I think the industrialized nations have tacitly entered a Faustian bargain, a hundred years of fossil fuel driven excess and gluttony for potentially untold years of chaos. Maybe that's overstating things, but it's clear that if we want to make any substantive changes regarding CO2 emissions and energy use, we'll have to take care of matters as individuals with the support of local and state governments. I am incredibly cynical about the ability of the US government to implement a meaningful policy; too many compromises, backdoor deals and self-interest throughout the federal government. But some states and, most definitely, some local governments are taking concrete actions and making real changes to encourage energy conservation and reduce emissions. Anyway, cheers to you and the biofuels list for leading the way.
-Gordon ----- Original Message ---- From: Darryl McMahon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: sustainablelorgbiofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Wed, January 6, 2010 2:55:36 PM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Aftermath of Copenhagen 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/ _______________________________________________ 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/
