I guess it will surprise no one that I am skeptical to cynical of the value of this bit of spin. I suppose some will want to credit Obama with putting lipstick on a pig for the "agreement" reached at Copenhagen.
That the agreement is non-binding, and the targets are essentially set for higher emissions than under Kyoto, despite the evidence amassed since that accord, strikes me as a Faustian deal. Because the agreement is non-binding, it's just a screen to hide behind while we play out a climate change version of the tragedy of the commons. Darryl www.10n10.ca Keith Addison wrote: > EERE's view, FWIW... > >> A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) >> <http://www.eere.energy.gov/>Office of Energy Efficiency and >> Renewable Energy (EERE). The EERE Network News is also available on >> the Web at: >> <http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm>www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm >> >> January 06, 2010 >> >> News and Events >> >> President Obama Spearheads a Climate Agreement in Copenhagen >> >> President Obama visited Copenhagen, Denmark, on December 18, 2009, >> and met with the heads of state from Brazil, China, India, and South >> Africa to reach a climate agreement called the "Copenhagen Accord." >> The agreement emerged as the primary achievement of the United >> Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The non-binding >> agreement calls for deep cuts in global emissions of greenhouse >> gases so as to hold the increase in global temperature below 2°C, >> and it calls for industrialized countries to determine their >> economy-wide emissions targets for 2020 and submit them to the >> United Nations by the end of January. A number of developing >> countries, including the major emerging economies, also agreed to >> list their voluntary pledges to reduce emissions by the end of >> January and agreed to communicate their efforts to limit greenhouse >> gas emissions every two years. >> >> The Copenhagen Accord also calls for international support of a >> comprehensive adaptation program and of mitigation efforts by >> developing countries. The accord commits developed countries to >> provide new and additional resources approaching $30 billion for the >> 2010-2012 time period, balanced between adaptation and mitigation. >> Developed countries also committed to a goal of mobilizing $100 >> billion per year by 2020 to address the needs of developing >> countries. The accord establishes a new Copenhagen Green Climate >> Fund to coordinate the distribution of a significant portion of this >> funding. According to the secretariat of the U.N. Framework >> Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Copenhagen Accord was >> agreed to by a majority of countries, although the entire Conference >> of the Parties to the UNFCCC (consisting of 194 countries) agreed >> only to "take note" of the accord. The next Conference of the >> Parties will be held in Mexico, starting on November 29, 2010. See >> the UNFCCC press release >> (<http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/pr_cop15_20091219.pdf>PDF >> >> 178 KB), pages 2-4 of the Copenhagen Accord >> (<http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/cop_15/application/pdf/cop15_cph_auv.pdf>PDF >> >> 182 KB), and other products of the Copenhagen conference on the >> <http://unfccc.int/>UNFCCC home page. >> <http://get.adobe.com/reader/>Download Adobe Reader. >> >> President Obama called the agreement a meaningful and unprecedented >> breakthrough. "For the first time in history, all major economies >> have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to >> confront the threat of climate change," said the president, but he >> also acknowledged the agreement as a first step. "Going forward, >> we're going to have to build on the momentum that we've established >> here in Copenhagen to ensure that international action to >> significantly reduce emissions is sustained and sufficient over >> time. We've come a long way, but we have much further to go." See >> the >> <http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-during-press-availability-copenhagen>President's >> >> comments on the White House Web site. > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > -- Darryl McMahon The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy (in trade paperback and eBook) http://www.econogics.com/TENHE/ Journey to Forever reviews The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html#tenhe _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
