Author: Mark Spowart

New Website Is For The Dogs, And Their Owners
The Earthbark Movement kicked off earlier this month, launching a website www.earthbark.com designed to empower eco-friendly dog owners and pet friendly businesses with the a goal to help you reduce your carbon “pawprint”.

Earthbark raises awareness of dogs’ impact on our planet and gives dog owners the tools and information to minimize their impact on the environment.

The campaign is strongly committed to promoting environmentally responsible dog ownership and inspiring pride in taking care of your pet and your environment. Earthbark’s call to action is for dog owners to take steps to reduce your dogs carbon pawprint, seek environmentally friendly pet products that are both healthy for your dog and the environment, inspire others to be environmentally responsible dog owners and advocate for more dog friendly spaces in our communities.

The home for the Earthbark movement is their website, where dog owners can:

1. Join the Earthbark movement and commit to the “Top 10 Actions to Be an Eco Friendly Dog Owner”.

2. Show their commitment and inspire others with the Earthbark Movement ID tag to identify pets and their owners as members of the eco-friendly campaign.

3. Help recruit all types of businesses to be dog friendly-through giving “Earthbark Companion Store Stickers” to dog-friendly businesses for their storefronts announcing that “well behaved” dogs are welcome.

4. Check out the leading eco pet products that have been tested, researched and rated on their safety, quality and earth friendliness.

5. Read about the latest events and developments in eco-friendly dog ownership and pet friendly businesses on the Earthbark blog.

6. Connect, share and inspire on Earthbark’s social media sites.

Based in Seattle Washington, Earthbark’s mission is to promote environmentally responsible dog ownership through information designed to empower dog owners to actively take steps that are healthy for their dog, and the environment.

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December 23, 2009
California Approves New Alternative Energy Initiatives
This past September, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order directing the California Air Resources Board to adopt regulations increasing California’s energy from renewable sources to 33% by 2020 and 20% by 2010.

On December 18 the states regulators approved a request by Southern California Edison to construct a 173 mile long electricity transmission line to bring wind power generated in the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area in Kern County to Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

“California leads the nation in developing renewable energy” said governor Schwarzenegger. “The thousands of megawatts of renewable energy capacity this transmission line will add to our grid will help California meets it ambitious renewable portfolio standard, protect our environment, increase our energy security and further the growth of our green economy” he added.

After evaluating environmental impacts of 11 different projects and alternatives, the final report identifies the approved project as the environmentally superior alternative.

About 70% of the approved projects route is on existing right-of-way in compliance with the state policy, known under state law as the Garamendi Principles, to site and expand transmission infrastructure within existing right of way.

The California Public Utilities Commission, set a maximum cost of $1.5 billion for the project, excluding allowance for funds used during construction, estimated at $261.82 million, for an estimated total project cost of $1.8 billion for the project.

This brings to 500 miles the total of new transmission approved by the CPUC for the states investor-owned utilities. Five major lines capable of carrying 9,000 megawatts of power have been approved in the past three years with an infrastructure investment of more than $4.5billion.

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December 22, 2009
We Have A Deal: The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference Result
It went from Copenhagen to “Hopenhagen” to in the end “Brokenhagen”.

The UN climate change conference in Copenhagen is still going on after world leaders jetted in over the past few days and reached a “Copenhagen Accord” that was agreed by the US, China, South Africa and India, however as early as this morning it is still unclear which other countries are willing to support and sign it.

The last minute push certainly is looking more like the “mother of all photo-op’s” than a real honest effort to broker a deal. If this really is the single most important conference for the future of the globe, then certainly you would think leaders of the world would have spent more time at the conference, and not take off early worrying about “the weather” back in Washington.

“It is great that a small group of leaders gets together and tries to advance the process. But ultimately the way things work here is it has to be acceptable to every country” said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change Secretariat. “If this makes it through the meeting in a few hours, then I see it as a modest success. We could have achieved more” he added.

