Related Posts
Strange scenes at COP15: curious news stories from the Copenhagen summit
So far the UN climate summit in Copenhagen has had its fair share of drama and quirkiness, from...
Breaking news stories from Copenhagen summitHi folks! With one day left at the climate summit and over 100 world leaders arriving tomorrow, we've...' src='http://gf1.statico.be/wp-content/themes/greenfudge/thumbnails/2987.jpg' alt='mixed-reactions-to-obamas-speech-in-copenhagen' class='art-teaser' width='95' height='95' />Mixed reactions to Obama’s speech in CopenhagenU.S. President Barack Obama addressed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change today in Copenhagen, Denmark today. Known...
Breaking news from Copenhagen: Five top stories from COP15
The G77 block of developing nations, chaired by Sudan's Lumumba Stanislaus Di Aping accused developed nations of 'carbon...
COP15 Aftermath: Angry Politicians and Grassroots Protests
Many people the world over are extremely disappointed of the results of COP15. World leaders and government officials,...
Get your Eco Starter Kit
Create an account and start harvesting Carbon Credits! Exchange your Carbon Credits for green goodies, like the Eco-Hatchery Starter Kit!
-
Green network users
3,049 Users - Show All
Green Directory
Tip of the Day
Keep eggs out of the fridge to save energy when cooking them
The aftermath of COP15 – reactions to Copenhagen summit
Are you already feeling nostalgic about all the buzz that lead up to COP15? Remember the feeling of anticipation before the historic summit in Copenhagen? It was palpable – we were going to solve all of our climate’s ills. Representatives from all over the globe were going to gather and agree on a binding deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions while giving the developing world a fair shake. The leaders of nations around the globe would unite against a common foe: climate change. Take that, CO2! We want clean energy, the preservation of lush rainforests and polar bears that aren’t stranded on tiny rafts of ice, set adrift towards God-knows-where. Tuvalu and the Maldives will not sink. Not on our watch.
photo from theps.net (source: Flickr Creative Commons)
Well… despite a bit of positive spin, whatever was achieved in Copenhagen’s Bella Centre didn’t really ‘wow’ anyone. Let’s be honest: the results of COP15 may have saved major embarrassment for a few, but they pissed off a few more and probably failed to significantly inspire anyone. Here are some examples of what the press from around the world are saying in the wake of the world’s biggest ever climate change conference:
From the New York Times ¬– ‘An Air of Frustration for Europe at Climate Talks’:
“I would have preferred a much more comprehensive agreement. I think going forward there are some difficult issues if emerging economies don’t want to be part of a legal treaty — which they obviously don’t — about what is the framework in which you operate. We do want a legal treaty, and we will be campaigning for it, but I think there are some difficult issues there.”
– Ed Miliband, the British secretary of state for climate and energy
Der Spiegel – ‘Copenhagen Reveals a Vicious Circle of Mistrust’:
Those who feel a sense of disquiet in light of the tragedy of Copenhagen, have good reason to be quite furious with the powerful leaders who have squandered this summit. It’s okay to be enraged by the fact that political leaders are scaremongering about our future existence but at the same time are unwilling to accept solutions.
The Sydney Morning Herald – ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’:
Despite the deep disappointment of many who helped create it, the Copenhagen accord will stand as a first attempt to bring the biggest greenhouse gas polluting nations, the United States and China, into a political deal to curb soaring global emissions.
The London Times – ‘Gordon Brown calls for new group to police global environment issues’:
The Prime Minister will say: “Never again should we face the deadlock that threatened to pull down those talks. Never again should we let a global deal to move towards a greener future be held to ransom by only a handful of countries. One of the frustrations for me was the lack of a global body with the sole responsibility for environmental stewardship.
China Daily – Wen: China’s role in Copenhagen talks ‘important, constructive’:
The document demonstrates the consensus reached by the international community on such issues as long-term goals, fund, technology and transparency of their actions in coping with climate change. […] “These are hard-won results made through joint efforts of all parties, which are widely recognized and should be cherished,” said [Premier] Wen.
Now… who’s ready for Bonn in 2010?
by Graham Land
Tags: China, cop15, copenhagen, summit
Other Greenfudge.org posts
Organic Farming: Solution to Climate Change?
