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A deal on climate change – but then the backlash
Patrick Wintour and Larry Elliott, Guardian
US signs up to 50% target but emerging economies demand more
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A new global deal on climate change heralded by G8 leaders as a significant step forward yesterday ran into trouble within hours as developing nations including China and India rejected it because they believe the commitments are not strong enough.
After years of US intransigence, President George Bush finally signed up to a G8 statement vowing to “consider and adopt” a target of at least a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, an agreement described by the prime minister, Gordon Brown, as “major progress”.
But while the five-page communique is the first time Bush has committed his country to a long-term target, the deal agreed at the G8 summit in northern Japan was quickly dismissed by the big five emerging economies, which want the world’s biggest polluters to go much further in cutting emissions.
(9 July 2008)
The art of embarrassment: bring back the dunce’s cap?
Bibi van der Zee, Guardian
Do you think naming and shaming people who pollute the environment is the best way to make them ecoconscious?
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The news that the Californian legislature is to put stickers on cars showing their contribution to global warming has cheered environmentalists up all round. Are governments going to return to the old ways of naming and shaming when it comes to climate change? We can only hope, eh?
It’s funny what an important role embarrassment plays in society: you don’t think of it as one of the Big Emotions, like grief or anger or love, and yet actually it’s right in there, chugging along, keeping society in line. Humans are social beings: what other people think of us matters, and forms a large part of our identity.
It’s for that reason that the creators of our social hierarchies, whether that’s the church or the state or a dictator, have often used shame and embarrassment so powerfully.
… Should governments and campaigners be returning to the days of stocks and dunce’s hats? Is that what it’s going to take?
(9 July 2008)
Yes. We have yet to make the connection that misuse of resources is a crime that causes human suffering and damages and property. It will take a while for the legal system to catch up with this realization. In the meantime, peer pressure (both positive and negative) is called for. -BA
Water pollution, supply issues top environmental concern in China (video and transcript)
Monica Trauzzi, E&E TV
As China continues to face scrutiny for its poor air quality ahead of this year’s Olympics, the country is dealing with an even greater environmental challenge. Water pollution and scarcity continue to be the leading environmental concerns for this growing country.
During today’s OnPoint, Jennifer Turner, director of the China Environment Forum at the Woodrow Wilson Center, gives her on-the-ground perspective of the water issues affecting China. She discusses the programs that are in place to help mitigate the problem and explains how global warming could exacerbate the issue. Turner also addresses the impact of poor water quality on the health of the Chinese, particularly those living in rural areas.
(8 July 2008)
If you want to get up to date on environmental issues in China, Jennifer Turner is the one to listen to. -BA