The so called Copenhagen Accord confirms the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It sets a maximum of two degrees Celsius average global temperature rise and states that a review by 2016 should consider if it will be necessary to limit warming to 1.5 degree Celsius.

On financing the accord states developed countries commit collectively to providing 30 billion US dollars in new additional funding for developing countries for the 2010-2012 period. It also says developed countries support a “goal of mobilizing jointly 100 billion dollars a year” by 2020 from a variety of forces.

Criticism for the accord was quick to come in. Greenpeace criticized the accord for not having “targets for carbon cuts and no agreement on a legally binding treaty”. Oxfam International called the deal “a triumph of spin over substance. It recognizes the need to keep warming below two degrees, but does not commit to do so. It kicks back the decisions on emissions cuts and fudges the issue of climate cash”.

Talks continue, but look for more promises to meet, than any substantial agreement.

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December 19, 2009
Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: Nearing The End
Will they or wont they?

With only a few hours left to write and agree on a deal, that question is still largely unanswered. Or is it?

The better question should be, will the deal be substantial, or as it is suggested be a “political deal” promising to meet and to further discuss the issue again in the future.

There are many obstacles to still overcome, one of them being China’s reluctance on third party inspection, and United States position of insisting there has to be third party inspection.

The Danish Presidency has given up on its ambition to create consensus on a text that would form the basis of a global political deal to combat global warming. 119 heads of state and government met on Thursday and Friday to negotiate, the Presidency had hoped to present the world leaders with a text containing as few as possible open questions on issues such as emission cuts, financing of climate aid to developing countries and other issues. However developing countries represented by the Group of 77 blocked the initiative.

The strategy now is to try to make progress in some isolated areas, preparing the ground for the next UN climate negotiations which will take place in Mexico next year.

The Guardian is reporting negotiators are now saying openly that “at best” the conference will write “a weak political agreement that would leave no clear way forward to tackle rising greenhouse gas emissions. That would mean the negotiations staying in limbo well into next year, increasing the damage caused by global warming”.

Adding to the overall negative tone in the conference was a confidential UN draft marked “do not distribute” and “initial draft” obtained by The Guardian reveals emissions cuts offered so far at the Copenhagen summit will actually lead to global temperatures rising by an average of three degrees.

The report shows a gap of up to 4.2 gigatonnes of carbon emissions between the present pledges and the required level of 44 gigatonnes required to stay below a two degree temperature increase.

“The UN is admitting in private that the pledges made by world leaders would lead to a three degree rise in temperatures. The science shows it could lead to the collapse of the Amazon rainforest, crippling water shortages across South America and Australia and the near-extinction of tropical coral reefs, and that’ just the start of it” says Greenpeace campaigner Joss Garman.

So, will they or won’t they? With 120 leaders assembled in Copenhagen, there is one thing they all can agree on, none of them like to publically humiliated. That might just be enough motivation to draft something.

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December 18, 2009
Copenhagen Climate Conference: Day 10
The possibility of agreement in Copenhagen is all but lost. As world leaders arrived at the UN Climate Change Conference, there ultimately may be nothing for them to vote on.

As protestors outside the Bella Convention Centre were doused in pepper spray beaten with batons and 230 of them arrested and detained, inside negotiators still dealing with core issues debated until just before dawn, without setting new goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions or for financing poorer countries efforts to cope with climate change, which are viewed as the two key elements if any deal is to be reached.

“We are extremely disappointed” said Ian Fry, from the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu. “I have the feeling of dread, we are on the Titanic and sinking fast. Its time to launch the lifeboats” he added.

After nine days of largely unproductive talks, the lower-level delegates are wrapping up the first phase of the two week conference and handing off the disputes to environment ministers in a critical second phase.

While there are reports of a new proposal on its way to the conference, any deal is going to be subject to China agreeing to one key point – third party confirmation. Something they are not willing to consider.

