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A final international agreement setting new targets to slash greenhouse gas emissions would be “too ambitious” to solidify in this week’s round of climate talks in Bali, the UN chief said Wednesday.

“Practically speaking, this will have to be negotiated down the road,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters, when asked whether delegates could agree to including greenhouse gas emissions targets in a new climate accord.

Deconstructing Senator Inhofe’s Message for Bali

by David Sassoon – Dec 4th, 2007

“Senator James Inhofe published a special 1065-word message in Roll Call (sub req’d) on Monday to coincide with the start of the climate meetings in Bali and as a send-off gift to embattled Senator Larry Craig, who is attending the meetings as Inhofe’s rep. As a prime focal point of inaction on climate, Inhofe’s words and rhetorical strategies are worth some closer scrutiny. It’s the commemorative memo that telegraphs the messages opponents of climate action will be using for the foreseeable future. ……………….”

Drawing the battle lines, I suppose.

As ever,

Steve

Yes. I admit it. Sorry all. I’m frustrated here. It is the unacceptable truth. I’ve finally gone crazy. I believe this must be a permanent condition. Just lose it. In Bali: a fine restaurant: an eatery with yellow curtains, and swordfish soup, shark fin soup, and turtle soup on the menu. Served hot. As always. Uh. Thinking about these naysaying politicians. These credit card flashing diplomats. These tongue-in-cheek climate scientists. And all those smiling faces. Let it be, and just lose it.

Those of us who feel reasonably informed about the various forms of ecological degradation this planet is going through, are soon going to have to accept that humanity is knowingly and willingly going to continue to just let this happen. Because bad habits are difficult to lay off. — And the policy makers of this world are not willing to take any kind of respunsibility for the sorry going-ons out here; mainly for economic reasons.

And here’s what we are most likely going to tell our children: “We apologize for the inconvenience.”

On a positive note, I do believe that most people aren’t plain stupid.

Okay?

I don’t know exactly what will be the spiritual or mental result of the UN’s Climate Conference in Bali, but I will not be too amazed at witnessing a civilizational shift of a somewhat bizarre type; a universal social / cultural appreciation of the apparent fact that honest industrialism, coupled with not-so-honest globalized capitalism, is the modern way of life; so take it or leave it. — The solid scientific fact that any description of this civilization is incomplete without notice of most unfortunate sideeffects, such as global warming, manmade climate change, and mass extinction of species, is of no bearing to any argument what-so-ever, because all ecosystems destruction are tragic but unavoidable facts of modern human nature.

No brain, no headache.

I think we’re moving into a period of complete and utter embarrassment. A period in which we know that we’re destroying the world as a matter of bad habit, while we continue to do just that, because bad habits are habits indeed … so accept it, embrace it, be cool and forget about it … yeah, that’s better …

“In 2007 we have crossed the threshold easily in terms of the kinds of issues that we agree on. We are now talking about modalities, mechanisms and money.”

- Achim Steiner

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With my previous couple of comments here, I’ve tried to illustrate the international diplomatic drama that is taking place at the Climate Change Conference in Bali, right now.

The U.S. decision to avoid making any real cuts of emissions, but be in favour of a continuation of negotiations, will certainly be followed up by all other governments. The Bali Conference will not be “the starting gun” — to the contrary, it will be “the last stumbling block.”

However; – money and authority has its own way of talking. – 8)

http://www.knet.co.za/sharkmeat/shark_recipes.htm

“Although shark is no common household name, this is fast becoming a popular dish.

Once you’ve found your shark meat you can appreciate how low in fat and dense the meat is. However, just because you’ve braved the shark infested waters (or pungent fish markets), and fought past the ferocious teeth (or fellow marketers that have also visited this site), does not mean that the shark has lost all it’s defenses. If you lean closer you will notice that shark meat has a distinct odor, this is ammonia. This is easily remedied. To remove this smell, you must soak your shark meat in milk or Acidulated Water, for no less than 1 hour.”

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Served hot to a host of climate diplomats, free of charge.

“We are running out of time. The United Nations’ International Panel on Climate Change estimates that we only have around 8 years to take concrete action. … This small window of action is being felt by governments, parties, organizations and individuals everywhere; everywhere except the Arab World. … Out of the 23 Arab countries, 11 are oil producing ones, and 4 of them are among the top 10 oil exporting countries in the World. This makes climate change and the reduction of fossil fuel use a very sensitive topic in the Arab League. …

“We can only benefit from seriously tackling climate change as we have everything to lose if we do not do anything about it. The Arab World needs to get its act together and start showing concern about climate change.. Hopefully, at the next International Demonstration Day for Climate Change in December, thousands of Arabs will hit the streets and voice that concern.”

