Tiempo Climate Newswatch
Week ending July 27th 2008
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Action point
Jim Salinger describes his priority for action on global warming. You can play the low bandwidth or the high bandwidth version
Featured sites
The Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands (LADA) project provides access to documents, data, photos, maps and other resources concerning this critical issue.
The World Ocean Observatory provides a place of exchange for ocean information, education and public discourse about the future of the ocean and its implication for human survival.
AdaptNet is a community of adaptation specialists, sharing the latest information on adaptation strategies, measures, tools, research and analysis, and highlighting best practice and implementation. The network focuses on cities in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, but nested within the global network of cities.
In the Morning of a Day provides activists and event organizers with an opportunity to announce and promote their events and actions about global warming.
And finally,
Children from Uganda, Bangladesh and Mozambique have drawn pictures for Oxfam of their impression of climate change (video) and what it means to their lives.
About Newswatch
Tiempo Climate Newswatch is a weekly on-line magazine with news, features and comment on global warming, climate change, sea-level rise and development issues. It is edited by Mick Kelly and Sarah Granich and maintained by Mick Kelly and Mike Salmon. The cartoons are created by Lawrence Moore.
The news stories carried by Newswatch are updated weekly. Comment, features, interviews and other sections of the magazine are updated on a weekly to monthly basis.
Newswatch automatically scans a number of news sites once an hour, searching for a set of keyphrases. The raw news feed can be accessed in standard or PDA format.
Part of the Tiempo Climate Cyberlibrary, Tiempo Climate Newswatch is hosted by the Climatic Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia.
The Tiempo Climate Cyberlibrary is a co-production of the Stockholm Environment Institute and the International Institute for Environment and Development, sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
While every effort is made to ensure that information on this site, and on other sites that are referenced here, is accurate, no liability for loss or damage resulting from use of this information can be accepted.
The Australian government has released a new plan for combating climate change. "We confront a daunting reality: we cannot continue to pour carbon pollution into the atmosphere as if there is no cost," said Penny Wong, climate change minister. "As one of the hottest and driest continents on earth, Australia’s economy and environment will be one of the hardest and fastest hit by climate change if we don’t act now," she continued. The goal is to cut national emissions by 60 per cent by the year 2050.
The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, which is essentially an emissions trading scheme, will cover stationary energy, transport, fugitive emissions, industrial processes, waste and forestry sectors and all six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. It will come into operation in 2010. "Placing a limit and a price on pollution will change the things we produce, the way we produce them, and the things we buy. It will open new doors to a cleaner energy future," Wong said. There will be an action fund to help help business make the transition to a cleaner economy and households, particularly poorer ones, will be compensated.
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Growing demand for food, fuel and wood is placing unprecedented pressure on the world's forests, according to the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), a coalition of international, regional and community organizations. "Arguably, we are on the verge of the last great global land grab," warns Andy White, co-author of a new RRI report.
Without a sharp rise in agricultural productivity, land equivalent to twelve times the area of Germany will need to be converted for crop production to meet demand in the year 2030. "Unless steps are taken, traditional forest owners, and the forests themselves, will be the big losers," White predicts. "It will mean more deforestation, more conflict, more carbon emissions, more climate change and less prosperity for everyone."
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New York's taxi cabs will go green over the next five years. "It will be the largest, cleanest fleet of taxis anywhere on the planet," said Michael Bloomberg, the city's mayor. "And because taxis are so heavily used, the new standard will have the equivalent effect of removing 30,000 individually-owned gas-powered vehicles from our streets," he continued.
One thousand hybrid taxis, powered by gasoline and electricity, are to be introduced by October this year and the remainder of New York's 13,000 taxi cabs will be replaced by the year 2012. Three major automobile manufacturers have committed to delivering 300 hybrid vehicles per month for use in the taxi fleet. The Taxis for All Campaign, working on behalf of the handicapped, is concerned that the new hybrid taxis would not have lifts nor enough space for a wheelchair.
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Breaking news
The Gaunt View
© 2008 Lawrence Moore
Science and development
Sound and vision
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The documentary Violence and Vulnerability discusses the link between conflict and climate impacts in the Kitui District of Kenya. |
On the Web
High bandwidth may be required
Video on demand
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On the Push, from Undercurrents, is a video series on surfing and climate change. |
Undercurrents is an award-winning production company mostly working with video makers and communities who have been marginalized or overlooked by TV broadcasters. It has made available Bike 2 Oz
Weblogs
More interactive discussion...