It may sound very obtuse to suggest that this conference, billed as the most important the world has ever seen, all the hype and fanfare under which it started will come to one single point. Unless China, the worlds largest polluter comes on board, then what is the point?

And as of early this morning, China is not changing its position, stating they no longer see a possibility of achieving an operational accord to tackle global warming. Suggesting “a short political declaration of some sort”. It would appear that China has left the building, at least mentally, if not physically.

The U.S. has put its position on the table – 17% cut from 2005 levels by 2020 – a far cry from the 34% cut developing countries are looking for. The US also signalled a willingness to pay their “fair share” into a 10 billion US dollar fund to help developing countries. They also stressed that President Barack Obama won’t be bringing anything to the talks beyond what has been promised. “We don’t want to promise something we don’t have” said Todd Stern, chief of the US delegation.

The US, the worlds second largest polluter, has the loudest voice when it comes to calling on China to allow inspectors in to verify that reductions are being made. The US does not believe they would be able to get any change through the House and Senate without China agreeing to inspectors.

With less than 48 hours to go, unless these two countries can find some common ground, the possibility of any substantial deal is looking very grim indeed.

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December 17, 2009
Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: Day 9 Recap
The UN Climate Change Conference is entering the decisive phase, as heads of state and government begin to arrive for the final few days of negotiations.

While UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is saying the leaders are facing a “defining moment in history”. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, offers a more sobering assessment stating the deal “faces problems” and wonders if a deal will be reached at all.

There are many reports coming out of the Danish capital, suggesting that mood inside the conference is just as hostile as outside where police and protestors continue clash.

Politicians are already starting to manage the worlds expectations, and suggest the deal, if any will not be close to ideal.

Danish minister Connie Hedegaard said in her address “in these very hours, we are balancing between success and failure. Success is within reach, but, I must also warn you, we can also fail”. Even the normally positive UN Secretary General is sounding a little defeated, stating “three years of effort have come down to three days of action. Let us not fail in the home stretch. No one will get everything they want in this negotiation”.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is in Copenhagen without parliamentary approval of his proposed carbon trade laws, said “I think to land a strong agreement in Copenhagen we are going to have to see more compromise all round, from big developed economies as well as the emerging economies. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us”.

It always worries me when politician’s who by in large have spent most of their careers in some form of negotiation, come out and make obvious statements. It feels like the “spin machine” is hard at work.

Given the name calling between super-power nations, leaders of delegations walking out in anger, you begin to sense that the globe will be getting a lump of coal in their stocking this Christmas.

In other developments.

South Korea announced it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by four percent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels. This makes the country the first emerging economy to take on an absolute reduction commitment and not only a relative commitment compared to a business as usual scenario.

When Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama lands in Copenhagen he will have very big bundle of cash with him. It is reported that Japan is ready to invest $10 billion US dollars to help developing countries fight global warming. Japan is the worlds fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in a speech Tuesday he encouraged international agreements, but also said they wont be enough to combat global warming. “The worlds governments alone cannot make the progress that is needed on global climate change. They need the cities, the states, the provinces, the regions. They need the corporations, the activists the scientists, the universities” said Schwarzenegger.

Three days to go, and by most accounts, a lot of work left to be done.

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December 16, 2009
Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: Day 8 Recap
After a brief boycott of the UN Climate talks on Monday, poor countries agreed to resume talks.

The European Union says poor countries have stopped their boycott of climate change negotiations and have found a solution to their dispute with rich nations.

Informal talks resolved the impasse between rich and poor nations ending the day long boycott, which was started by African countries and backed by 135 developing countries including China and India.

The boycott disrupted efforts to forge a pact on global warming, delaying the frantic work of negotiators who are trying to resolve technical issues before more than 110 world leaders arrive in Copenhagen later in the week. It appeared aimed at shifting the focus of UN Climate talks to the responsibilities of industrial countries and making greenhouse gas emission cuts the first item for the leaders to discuss.

