Copenhagen Climate Funds Stolen from Other Aid Programs
In last December's Copenhagen Climate Summit, developed nations promised as much as $30 billion in "fast start" aid regardless of what the final accord did or did not accomplish. These funds were meant to help the poorest nations in Africa and the Indian subcontinent where preparation work is needed much sooner than a unanimously ratified treaty could be passed.
From his inauguration speech, President Obama promised that 2009 would be a year of positive change for the environment. Political momentum and economic crisis gave the green movement fuel for radical change, making 2009 a banner year for environmental happenings. Take a look at what happened in 2009, and what work there is yet to do in 2010.
Copenhagen Climate Treaty Replaced by 3 Page "Gentleman's Agreement"
As negotiations in Copenhagen extended into the small hours of Saturday morning, delegates finally emerged with a final document that some felt could be the only agreeable solution. The so called Copenhagen Accord took form as a three page "gentleman's agreement" that asserts that all countries should develop plans to combat global warming and share their results with the international community.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Danish Prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen have called for the Copenhagen climate summit to extend into the weekend, urging world leaders to make overnight accommodations. The words of world leaders, delegates, and activists have been described as "glum," "frustrated," and "disappointed" as nations lock horns over a potential draft treaty. French President Nicholas Sarkozy places much of the blame on developing nations. "What's blocking things? A country like China which has trouble accepting the idea of a monitoring body.
Obama: Emerging Climate Treaty is Imperfect, but Fair
"We are running short on time," said President Obama in his speech to more than 100 world leaders in Copenhagen this morning. "We can embrace this accord, take a substantial step forward, and continue to refine it and build upon its foundation. We can do that, and everyone who is in this room will be a part of a historic endeavor — one that makes life better for our children and grandchildren. Or we can choose delay, falling back into the same divisions that have stood in the way of action for years."
Copenhagen Conflict Escalates as Bella Center Lockdown Continues
Being hailed as the largest gathering of environmental activists, the COP15 summit in Copenhagen has spawned two weeks of demonstrations, protests, and actions. Tensions between police and protesters hit a peak after thousands of protesters attempted to infiltrate the heavily fortified negotiation center by crossing a moat with a makeshift inflatable bridge. The Danish police repelled this and other actions by using emergency powers granted to them by the Danish government and a number of controversial methods.
The COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen is poised to unravel as delegates from each major bloc admit that the summit has failed to draft an agreement. Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed — whose country would be the first to be swallowed by rising sea levels — said that there is little hope for compromise among negotiators. "We will not have a draft. There is no draft. We are facing a situation where it is possible that nothing comes out of COP15 unless the heads of state decide to come up with it themselves," said Nasheed.
To add political weight to Copenhagen climate summit, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be attending COP15 early. Over 110 world leaders are expected to be present for the final day of negotiations.
Arrests, Violence, Boycotts Mark Final Days of Copenhagen
Delegates from developing nations and various NGO's inside the COP15 climate summit left the building this morning to join what could be the largest activist activity of the conference. The demonstration is openly focused on overcoming security checkpoints to hold a people's summit inside the Bella Center, where environment ministers and some world leaders are deadlocked in debate over a proposed international climate treaty. The protest centers around how developed countries have set much of the tone and terms for the agreement.
Climate Scientists, Skeptics Critical of Al Gore Copenhagen Claim
Former Vice President Al Gore is under the microscope after a statement he made yesterday to the delegates of the COP15 summit. In a special forum presented by the Arctic Council, Gore made statements that the North Pole had a 75% chance of being ice-free by 2014. Already under scrutiny from climate skeptics due to his work with scientists embroiled in the Climategate leak, it was discovered that the scientific data that Gore was referencing does not support his claims.