Comment
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"Climate change is the first great challenge to confront the whole of humanity, not only now, but for all generations to come. Bali has awakened awareness and charted a course for the next few years: Copenhagen will have to deliver humanity's response to this challenge. " |
In Adaptation to Climate Change - Where Do We Go from Bali?, Sven Harmeling considers the next steps in meeting the challenge of adaptation.
In A Reason for Optimism, Gary Yohe discusses a significant change in attitude towards climate risk on the part of the international community.
In National Adaptation Programmes of Action: Priorities and Policies, Bubu Pateh Jallow and Thomas Downing describe five challenges faced by the National Adaptation Programme of Action teams and by the international climate policy community.
On the Web
- Ricardo Radulovich reckons that we should grow biofuels at sea
- Peter Kessler asks how the asylum system will treat climate refugees
- Patrick McCully considers charges of corruption and profiteering against the Clean Development Mechanism
Features
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Rae Kwon Chung, on behalf of the Environment and Sustainable Development Division at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia, outlines an approach to sustainable economic growth that is being promoted for the nations of Asia and the Pacific. |
Christoph Holtwisch analyses the current development of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, contrasting the Partnership with the traditional climate regime.
Mozaharul Alam describes the next steps needed under the National Adaptation Programmes of Action process in the Asia and Pacific region.
Short reports
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The Asia Pacific Mountain Network reports on an e-discussion on building the resilience of mountain communities to climate change held in May 2008. |
The Bonn Climate Change Talks took place in June 2008. Newswatch editors Mick Kelly and Sarah Granich report on these negotiations and on related developments.
The pace of the climate negotiations has quickened in order to meet the deadline set by the Bali Action Plan. Newswatch editor Mick Kelly reports.
Interview
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"Important data rescue efforts focusing on developing countries around the world exist, but often just barely. These activities are generally lacking in ongoing funding support, personnel and overall infrastructure." |
In a Newswatch interview, Rob Allan discusses new work aimed at extending the instrumental climate record that should benefit the scientific community, policy makers and everyday users of climate information.
Recent e-publications
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Africa: Atlas of Our Changing Environment, from the United Nations Environment Programme, provides graphic images of environmental trends across the African continent. Published: June 2008 |
World Bank: Climate Profiteer, from the Institute of Policy Studies, argues that the World Bank irresponsibly and recklessly continues to perpetuate the world’s dependence on climate-altering fossil fuels while profiting from carbon trading. Published April 2008
Our Climate, Our Children, Our Responsibility, from UNICEF UK, draws attention to the specific risks associated with climate change faced by children, who are more vulnerable and in no way responsible for their position. Published April 2008
Current climate
Monthly climate indicators |
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Global surface air temperature courtesy of the
Hadley Centre |
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Webcam skyviewsCreate a mosaic of webcam images to monitor
the weather at selected sites around the world |
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Current emergencies |
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General links |
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El Niño-Southern Oscillation Phenomenon (ENSO) |
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Tropical storms |
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Food security |
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Other events |
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The Final Word
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"Urgent action is needed in urban centres in Africa, Asia and Latin America to adapt to climate change. Such centres house three-quarters of the world's urban population and will house most of the world's population growth in the next few decades." |
In Climate Change and Cities, David Satterthwaite explains why urban areas are central to adaptation and mitigation agendas.
Bright Ideas
Honda is leasing the hydrogen-powered fuel cell FCX Clarity to private individuals in southern California
TIDE, in southern India, markets energy-efficient stoves that reduce fuelwood use by as much as 30 per cent
Curitiba's BioCity Program (0.3Mb download) aims to halt the rapid rate at which cities develop and reduce biodiversity loss
The CooKit is an inexpensive, lightweight solar cooker that can save scarce fuel in poor communities and be swiftly deployed in emergencies (video)
Kungsbrohuset, a new building to be built by Jernhusen in Stockholm, will be heated partly by body heat from the people who pass through the nearby Central Station
Petrotec produces biodiesel from multiple feedstocks, including waste frying oils, animal fats and virgin vegetable fats and oils
Over 90 per cent of waste materials generated during construction of the eco-friendly Del Sur Ranch House were diverted from landfills
New Belgium's brew kettle is up to 70 per cent more efficient than standard brew kettles because it only heats thin sheets of wort
The Kinsale Energy Descent Action Plan presents a community-based strategy for coming down from the oil peak
The Efficiencity virtual world shows how decentralized energy production leads to lower emissions, more secure supply and reduced bills
Climate Savers corporations are partnering with WWF to establish ambitious targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions voluntarily
Energy collected from an asphalt road and parking lot heats an apartment building in Avenhorn, The Netherlands (further information from Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV, 0.3Mb download)
Tiempo Climate Newswatch
Updated: July 20th 2008