In this issue
- Live video streams from Copenhagen.
- Copenhagen negotiators ‘playing Russian roulette with the future of humanity’
- Vacancy: Coordinator
- A response to recent remarks regarding proposed monitoring work on frogs and birds
- Copenhagen Commentary
- Carbon Tax will lead to improvements in quality of life
- Carbon tax welcome, but too low and no reason to exclude big polluters
- Young Irish activists travel to Copenhagen to demand climate justice
- Upcoming Events
Live video streams from Copenhagen
Live streams from Copenhagen are available at http://http://www.350.org/livemedia. This site also contains photos and information relating to the climate conference.
Copenhagen negotiators ‘playing Russian roulette with the future of humanity’
“You can’t negotiate with the atmosphere. Physics doesn’t compromise,” according to leading Irish scientist
Friends of the Earth has accused negotiators at the UN climate talks of “playing Russian roulette with the future of humanity”. As ministers begin arriving at the summit in Copenhagen, the environmental organization has called on Presidents and Prime Ministers to end the short-sighted jostling for national advantage and focus on “our common interest in a safe climate”. The first week of the conference has been marked by bitter divisions between Western countries and the global south on targets for reducing emissions and finance for coping with the climate change already underway.
The Irish Environmental Network is recruiting a new Coordinator
IEN is looking to appoint a coordinator. The Coordinator provides operational leadership in order to promote the objectives of IEN, in accordance with the policies and priorities laid down by the Board.
A response to recent remarks regarding proposed monitoring work on frogs and birds
BirdWatch Ireland has been concerned recently by several prominent statements made by public representatives questioning the value of monitoring work on frogs and Hen Harriers, a type of bird of prey.
It is easy to belittle the value of frogs and birds to people. On the face of it, it seems that many people think they are, at worst, harmless and, at best, keep our kids amused and allow for glib and easy puns in press releases. This is a gross misconception and is far removed from reality.
Copenhagen Commentary
Fr Sean McDonagh is in Copenhagen, on behalf of IEN member CRANN. He has kindly given permission for four articles he has written to be published in this eNewsbulletin.
Setting the Stage for COP 15 in Copenhagen.
This is my fourth time attending the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). My first one was COP 12, which took place in Nairobi in 2006. About 5,000 people were present at the event, including country delegates, people from civil society organisations and the media. Read More
How Robust is the Science of Climate Change?
In the run up to the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, hackers broke into computers at the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Centre and got access to many private emails exchanged between climate scientists who have worked with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Read more
There is a need for urgent action on Adaptation
Last year at the Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, I wrote an article about the importance of prioritizing the Adaptation Fund in any overall climate agreement. I made the point that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the primary goal of the whole process. According to Article 2 of the UN Famework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) the ultimate goal of the Convention is to achieve the “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”. Read more
The Most Touching Intervention During the First Week here in Copenhagen
On December 9th 2009, negotiations at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen dramatically broke down after a split between ‘developing’ countries who favoured a new protocol and others who wished to continue with the legally binding Kyoto agreement. The crisis was partly precipitated by revelations that the host nation, Denmark was proposing another negotiating mechanism which would sideline, if not kill off, the Kyoto Protocol. Read more
Carbon Tax will lead to improvements in quality of life
The Environmental Pillar of social partnership has welcomed the introduction of a carbon tax in the budget. In its pre-budget submission it had called for a shift from taxes on income to “progressive and just” taxes on consumption of natural resources. The provision for the fuel poor and vulnerable was also welcomed. Its position is backed by the OECD which recommends the phasing out of all environmentally harmful subsidies. These would be replaced with appropriate environmentally related fiscal measures, and a comprehensive environmental tax reform.
The position expressed in this release has been developed by members of the Environmental Pillar but is not necessarily the policy of each member group in the pillar.
Carbon tax welcome, but too low and no reason to exclude big polluters
- Car scrappage scheme misguided, wasteful
- Where is the promised carbon audit of capital spending?
- Finance for retro-fitting, electric cars weclome
Friends of the Earth has welcomed the introduction of carbon tax in today’s Budget, while criticising the exemption of big polluters, and claiming that the tax level falls far short of what is needed to reflect the damage carbon pollution does. The other measures with an environmental impact are a mixed bag according to the environmental organisation.
Young Irish activists travel to Copenhagen to demand climate justice
25 young Irish climate activists have traveled to the UN climate talks in Copenhagen. The activists, including young people from across Ireland, include members of Young Friends of the Earth and Climate Camp Ireland. They will be taking action on the streets of Copenhagen as well as working inside the convention centre walls to persuade decision makers that we no longer have time for distractions, inadequate agreements and mechanisms – it’s time to act now.
Upcoming Events
Wed 16/12/2009: FACILITATION TRAINING
Wed 17/2/2010: ENVIRON 2010
The ENVIRON colloquium is Ireland’s largest annual environmental conference which aims to link environmental researchers with important environmental issues and concerns; its principal objective is to nurture and promote environmental research and associated innovative technologies.
Mon 8/3/2010: SEA training course in Italy
The training consists of an on-line phase (starting in December 2009) and an on-site phase, held on 8 – 12 March, 2010 in Trento (Italy).