The developing countries want to extend the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which imposed penalties on rich nations if they did not comply with its strict emissions limits but made no such binding demands on developing nations.

The United States had withdrawn from Kyoto over concerns it would harm the US economy and China, India and other major greenhouse gas emitters were not required to take action. China is now the world’s largest greenhouse gas polluter.

It was the second time African envoys have disrupted the climate talks. At the last round of negotiations in November, the African bloc forced a one-day suspension until wealthy countries agreed to spell out what steps they will take to reduce emissions.

Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice said the dispute was setback to negotiations.

“We have lost some time. There is no doubt about that” Prentice said “It is not particularly helpful, but all in all it is our responsibility to get on with it and continue to negotiate”

In other developments:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning that if negotiators at the climate conference in Copenhagen leave the tough issues to global leaders to resolve, the world risks have a weak or no deal.

Ban appealed to negotiators to redouble their efforts, stop posturing or blaming others and reach a compromise. He told reporters on Monday he is reasonably optimistic the UN Conference will end with a politically binding deal that is fair, comprehensive and equitable.
The White House announced on Monday a new program drawing funds from international partners to spend 350 million US dollars over five years to supply developing nations with clean energy technology.

The program will contribute to distribution of solar power alternatives for homes including sun powered lanterns, supply of cleaner equipment and appliances a push to fund and put in place renewable systems in the worlds poorer nations.

When the first heads of state arrive on Copenhagen on Wednesday, they must have an agreed text to look at, says India’s environment minister Jairam Ramesh.

The Economic Times of India is reporting that Ramesh “categorically” insists that an agreed text on global deal reaching beyond the present period of the Kyoto Protocol must be worked out by the end of Tuesday December 15.

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December 15, 2009
Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: Week 1 Round-Up
With only a short working week left to hammer out a deal, one has to wonder just what are we going to get.

The mood at the opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference last Monday was said to be optimistic and positive.

How quickly it changed.

It only took a day or two before China and the United States, the two largest polluters in the world accounting for over 40% of emissions were in a “war of word” exchanging barbs and questioning each others commitment to the sincerity of their positions.

Drafts started to appear, indicating back room deals and alliances of various developed and developing countries were starting to form. Negoiaters walking out of talks.

This past weekend saw nearly 1200 activists detained as they marched to voice their concern over the lack of progress.

But progress has been made.

Late Friday, word came out a draft that could form “the core” of a document to replace the Kyoto Protocol that will expire in 2012, was released.

It is far from perfect, but it is a start and one that should not be dismissed. There is a lot of expectations from this summit, and with only a week left before over 110 heads of state or their representatives converge on Friday to vote, it is time to put the petty politics of last week on the shelf and get down to business.

AFP reports that a select group of environment ministers from 48 countries met over the weekend to review a draft deal.

“The core discussions have already started” a spokesman told AFP, adding that “we still have a daunting task in front of us over the next few days”.

Indeed. Would you want to be charged with the responsibility of saving the planet?

In the end, there will be an agreement. Will it be perfect? No. Will it be enough? Probably not, and that depends on who you ask. Most importantly it will be a start. It will be an acknowledgment of governments from around the world commitment to curbing what has been done. But it won’t enough, to sit back and let our elected officials implement this deal.

It is incumbent on all of us to advance this agreement by continuing to put power on our respective governments to both adhere to the terms and to fulfill the commitments they have made.

If we don’t, if we let the deal slip to the back burner, then that is our opportunity lost.

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December 15, 2009
Copenhagen Climate Conference: Day 3
A political tug of war is starting to emerge at the UN Climate Change Conference, and it is between the have and the have nots.

Tuesday saw a significant rift begin to form after the publication of a draft proposal from Denmark suggesting authority for policing the agreement move from the United Nations to the World Bank, which would give developed countries power over developing countries.

Those “trust issues” continued on Wednesday, and appear to have caused an unusual split between some of the developing countries.

