D12 day of action in Paris
The Copenhagen text included aviation and shipping emissions, that together are as large as the emissions of Britain and Germany combined, but they are not mentioned in the Paris text. .. is weaker than Copenhagen … not consistent with the latest science. — Kevin Anderson, Deputy Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
It’s outrageous that the deal that’s on the table is being spun as a success when it undermines the rights of the world’s most vulnerable communities and has almost nothing binding to ensure a safe and liveable climate for future generations. In fact the deal as it stands in the context of INDCs that have been submitted sets us firmly on the path to a devastating three degrees of global warming. — Nick Dearden, the director of Global Justice
Listening to the BBC news, the jubilation of delegates to COP21 in Paris, one could be forgiven for being fooled into believing some historical agreement had been signed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It has not.
The agreement excluded both aviation and shipping, without which, we cannot keep global warming below 2C.
Thee is nothing to protect indigenous rights. These are the guardians of the forests.
Unbelievable no mention of oil, coal or gas. Nor any mention of livestock, palm oil and other industries driving deforestation.
One could also be forgiven for believing 1.5C limit to global temperature rise was something new. It is not. It always was 1.5C seen as the safe upper limit. It was political fudge that set it to 2C.
2C rise would see many Pacific islands wiped off the face of the map.
We are already seeing severe storms and more of them.
In Cumbria last weekend, we saw floods, we saw floods across southern England two winters ago. And yet, we have business wanting to build a third runway and massively expand Heathrow Airport.
Third World countries will be the worst affected by rising temperatures, rising sea levels, and yet they are still on a programme of building more coal-fired power station.
There has to be a ban on building any new coal-fired power stations, the existing coal-fired powers stations have to be phased out.
2,440 coal-fired power plants are planned globally, both in emerging economies as a suggested means of meeting rapidly increasing electricity demand and also in many states across the EU to replace existing capacity.
Even with no new construction, emissions from coal-fired power generation in 2030 would still be 150% higher than what is consistent with scenarios limiting warming to below 2°C.
In the Cape in South Africa, wind turbines deliver electricity at half the price of coal-fired power stations, are cheaper to build, and yet South Africa plans building more coal-fired power stations.
When was the last time you saw solar panels on a house in Cyprus?
Had the world cut carbon emission by 2% a year since the Rio Earth Summit in early 1990s we would not be where we are today.
The cuts pledged at COP21 do not add up. They would lead to a 3C rise in global temperature. And these are only pledges, not guarantees they will be met, they are not legally binding by International Treaty.
The cuts required are what the science dictates, not what Big Business, Dirty Coal, dictates.
The Paris deal requires no emissions reductions from countries before 2020.
We have to leave 80% of known carbon reserves in the ground.
But, even with what has been pledged, it means fossil fuels, coal, oil, gas, have no future. Stranded, worthless assets. It is time for massive divestment from fossil fuels.
Man is his folly and greed seems determined to destroy the planet.
Proposed expansion of Gatwick or Heathrow or maybe both in the south of England.
Burning of rain forests in Indonesia to clear the way for palm oil plantations.
Bangladesh, the world’s most ‘climate vulnerable’ large country, has plans for a 1.3GW coal power plant on the fringes of its World Heritage coastal wetlands. Mangrove swamps protect coastlines, but Bagladesh will destroy a mangrove swamp for a massive coal-fired power station.
Low lying islands, where they are destroying forests, excavating the beach, polluting the sea, mining the coral reefs.
But we ourselves, seeing the failure of politicians, can take action.
- divest from fossil fuels
- boycott any product containing palm oil
We have to have a Marshal Plan of investment in green infrastructure
In the UK we have corporations sitting on a £700 billion cash pile. Idle money doing nothing. We know investment in green infrastructure could lead to the creation of a million jobs.
What we are seeing is a re-run of Neville Chamberlain returning from Berlin with a signed paper by Adolf Hitler, Peace in Our Time. What we are witnessing is Appeasement of Big Business.
TTIP, if forced through, will render any agreement reached at Paris worthless. A blitzkrieg by the EU and Big Business.
Future generations will look back and see this moment for what it was.
Today thousands of people took to the streets of Paris to protest, and in doing so defied the State of Emergency.
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