Never trust a politician over climate change, that’s the lesson of this story. Britain’s ÂŁ800m international project to help the poorest countries in the world adapt to climate change has come under fire after it emerged that almost all the money offered will have to be repaid with interest.
Politics
Trade War Over Biofuel Subsidies
Oh the irony, the poor starve, yet the rich squabble over subsidies. European biodiesel producers have triggered a fresh transatlantic trade war by urging the EU to impose punitive duties on cheap imports from the US. They claim that low-priced imports of biofuels are putting many European producers out of business. Their American rivals immediately … Read More
Rich States have Failed on Climate Leadership
Developing countries, including China and India, are unwilling to sign up to a new global climate change pact to replace Kyoto because the rich world has failed to set a clear example on cutting CO2. That’s the blunt message from Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He argues that … Read More
“The state of our planet requires you to be ambitious”
Top climate negotiators from more than 160 nations launched a new round of talks in Bangkok today aimed at setting out what is meant to be the most ambitious treaty yet for battling global warming. Opening the five-day meeting with a video message, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged countries to work together to find … Read More
Follow the Oil Money
Last week, on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, hundreds of people stood with Oil Change International in the streets in front of the American Petroleum Institute demanding a Separation of Oil & State. They know, just as we do, that oil was the central motivation of the war in Iraq, that oil money … Read More
Blair to Save the Climate….
One can only be highly skeptical about the news that Tony Blair is to lead a new international team to try to tackle the intractable problem of a deal on climate change which has the backing of both China and America. The former British prime minister believes he can help prepare a blueprint for an … Read More
US Ready to Accept “Binding” CO2 “Obligations”
The US is ready to accept “binding international obligations” on reducing greenhouse gas emissions if other nations do the same, according to officials. The US hopes the world’s major economies will conclude a “leaders’ declaration” before the July G8 summit. But the Bush administration is clearly looking for some kind of agreement from major developing … Read More
Venezuela Threatens to Cut US Oil Supplies
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has threatened to cut off oil supplies to the US if it continues what he calls an economic war. “Take note Mr Bush, Mr Danger,” said Mr Chavez in his weekly televised address. “I will cut off oil supplies.” British and US courts froze assets belonging to Venezuela’s state energy company … Read More
Bush’s Climate Talks “Engaging”
George Bush’s latest climate talks in Honolulu, Hawaii, have been described by delegates as the most frank and engaging climate negotiations so far. Last year’s meeting in Washington was meeting was described by angry EU delegates as a waste of time, but the BBC reports that this time the tone was very different.
The Greenhouse Groundhog Day..
Its the greenhouse Groundhog day, again. How often has America prevented progress over international agreements on climate change? The US is trying to remove a reference to 25-40% cuts in carbon pollution by 2020 for developed countries, which remained in the draft roadmap released by the UN yesterday.