The split appeared after several small island states and poor African states had demanded a legally binding treaty to aim at a maximum global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius. They also wanted greenhouse gas concentrations stabilized at 350 parts per million rather than the 450 parts per million favoured by developed countries and some major developing nations.

The small island states and their supporters claimed the existing agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, was not tough enough for the countries most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. They want a new legally-binding protocol to run alongside the existing Kyoto Protocol.

The demand was opposed by fast growing developing economies such as China, India and South Africa who thought it would retard their economic development.

In other events, the United States and China, two of the biggest players, and polluters are also engaged in a war of words.

First was China stating that the US and European Union should have brought more notable emission reduction targets with them to the conference.

Su Wei, deputy head of the Chinese delegation said in a press conference that neither the US, EU, or Japan had offered sufficient cuts in their greenhouse emissions by 2020.

According to Wei, the US target on emissions reductions and the US financial support to developing nations are key to the success of the ongoing climate change conference.

How Wei rejected an EU proposal that the economically advanced developing nations, that would include China, commit to emissions reductions and pay part of the public financing adaption and mitigation to climate change in the developing countries.

Just days after the US’s Environmental Protection Agency bombshell of an admission that carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases are dangerous pollutants and a threat to human health and the environment. Lisa Jackson, the EPA’s administrator appears to be looking for an out.

During her address to attendees at the conference Jackson suggested that the US could take a “common sense” approach to reductions. Specifically she said: “It will ensure we take meaningful, common-sense steps, and allow us to do what our Clean Air Act does best – reduce emissions for better health, drive technology innovation for a better economy, and protect the environment for a better future – all without placing an undue burden on the businesses that make up the better part of our economy”.

Remember this quote and the context of it, as I believe this debate is at the core of every commitment and concession countries are willing to make – how much will it cost?

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December 10, 2009
Day 1 in Copenhagen
An admission, a challenge, and an unnamed diplomatic source, sounds like the beginning of good mystery novel.

The UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen wrapped up its first day of talks with a some interesting developments.

The Admission

The Environmental Protection Agency, of the United States, came out of the closet and finally admitted carbon dioxide as a threat to human health. And while most of us know that breathing from an exhaust pipe is probably not good for you, this admission does have some strength behind it. With this admission, should the U.S. Senate fail to adopt legislation (on emissions) the E.P.A. now has the authority to regulate.

The Challenge

The European Union was beating its chest yesterday, suggesting they will raise their emission reductions from the 20% they have already adopted to 30% if “other major players (read United States and China) undertake ‘comparable commitments’”, however, the statement does not specify what would qualify as being “comparable”. Most agree this move is only meant to keep pressure on the United States and China. Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to bully our political leaders?

Unnamed Diplomatic Source

Financial Times Deutschland is reporting the European Union is ready to put money on the table as a sign of good faith. The money will be earmarked for climate change mitigation and adaption in vulnerable third world countries over the next three years. In a draft obtained by news agency AFP, the amount is just noted as “X billion euros for the years 2010 to 2012”, however according to the unnamed source the X will be replaced by a figure in the range of one to three.

Time Magazine has a great read on the “Five Things to Watch for at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

1. “Will the U.S. lead?” The second Bush administration seemed to enjoy playing the spoiler, often “gumming” up the works on carbon emissions. And we all remember when they walked out during the middle of negotiations at the Montreal summit in 2005.

2. “Will China and India Follow?” While the U.S. is the globe’s largest carbon emitter, China and India are not too far behind. And while they have a lower per capita emissions ratio, under the Kyoto Protocol, they haven’t been required to take any verifiable actions to control emissions.

3. “The Two Step Tango” In 2007 leaders laid out the “Bali road map” a series of steps towards replacing the Kyoto Protocol. Well, the international community got a bit delayed in implementing those measures.

