http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/index.html

For more information on recruitment for RE, see http://www.google.com/jobs/energy/

Media Contact:
Jacquelline Fuller
press@google.com Read more!

Unpredictable changes
By ALUMECI NAKEKE
24 November 2007


People in Fiji need to open their eyes wider to see the effects of climate change taking place right on their doorsteps. Why are the coastline moving up and some trees gone from where it used to stand? Why so we have to move our gravesites, dig up the bones and rebury them?
Shorelines are eroding and passing by the Coral Coast one could see its effects. Coastal erosion is also caused by development in villages, towns and other activities like the harvesting of corals.

It is about time people wake up and be aware of what is going on around us.

Director Environment Epeli Nasome said because of Fiji's land mass, impacts of climate change was lesser than smaller island nations like Tuvalu and Kiribati that are now at risk as their islands start to sink.

He said all island countries should get together as a team and fight together for survival.
Tuvalu Climate Action Network officer Reverend Tafua Lusana who is in Fiji this week said, fish found in certain areas were gone because of currents patterns and trees were blooming earlier or later than the normal season. Traditional knowledge of each season was now unpredictable as the weather because of the changes.

Planting of food was also difficult because now they have to dig deeper into the sand to reach the soil but the sea water goes in the pits so their crops fail. Now they have to rely on cash lifestyle because they cannot plant their food.

Early next month the 13th Conference of the Pacific will take place in Bali, Indonesia, and it is an important meeting because this will be the last chance for the world to agree to take stronger action to prevent dangerous climate change.

Worldwide Fund climate change campaigner Jyotishma Naicker said countries needed to decide what actions they wanted to take in the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol.
"Most importantly that must include new and strong commitments to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. The challenge is for countries to agree on who does what and by how much," she said.

Ms Naicker also said COP 13 was important for the Pacific because our survival was at stake and Pacific Island countries were among those most vulnerable to climate change and their economies were also not strong enough to withstand or quickly recover from extreme events.
Because of the location of this meeting it is like bringing the international community to our doorsteps so it will be an opportunity to have our voices heard loud and clear, she said.
In the latest findings by International Panel on Climate Change it found that mean temperature have risen by 0.6 to 1.0 degrees celsius since 1910 and by the end of the century, temperatures could be as high as 3.11 degrees celsius above the baseline.

So there will be an increase in hot days across the whole Pacific islands region.

Water resources in small islands are more likely to be compromised and the annual rainfall could vary by as much as 10 per cent and extreme rainfall would become more common, leading to soil erosion and flooding.

There has also been evidence of increase in storms, globally and more tropical cyclones in warmer areas.

Sea levels has also risen in the region at an average of 1.6mm annually in the last 50 years but the melting of icecaps could increase more than what predicted.

However, there are also some non-climate causes like poverty, urbanisation, small economy, unemployment, and mismanagement of natural resources which add to the Pacific islands' vulnerability.

Agricultural losses could amount to F$23 - $52million in Fiji by 2050 and it could be caused by changes to the rainfall patterns and the intensity of the tropical cyclones.

Tuna catches could also be reduced because of rising sea levels.
Damages to coral reefs and other coastal systems could affect tourism and related industries.
People's health could be affected by increasing rates of vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and filariasis. In Fiji the dengue outbreak in '97 and '98 resulted in 24,000 infections, 13 deaths and a cost of between US$3 – 6million.

There was also a rise in diarrhoea because of water scarcity and there would be more fish poisoning due to warmer sea temperatures.

Because Pacific islands depend on tourism, agriculture and fisheries their economies could also be affected.

So the only solution now is adaptation to climate change because the impacts are too great to ignore and would worsen over the coming years, stated WWF in their document. But it will not stop climate change but rather prevent it from getting worse.

Pacific island nations should also push for stronger international action because without massive cuts to global greenhouse gas emissions climate change will continue to undermine the livelihoods of Pacific islands people. They will need to push for stronger mitigation efforts from the international community so that by 2050 the emissions reductions would be 50 – 85 per cent. We in the Pacific only contribute less than 1.0 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions so the Mali conference must deliver a mandate for governments to start formal negotiations on the new international climate change rules that will replace the current rules soon to be expired in 2012, which was only five years ahead and the end of the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. Read more!

Blogging from Bali

This post is from the Climate Change Action Blog.

Blogs to be reporting from Bali:
It's Getting Hot In Here
Celsias
De Smog Blog
Bali Climate Change Conference Blog
Oxfam International in Bali
Climate Feedback
Climate Shifts
CarbonFund
GreenPeace Policy Work
UNFCCC Bali Blog

Coverage by the experts:
Environmental News Network 'Climate Change'
IISD Daily Conference Summary--Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB)
NGO Coverage with daily 'Eco' newsletter
Bali UN Conference on Climate Change Official Website. Read more!

