Surprise! Canada satisfied with weak climate deal
Posted on 19. Dec, 2009 by Rosa Kouri in Canada, bits
I have been struggling throughout the day to find out the status of the talks and discover some inkling of the ultimate end result. Fingers twitching, toes tapping, and nerves on edge, we trackers watched for any signals from the tightly closed group of world leaders parked less than 2 kilometers from our make-shift office. [...]
Reactions to Obama’s So-Called Copenhagen Accord
Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A., bits
I’m not going to call this a UNFCCC deal or a COP15 deal. This was a Heads of State deal. At least at now that’s all it is. Anyway, reactions as they come:
Bill McKibben, American environmentalist and founder of 350.org, responds to Obama’s press conference this evening:
“This is a declaration that small and poor countries [...]
“Meaningful Agreement” Says White House Official
Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A., bits
Says the NYTimes:
The United States, China, India and South Africa have reached a “meaningful agreement” at the Copenhagen climate change conference, an Obama administration official said.
“It’s not sufficient to combat the threat of climate change, but it’s an important first step,” the official said. “No country is entirely satisfied with each element, but this is [...]
More US-China Bilaterals
Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A., bits
We know Obama met with Wen Jinbao earlier. Apparently there was another with Vice Minister He. The U.S. supposedly pressed hard for a global emissions reduction goal for 2050. China, predictably, wasn’t too keen.
Now Obama is supposed to speak w/ Chinese President Hu Jintao who’s in Beijing (on the phone, I assume), and then going [...]
Updated: Reactions to Obama Speech
Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A., bits
Kassie Siegel, director of the Climate Law Institute of the Center for Biological Diversity, had the following response to President Obama’s speech:
“Obama offered only ultimatums to those countries most impacted by global warming; accept our terms or we will block funding to help you survive the crisis we caused but for which we still refuse [...]
Obama Meeting with Wen
Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A., bits
China Daily reports “Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is holding a meeting with US president Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen. The talk will last for about an hour.”
Obama Speech Text Changes
Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A., bits
From prepared to delivered, there were some telling changes:
He changed the word “agreement” from his prepared speech to “framework I just outlined,” possibly because of lack of progress in the talks?
Also–this was in the script, but an interesting change from common language: he said “common but differentiated responses” not “responsibilities”? Possibly an effort to allay [...]
Obama’s Speech in Copenhagen
Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A., bits
Not his A-game, I’d say. Here it is:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________
_________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2009
Remarks of President Barack Obama—As Prepared for Delivery
Copenhagen Summit
Copenhagen, Denmark
December 18, 2009
Good morning. It’s an honor to for me to join this distinguished group of leaders from nations around the world. We come together here in Copenhagen because [...]
Were America’s Hands in the France-Ethiopia Deal?
Posted on 15. Dec, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A., bits
My colleague Florent Baarsch, working with the good folks at 350.org, has done some good old-fashioned reporting and turned up some unsavory facts about the new French/Ethiopian proposal that appeared suddenly in the COP15 reality today.
The appeal by France and “Ethiopia, representing Africa” is calling for a so-called “Copenhagen Accord,” and has some good on [...]
A Long Time Coming
Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by Ben Jervey in U.S.A.
President Obama’s going to Copenhagen with numbers in hand. Will either bit be enough?