4. “Seeing REDD on deforestation” The loss of tropical forests plays a major role in climate change, contributing to 15% of global greenhouse gases. Slowing the rate of deforestation has a double benefit, but presently there’s no mechanism for developing countries to earn carbon funding by keeping their trees.

5. “Financial Adaption” It’s not all about the smoke, Global warming is coming even if we do act fast. For a long time no one could agree on how much money would need to spent, the numbers range from $10 to $100 billion, its time to nail that number down.

Read the entire article at Time.com

Lets hope day two is just as interesting.

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December 8, 2009
Copenhagen Climate Conference Opens
After two years of often contentious negotiations, the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen opened today.

And while no one is doubting the importance of this particular conference, the hype leading up to today has had the fever of a circus side show.

The normally staid science community are billing the next 11 days as “The largest and most important climate change conference in history.” “Hopenhagen” has been quickly adopted as a nickname, still other scientists have stated this conference is “the most important the world has ever seen”.

Ok! Hang on. We may be at a point, and only history will tell us, where the line in the sand has been drawn. And we need to start to seriously look at ways to bring the reins in as it were.

But is now the time for all the hype? In the last couple of weeks we have had “climategate”, why must everything be a “gate”? But that is for another column. On November 17th 2009 the webmail sever at the University of East Anglia, was hacked and over 1000 emails, containing language, which could be interpreted to indicate scientists were trying to hide a decrease in global warming, were posted all over the web for the rest of the world to see. Presently Police in that country are conducting an investigation into the breach.

When the general public is faced with an overload of information from two opposing and equally passionate arguments, complete with apparent facts and data to support their respective positions, they will often turn to the people they trust for guidance. So who are they? Politicians? Journalists? Scientists? It is anyone’s guess.

So as we sit glued to our tv and computer screens watching every bit of news that emerges from these talks, I have one question – What do we want to come out of this conference?

It was just over a year ago we watched the “Yes we can” train roll across the United States as President Barack Obama made history. His speeches and promises where truly an inspiring sight to behold, but can he deliver?

It is great to have a vision, but if it isn’t attainable, is it only a dream?

Do we want dreams? I don’t. The time for dreams is over. Now is the time that countries must pull out a pen, a blank piece of paper, and a commitment to write the most aggressive, obtainable resolution that each country can implement.

Drafting a resolution that is not attainable is a waste of time, effort and energy, and quite frankly insulting.

To see a country one week sign on the dotted line, then subsequently spin a reason why they cannot honour said commitment is getting a little old.

Sure, we all have our wish lists, I for one have a list that Santa would have a hard time filling, but I do have one request, only one.

Whatever is contained in that final resolution, it must be politically neutral. While we certainly need buy in from the 192 ruling parties in attendance, we need an equal commitment from the opposition parties of those countries that they too will honour all agreements that come out of the conference, should they ever come into power.

Time for political games is over. It is time for everyone to take responsibility for themselves and to continue to pressure the government of the day to honour their commitments.

During the Conference:

Over the next 11 days we at Greener Ideal will look at the daily news and provide an overview of event, talks, and agreements coming out of Copenhagen.

We hope you will find them interesting and informative. As always we love to hear from our readers, drop us a line and tell us what you would like to see come out of this conference.

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December 7, 2009
Bright Green Conference in Copenhagen
While the United Nations conference on climate change is running, Bright Green will be holding their exhibition. Billed as the “largest parallel event during the COP15 summit” it is an exhibition with an emphasises on innovation and intelligent technologies as solutions to global climate changes.

Combining a professional trade show and activities for the general public, Bright Green includes over 150 world leading climate solutions. It is also bringing kids into the fold, by offering games and activities designed for them, including “wind turbine treasure hunting” and a test track for Segways.

Bright Greens mission is to create a field of experience rich in content, and introduce visitors to a number of high technology ecological solutions. The exhibition will be organized around four theme areas: Energy, Living, Cities, and Business. It is designed and open to everyone who are seeking innovative solutions to make their activities more environmentally protective.