The lead-up to Bali

Over at Climate Change Action, they are reporting a number of activities and protests planned around the Bali meeting that may be of interest to you. These include:

1. The World Business Council on Sustainable Development and International Chamber of Commerce are holding a 'Business Day' to lobby for a new climate deal.
2. The Global Climate Campaign is coordinating demonstrations around the world.
   
3. Greenpeace is using the talks to highlight the 'global disaster' that is palm oil production.
4. Groups working together on development and adaptation are getting together to educate the conference attendees on these joint challenges.
5. SustainUS is sending a youth delegation to Bali to share the views of the American public

Read more!

Australia to ratify Kyoto Protocol!

Thanks Titi, who saw this article first and sent it along!

AUSTRALIA TO SIGN KYOTO PROTOCOL

26 NOVEMBER 2007 CANBERRA (Pacnews) ----- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has told world leaders Australia will ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change within weeks and has ordered senior bureaucrats to move quickly to draft new industrial relations laws.

The incoming prime minister has also repudiated Labor Party factions and trade unions by demanding the right to name his own ministry on merit and assuring voters he will reject sectional interests.

Mr Rudd was at his desk early yesterday to begin the transition to power after Saturday's stunning electoral annihilation of the Howard government, in which at least four ministers, including John Howard, appear to have lost their seats on the strength of a huge 6per cent national swing toLabor.

The record swing achieved by Labor eclipsed even the 5per cent swing achieved by Mr Howard to take government in 1996 as well as that of Labor's Bob Hawke in 1983 (3.6per cent) and Gough Whitlam in 1972 (2.5per cent)

As counting continued yesterday, the Australian Electoral Commission said Labor had secured 83 seats - up from 59. The Liberals held 48 seats, the Nationals 10 and independents two.

Seven seats were undecided. In Mr Howard's seat of Bennelong, Labor recruit and former journalist Maxine McKew was 343 votes ahead on the primary count and widely expected to use Greens preferences to terminate Mr Howard's 33-year career.

As the Coalition reeled in the wake of the rout, Mr Rudd took calls from US President George W.Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, having spoken with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono late on Saturday night.

The prime minister-elect assured Mr Bush, a personal friend of Mr Howard, that Australia would retain its commitment to the US-Australian alliance. And he spoke at length to Dr Yudhoyono and Mr Brown about his policy priorities, including the early ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Mr Rudd accepted Dr Yudhoyono's invitation to attend next month's climate change summit in Bali.

The summit is aimed at forging new international agreements over action on climate change, which critics charge has been stalled by the refusal of the US and China, backed by Australia, to take the symbolic step of ratifying the agreements on emission reduction targets outlined in the Kyoto pact.

Mr Rudd yesterday summoned senior bureaucrats to Brisbane for briefings, including talks on the timing of the Kyoto ratification, which formed a central part of Labor's policy on climate change.

Mr Rudd said Labor MPs would meet in Canberra on Thursday, after which he would finalise the make-up of his front bench. “I will be determining the ministry myself and that will be determined on the basis of merit and I believe that is entirely appropriate,” Mr Rudd said.

“I was elected yesterday as this country's next prime minister. I think it is incumbent upon me to put forward the best possible team for the nation.

“I intend to do that based on merit, based on performance.”

Unions, which backed Labor with a massive anti-Work Choices advertising campaign, are already agitating for Labor to act quickly and honour its promise to dump Mr Howard's workplace laws.

John Robertson, head of Unions NSW, called for retrospective laws that would allow people who had already signed Australian Workplace Agreements to escape them.
Mr Rudd will also face pressure from within Labor ranks to water down the Howard government's Northern Territory intervention program, with many concerned it is too draconian. Labor has promised to reinstate the Aboriginal permit system and the CDEP indigenous work-for-the-dole programme, but many in the party believe it needs to go further.

In a short press conference, a business-like Mr Rudd said work had begun on the implementation of Labor's policies, including the delivery of a world-class education system, greater efficiency in public hospitals, action on climate change, provision of infrastructure, including broadband, and greater resources for childcare.

“You will see us methodically work through our program for government,” said Mr Rudd, who spoke for less than 15 minutes. "The plans we put forward for the future are detailed. If you look at what we've advanced in terms of education, of hospitals, of climate change, of water as well as our proposals on industrial relations, this is a substantive agenda of work. Everyone is going to have their hands well and truly full.”

Mr Rudd said he was delighted with the performance of his front bench during the campaign but refused to endorse individuals beyond deputy leader Julia Gillard, treasurer-elect Wayne Swan and Labor finance spokesman Lindsay Tanner - all of whom were assured of their places earlier this year.