UK's Soil Association has been a tireless advocate for sustainable, planet friendly farming for years. In preparation for the upcoming Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, the organization has released a report that states organic farming as the "missing link" at COP15. Up to 86% of climate change mitigation in the field of agriculture lies in carbon sequestration in soils and organically-farmed soils have 20% to 28% higher levels of soil carbon compared to non-organic farming. This study on sustainable farming and...
Help the people of Kiribati – Through music
The Republic of Kiribati is a small island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. It is considered one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, due to its geographical features: it is low-lying and tropical, with soil not highly suitable for agriculture. It is also a poor nation whose lucrative natural resources were long ago used up by British colonial powers. Now the main threat posed to Kiribati – as with other vulnerable Pacific island nations like the...
Germany Considers Solar and Wind Power Cutbacks
Germany has talked about cutting back on solar energy support and withdrawing wind power supplied to Taiwan as of late. The question is: Why? According to a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party, their reasoning for cutting back on supporting the solar energy industry is because they don’t want the market to overheat. Germany is the world’s leading market for solar panels. They guarantee decent prices for solar panel owners who also sell electricity; however, over a 20 year...
Does summer time reduce energy consumption?
Since 2007, daylight saving time (DST) in the United States starts nearly 3 weeks earlier than in previous years. It now begins on the second Sunday of March, while Europe begins European Summer Time (EST) on the last Sunday of March. But why do we do 'spring forward' and does it have any real benefits, such as saving energy? Below are two video reports from msnbc.com that offer differing opinions on the subject. According to the United States Department of Energy, daylight saving...
UK environmental policy: Government greenwashing?
Ready for some negative news? The 8.6% fall in UK greenhouse gas emissions last year was down to the economic slump rather than government initiatives. According to an article in the Guardian, the government needs to take significant action over the next year in order to reach legally binding emissions targets (34% on 1990 levels by 2020). The head of the Committee on Climate Change says these actions must come in the form of improving the energy market, making homes more energy...
Q: How can I be “green” in the garden?
A: Being the owner of a garden is a pleasure, but also means many duties: watering, weeding, replanting, mowing. If your bills are significantly higher during the summer months, it means that you use water and energy uneconomically. Don’t forget about a few green rules and not only will you enjoy a beautiful garden, but also lower bills. Maintaining a lawn is the most water- and power-consuming cultivation in the garden. To water a square metre of grass you need several...
Greenland glacier melt indicative of climate change
The massive 160 square mile (414 sq km) ice island that broke off from Greenland’s Petermann glacier earlier this month is ‘certainly a manifestation of warming’ according to Dr. Richard Bates of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Andrews, a geophysicist, is part of a British-led expedition in Greenland, which is measuring glaciers including the Petermann. From an article in the Telegraph: Dr Richard Bates, who is monitoring the ice alongside researchers from America, said the expedition had expected to find evidence of...
Nanotech and the environment – miracle or menace?
nanotechnology (n.) The science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules. –The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language The nanotech industry develops tiny machines that are no larger than 100 nanometers, a unit of measurement 80,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair – or one billionth of a meter. That is unimaginably small. We are talking about gizmos on the molecular or atomic level. Prospective applications of nanotechnology include...
Spin around in virtual London with panoramic image at 80 gigapixels
It’s now possible to discover London in the most eco-friendly way ever and we have photographer Jeffrey Martin to thank for it. He created an 80 gigapixel picture of London, making it the largest 360° panoramic picture in the world. To achieve this result, Jeffrey Martin put together a total of 7886 images all shot by him in a couple of days standing on the rooftop of the Centre Point building in London. I’ve been playing around with the zoom feature of...
Top 10 Global Climate Change Indicators according to the NOAA
According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization in the U.S.) there is no doubt the Earth’s climate is warming up. The data the NOAA and other organizations gather, process and combine to produce a time series of global average temperature change provides undisputable proof of a warming trend in global temperatures. This temperature change is then in turn confirmed by other observations of natural phenomena all over the world, such as rising sea levels, earlier blooming of plants...
View all articles
You can also log in to post a comment.