One such display is, The Energy Aware House. A partnership of leading Danish research institutions and business partners, whose main focus is home automation. They work with the objective to improve the possibilities of automating buildings making them more intelligent and energy efficient.

The 13 partners of the Energy Aware House have created a display to illustrate how the use of technology can save energy without compromising comfort. At their booth, visitors can enter one of four large tubes that suspended from the ceiling, and experience different technologies that help save energy in a comfortable way.

Of the 13 partners, The Danish Electricity Savings Trust and Z-Wave Alliance offer “hands on” two interesting ideas.

“My E-home” offered by The Danish Electricity Savings Trust, is a free internet-based platform, which operates as a control centre for intelligent monitoring and management of your energy consumption. My E-home, helps you to analyse and visualize energy consumption, weather data and indoor climate and point out specific, potential savings in your home and among your appliances. It also offers surveillance, control and automation of your home.

Z-Wave Alliance offers technology to let consumers control energy use of lighting, thermostats and other parts of their home via a smart phone or PC.

With all of this technology and critical thinking located in one central venue, Bright Green should be the first stop for every political leader who is attending that other conference in Copenhagen next week.

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December 4, 2009
China To Slow Emissions Growth, But Balks At Cutting Them.
One of the two leading countries in greenhouse gas producers, along with the United States, China is vowing to slow the growth of its carbon emissions.

The two countries account for roughly 40% of worldwide emissions.

Only a day after President Obama promised to attend the Copenhagen summit where he is expected to propose substantial U.S.
greenhouse gas cuts, the Chinese government announced it would reduce its “carbon intensity” – the amount of greenhouse gas it emits relative to its gross domestic product – by 40 to 45% below 2005 levels by 2020.

Obama announced last week the U.S. would propose cutting emissions 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 – a plan in line with the Waxman-Markey climate bill which passed the House in June. A Senate bill would slash emissions by 20 % but it is still in committee and will likely be amended before reaching the floor.

The European Union has agreed to cut emissions 24% from 2005 levels by 2020, as long as other countries outside the 27-nation bloc make substantial cuts of their own.

China’s plan differs from those offered by the U.S. and the E.U. in that it doesn’t pledge to reduce emissions, but rather slow their growth rate.

Environmental experts welcomed the news, but were still cautious.

“There’s no question their (China) carbon emissions would continue to grow under this scenario” said Charlie McElwee, and international and energy lawyer based in Shanghai. “This isn’t by any means an agreement by China to either cap, much less reduce, the amount of their carbon emissions. It’s only slowing down the rate at which emissions are growing” he added.

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December 2, 2009
More Evidence In Favour Of Organics
A new study in the United States suggests feeding children organically grown food can substantially lower the levels of pesticide residues to which their kids are exposed.

While other studies have documented the presence of pesticide metabolites, or breakdown products of the synthetic chemicals, in children’s bodies, this is the first study to document the difference in exposures to pesticides by an organic versus a conventional diet, says Richard Wiles of the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research organization based in Washington, D.C.

The researchers measured six metabolites that derive from some 39 organophosphorus (cct) pesticides, the most commonly used in the United States and also some of the most toxic. They compared a group of 18 organic-eating children with 21 conventional food-eating children, all roughly the same age (2-5 years old, on average), gender, and of similar family income. The children with primarily organic diets had far lower levels of the metabolites in their bodies.

The study, which appeared in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences journal, “Environmental Health Perspectives” and will be forthcoming in print this spring.

“It’s definitely a big step ahead” says Wiles. “It proves what we’ve said all along, that eating food with more pesticide residues can make a difference in what gets into the body” he added.

Now Wiles and his group are hoping to convince the USDA to inform consumers of the findings, which may be a challenge. “The USDA has always insisted that organic is no safer, but it is safer with respect to pesticide exposure, as this study shows” says Wiles in a statement on the group’s Web Site.