He refused to speculate on the future of gaffe-prone environment spokesman Peter Garrett or on whether he would draft high-profile former union leaders Greg Combet and Bill Shorten to senior positions.

Amid suggestions veteran Labor senator John Faulkner might also move to the front bench, Labor sources said last night Mr Rudd had devoted his energy to winning the election and had not yet given full attention to the ministry.

After a morning attendance at a church service in his Brisbane seat of Griffith, Mr Rudd spent the afternoon in meetings with Ms Gillard, Mr Swan and the secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Peter Shergold. The talks with Dr Shergold included discussions on the administrative arrangements required before the ratification of the Kyoto pact.

Mr Swan also met Treasury secretary Ken Henry, while Ms Gillard prepared for early discussions on the dismantling of the Work Choices laws.

Asked why Mr Howard had lost power, Mr Rudd said it was vital that leaders were honest with voters.

“I think it's really important with the Australian people to be straight up and down about what you can do and what you can't do,” he said

“We believe that the core reason we have prevailed in this election is because we've outlined an agenda for the future which now becomes our agenda of work. If we prosecute that agenda and implement it, faithfully, honestly, practically, we will command respect.”

Labor national secretary Tim Gartrell attributed the victory to a completely negative campaign by the government and Mr Rudd's campaign discipline. “Kevin Rudd ran a professional campaign,” he told the Nine Network's Business Sunday programme”He was an excellent leader.

“And I think the government completely underestimated him, there was a huge dose of hubris.”

Mr Gartrell said voters had concluded that Mr Howard had lost touch and become a man of the past…….PNS (ENDS) Read more!

Witness to Climate Change

One of the challenges of telling climate change stories is that they often seem too abstract and too big to manage. But these issues affect us all, especially small island states in the Pacific.
WWF has a program called Climate Witness that helps real people talk about how our rising sea level and changing climate are affecting them personally. If you haven't seen these yet, I encourage you to browse and read them.

Climate Witness: Ben Namakin, Kiribati and Micronesia
My name is Ben Namakin. I am originally from Kiribati, but I currently live in Pohnpei (formerly known as Ponape) in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). I work as an environmental educator for the Conservation Society of Pohnpei
(CSP), the only local environment non-government organisation on the island... During my childhood days in Kiribati, we never experienced severe sea flooding. There were storms, but they weren’t that bad. As the sea levels continue to rise in Kiribati, several king tides hit the island. Saltwater intrusion affects the quality of water in wells, floods taro patches, gardens, and puts stress on plants/trees which are very important to the life and culture of an I-Kiribati. Read more about Ben here Read more!

Background on the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali

The following information is taken directly from the conference website.

When is the Bali conference and who will attend?
The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2007 in Bali will start on Monday, 3 December and close on Friday, 14 December 2007. The Conference will be presided over by Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar, with support from the UN’s Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), headed by Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer.
The first week will involve negotiations among the Parties at the level of high-ranking government officials on a wide range of issues. On Wednesday, 12 December, the high-level segment will start with addresses by the UN Secretary-General and the President of Indonesia. It is expected to be attended by 130 Environment Ministers.

Why is the Bali Conference of such importance?
This year’s scientific report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made clear beyond doubt that climate change is a reality and can seriously harm the future development of our economies, societies and eco-systems worldwide.
Immediate action is needed to be able to prevent the most severe impacts. Since climate change is a global issue, tackling climate change and its impacts can only be successfully coordinated at the international level. The UN Framework on Climate Change presents the appropriate forum to do this. It has been expanded by the Kyoto Protocol which includes emission reduction commitments for developed countries over the period 2008–2012. A new international climate change deal must be put in place in time to ensure that necessary action is undertaken immediately after 2012 when the current phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends. Therefore, comprehensive negotiations on a new climate deal need to begin without further delay. At the Bali Conference, Parties are expected to agree to the launch of this process.

What can the Bali conference deliver?
The main goal of the Bali Conference is to deliver this necessary breakthrough and get negotiations going on a new international climate change agreement. The Bali Conference will not deliver a fully negotiated and agreed climate deal but is aimed to set the necessary wheels in motion. Parties need to agree on the key areas which the new climate agreement should cover, such as mitigation (including avoided deforestation), adaptation, technology and financing. They also need to agree on when the talks and negotiations will conclude so that the new climate change deal can be ratified by national governments before the end of 2012. Furthermore, countries should decide on the organisational and procedural arrangements to get to this result. Other important issues will be under negotiation in Bali including adaptation to climate change, the launch of a Fund for adaptation, reducing emissions from deforestation, issues relating to the carbon market, and arrangements for a review of the Kyoto Protocol. Read more!