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http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/bali-climate-conference-to-put-spotlight-on-worlds-big-three/2007/12/02/1196530481605.html

“The two economic giants [China and India] are becoming increasingly aware of the effects of rising temperatures. But though they are among the biggest contributors to the problem, both say they will not sign any climate change treaty that would slow the pace of their development.

Meanwhile, the United States, which has pumped more carbon into the atmosphere over time than any other country, says it will continue to oppose mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, especially if China and India refuse to budge.

The positions of those three countries are pivotal as delegates from 190 nations begin gathering this week on Bali to discuss a successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol, the climate change agreement that expires in 2012.”

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http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/734/38021

“An international agreement that would really combat global warming would first have to shed the illusion that “market mechanisms” can be the primary driver of change. With this goal in mind, many grassroots organisations from around the world will be attending the Bali talks to demand strong action on climate change.

“Like the government of socialist Cuba, rated by the World Wildlife Fund as the only country that has sustainable development, the Venezuelan government argues that combatting climate change requires radical changes in the world’s economic and political systems. Without such a perspective, the Bali summit is unlikely to met the climate change challenge.”

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http://www.planetark.org/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=44591

“Gayoom [President of The Maldives] says it is unfair to expect the world’s industrialised nations, such as the United States, to shoulder the burden of climate change alone, saying developing countries Brazil, India and China are also big greenhouse gas emitters.

December’s climate change meeting in Bali will be crunch time.

“Time is running out to agree upon a post-Kyoto arrangement and Bali could well be our last chance to ensure that the end of the Kyoto Protocol period will not result in a loss of momentum,” Gayoom said.”

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Did I ever mention that humanity is very poorly organized? Humanity may well be the greatest of all challenges, but I dare say the international economic, political and diplomatic beaurocracy has a most spectacular role to play around here.

Organizational Dysfunction. — Anyone?

“What we are facing is not only an environmental problem, but has much wider implications: For economic growth, water and food security, and for people’s survival – especially those living in the poorest communities in developing countries.”

- Yvo de Boer, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, shortlist a series of reasons for climate change concern; the threat to economic growth being first up.

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http://www.pr-inside.com/u-s-officials-see-bali-climate-conference-r322899.htm

“U.S. officials, preparing for a United Nations climate conference, said Wednesday they plan to push for a framework on further negotiations and will make no commitment for specific reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.” …

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,520633,00.html

“”The position of the United States and how much it chooses to obstruct the process — that will depend on what kind of an agreement there is between the EU and the large developing countries,” Dr. Hermann Ott, head of the Berlin office of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, told SPIEGEL ONLINE.”

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http://www.euractiv.com/en/climate-change/eu-finalises-plans-un-climate-conference-bali/article-168043

“[Environment ministers from the EU's 27 member states] approved, on 30 October, a resolution on climate change that confirms the Union’s hopes that international climate talks in Bali from 3-14 December will lead to commitments from all developed countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020, compared to 1990 levels.

The EU also hopes the conference will set the foundations for a global emissions trading scheme that would replace the current Kyoto Protocol as of 2013.”

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http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40132

“I think it is this twin concern about social justice between countries, the opportunities for human development today and social justice for future generations, for the people who are not born, our children’s grandchildren, that make this a very real human development issue. And I think climate change asks us very fundamental questions about what it means to be part of a human community, what is our ethical responsibility, what are our obligations.”

- Kevin Watkins, lead author of The United Nations’ new Human Development Report (who also has the courage to say a thing or two about third world population explosion).

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http://www.baliblog.com/travel-tips/bali-daily/bali-news/bloggers-and-the-bali-climate-conference.html

“Climate Change Action is a site with an obvious goal. It links to blogs that will be updated live from Bali as the climate conference progresses. (…) These guys sound serious and I’m sure a lot of good reporting will come our way when the [United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali] conference is up and running.”

“The world is already at or above the worst case scenarios in terms of emissions,” said Gernot Klepper, of the Kiel Institute for World Economy in Kiel, Germany. “In terms of emissions, we are moving past the most pessimistic estimates of the I.P.C.C., and by some estimates we are above that red line.”

And I think your take on how to address our government officials — and all political candidates — is spot on.

http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf

Latest statistics:

* 11 of the past 12 years (1995-2006) rank among the 12 warmest years in instrumental records of global surface temperatures (since 1850)

* Global average sea level has risen since 1961 at an average rate of 1.8mm per year – but since 1993 at an average rate of 3.1mm

* Temperature changes will depend on how much CO2 is emitted, but different scenarios see the increase by 2100 ranging from 0.3C to 6.4C

* Up to 30 per cent of the world’s species are at increased risk of extinction after a 2C temperature rise

* Between 75 million and 250 million people in Africa could suffer water shortages by 2020; in Asia, heavily-populated “mega-deltas” are at greatly increased risk of flooding; tropical forest in eastern Amazonia will turn to savannah by mid-century…………………..