Representatives of the agricultural chemical industry downplayed the significance of the study.

“We can speculate all day about the possibilities of what those pesticide exposures might mean for children, but these researchers haven’t proven that these children are having their health harmed in any way” said Ray McAllister of Crop Life America, a trade association representing manufactures and distributors of agricultural chemicals. “In fact, those metabolites are not toxic to the children” he added.

But some scientists familiar with the study disagree.

“The sheer presence of a metabolite shows exposure to these toxic pesticides” said Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Children’s Centre for Health and the Environment at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Just how toxic those exposures were to the children is difficult to say, said Richard Fenske, one of the researchers involved in the study. The metabolites in question could derive from any of a number of organophosphorus compounds in use on fruits and vegetables, some of which are more toxic than others.

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December 2, 2009
Danish PM’s Stitch-Up Unravels
Representatives from Brazil, South Africa, India and China, known as the “BASIC” countries, served notice they intend to reject a Danish draft of a “political agreement” at the Copenhagen climate conference.

The Danish Prime Minister, who has spent the last month circulating the world to talk down prospects of a strong, legally binding deal in Copenhagen was in Trinidad and Tobago for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which recently wrapped up.

“Those who will suffer the most from climate change impacts are sending an ever stronger and clearer message to those who have done the most to cause them” said Kim Carstensen, leader of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Global Climate Initiative.

“We are not surprised the emerging economies have laid down this challenge for the developed world” said Carsetensen. “Quite frankly the Danish proposal is incredibly weak and the developing world aren’t gullible” she added.

Carstensen indicated the position of the BASIC countries is evidence of a “growing rebellion” against the weak commitments on emission cuts and climate financing from the developed world.

“The developed world needs to respond to the science with much deeper emissions cuts, much more new money on the table and much more willingness to share the technologies for low carbon development.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen runs from December 7-18, 2009.

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December 2, 2009
10 Tips To Make Holidays A Little Greener And Less Costly
Every holiday season websites are full of tips to save money and help mother earth during the holidays. Here are 10 simple measures for a Greener less costly holiday season.

1. Consider replacing older strings of holiday lights with more energy efficient LEDs (light emitting diodes). Now available in many traditional colours, they are not only energy efficient they are also shatterproof, shock resistant and safe to touch. They present no fire hazard and can save up to 80-90% in energy compared to incandescent bulbs.

2. If LEDs are not an option consider buying new miniature lights which use about 70% less energy and last longer than larger bulbs.

3. But if you prefer the brilliance of the larger bulbs, there is still an option to reduce electricity, switch to a five watt bulb, which will reduce your costs by about 30%.

4. Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator. Doing this helps keep the fridge cold, because of the mass of cold items inside helps the fridge recover each time the door is opened.

5. Do you remember you mom and dad always telling you to close the fridge door? I sure do, well they may have been right. Leaving the fridge door open while you take out the items you need is far more efficient than opening and closing it several times.

6. Allow hot food to cool before storing it in the refrigerator or freezer. However, be sure to refrigerate or freeze hot foods within two hours of purchase or preparation or within one hour if the air temperature is above 90 degrees.

7. Use the smallest pan and burner needed for the job. A six-inch pan on an eight inch burner will waste more than 40% of the energy. Cook with lids on your pans. For example, cooking pasta without a lid on the pot can use three times as much energy.

8. If you use glass or ceramic pans, you can turn the oven temperature down 25 degrees and foods will cook just as quickly

9. Household appliances keep using electricity even if you are not there. If going on vacation during the holidays unplug televisions, stereos, computers, VCR’s, chargers, etc., since they all draw small amounts of electricity even when they are turned off.

10. When driving keep your tires properly inflated, tires at correct pressure improves gas mileage by around three percent.

These are just a few of the many ways we can make our homes and lives a little more efficient, not just for the holidays, but year round.

Have a safe and happy holiday season.

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December 1, 2009