PBS.org

HEAT. PBS, October 2008. Watch the full program online. “Melting glaciers, rising sea levels, fires, floods and droughts. On the eve of a historic election, award-winning producer and correspondent Martin Smith investigates how the world’s largest corporations and governments are responding to Earth’s looming environmental disaster.

‘I have reported on the Cold War, the breakup of the Soviet Union, the rise of Al Qaeda, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,’ says Smith. ‘But nothing matches climate change in scope and severity.’”

TO SEE THIS PROGRAM PLEASE GO TO:        http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/heat/

There are 9 Chapters in this two hour long video

CHAPTER ONE
Watching the World Change

Disappearing glaciers, rising sea levels, expanding deserts — the world is changing faster, more dramatically than ever was anticipated.

CHAPTER TWO
Fossil Fuels, the Engine of Our Lives

America’s growth, consumption has produced record CO2 levels; India, China are right behind with oil, coal, natural gas demand. Is the planet doomed?

CHAPTER THREE
Ten Years to Reverse Course

With the IPCC issuing ever more urgent reports on climate change, there’s a growing momentum in the U.S and the world for real change.

CHAPTER FOUR
America’s Addiction to Coal

We get 52 percent of our electricity from coal-fired plants. They emit 2 billion tons of CO2 a year. Can clean coal technology be developed — and in time?

CHAPTER FIVE
Cars: 2nd Largest Source of Carbon Emissions

For years, those who pushed for fuel-efficient/zero-emission vehicles have found themselves on a collision course with Detroit and Washington.

CHAPTER SIX
Big Oil

Oil profits soared in ‘07, but none of the companies are investing in alternatives in a meaningful way. It’s all going toward finding more oil/natural gas.

CHAPTER SEVEN
Two Instructive Lessons from the Past

While gov’t must lean on business to tackle climate change, recall what happened with Clinton-Detroit’s new car project, and corn-based ethanol.

CHAPTER EIGHT
Carbon-Free Power

Europe’s way ahead and getting gov’t support. But T. Boone Pickens is betting on wind and Washington’s support. And nuclear’s getting a fresh look.

CHAPTER NINE
Will America Summon the Political Will?

Congress fails to pass the landmark bill that would have regulated carbon emissions. Can Americans and the next president reverse course?

“Climate change is caused by human actions, and we need to do something about it. The sooner we realize that, the better.”

With that sense of urgency in mind, Martin Smith traveled to 12 countries on four continents to investigate whether major corporations and governments are up to the challenge.

HEAT features in-depth interviews with top policy-makers and with leading executives from many of the largest carbon emitters from around the world, including Chinese coal companies, Indian SUV makers and American oil giants.

The report paints an ominous portrait. Despite increasing talk about “going green,” across the planet, environmental concerns are still taking a back seat to shorter-term economic interests.

Smith’s journey begins at the epicenter of new industrial development: China. In the midst of unprecedented growth, the Chinese are clearly moving in the wrong direction. He visits Shenhua Energy, one of the largest and fastest-growing power companies in the world—a coal conglomerate with a huge carbon footprint. But its CEO, Ling Wen, tells Smith that he answers not to the public but to his shareholders. “We must create money, not lose the money,” Ling says. “It’s my responsibility as a CEO of this company.” And when pressed whether he should make climate change a higher priority, Ling says that he would if his shareholders asked him. But, he says, “I’m afraid maybe all the shareholders, they cannot accept that concept.” In the meantime, China continues to build two new coal-fired power plants every week.

Smith finds a similar situation in India, where rapidly rising income levels have prompted an explosion in the demand for new cars. Automakers are thriving, pushing out new models, including the Nano, a small car aimed at helping even the poorest citizens get behind the wheel—no small thing, as India stands to overtake China as the world’s most populous country by mid-century. With several hundred million new drivers taking to the streets, India’s carbon emissions will soar.

And with new cars, of course, come new roads, linking crowded cities and fueling a construction boom across the developing world that drives emissions ever higher. The manufacture of cement is the third-largest industrial contributor of greenhouse gases in the world. Supplying more cement for buildings, roads and bridges makes big emission reductions impossible. This presents a core dilemma for all large emerging nations, from China to India, Indonesia, Russia, Mexico and Brazil: how to grow without inflicting more damage on the environment.

“I think the difficulty we have is that countries that have developed and have done the polluting part are now asking the countries that are developing, `OK, you can’t pollute,’” says Hameed Bhombal, of Aditya Birla Group, an Indian megaconglomerate. “It has to be done in a way that’s fair.”

According to Dr. Pachauri of the IPCC, the onus is on the developed world to lead the way. Now, with the rise in gas prices, there is an additional incentive for American car companies to offer smaller, more efficient vehicles. But will they respond? Their record is discouraging. Smith asks Beth Lowery, head of environmental affairs at General Motors, why Toyota beat GM to the Prius. Lowery replies that GM looked at hybrids from a “business case” and asked, “Can this vehicle make money?” GM banked instead on trucks and SUVs and is now suffering its worst performance in 50 years. GM is now playing catch-up and investing billions in a new hybrid, the Chevy Volt, which is scheduled to be released sometime this year.

There is also the problem that while hybrid cars may emit less CO2 than their gas-guzzling cousins, they still require electricity to run. So, making cars like the Volt part of a campaign to seriously reduce emissions will mean finding a new, cleaner power source. Currently, more than half of American power comes from coal. Coal is cheap and reliable, but dirty.

The answer, the industry says, will be “clean coal“— a complex process by which the burnt-off carbon will be captured and buried in the earth’s crust. But as Smith investigates, he finds there are serious doubts about whether “clean coal” will ever work. When pressed, utility CEO David Ratcliffe of Southern Company, one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, concedes that “we haven’t even come close to defining what are the legal liabilities and what are the permitting requirements” for removing carbon from coal and burying it underground. Recently, several “clean coal” projects in the U.S. have stalled over these and other uncertainties. As Jeffrey Ball, environmental news editor at The Wall Street Journal, tells Smith, “There was huge, rosy optimism about it. What’s wrong is that reality is intruding.”

On the campaign trail, both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama have announced their plans for a new energy policy that will cut carbon emissions. Optimistically, they suggest that the “greening” of American business heralds a new era of sleek technologies and opportunities for innovation. What they tend not to emphasize is cost and, on the part of every consumer, sacrifice.

In his interview with FRONTLINE, California’s attorney general, Jerry Brown, reminds Smith that it won’t be easy. “Our wealth, our society, our being is driven by oil and carbon. It’s intellectually dishonest to somehow say we can get some light bulbs or get a Prius, and then we’re all done. No, this is going to take massive technological innovation. It’s going to take changes in the way we live and work. And it’s going to take cooperation of unprecedented degrees among business and government and among countries. That’s where we are, and that’s why there’s no other word except `daunting.’ I’m hopeful. I’m cautiously optimistic. But I would have to say one has to approach this with great humility.”

Author and journalist Jeff Goodell adds, “We seem incapable of grasping what’s at stake here, perhaps because so much is at stake. Addressing this really means reinventing the engine of our lives—which is fossil fuels.”

At the ASEM in Beijing (Asia -Euope Meeting) the Asian States the 13 Asian States committed to establish an $80 billion crisis fund.
BEIJING (AP), Saturday, October 24, 2008.  Asian nations recommitted themselves Friday to establishing an $80 billion emergency fund, as leaders from across Asia and Europe gathered in Beijing to discuss the global financial meltdown.

The pledge by South Korea, China, Japan and the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations was reached at a breakfast meeting, according to the office of South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, who attended the meeting.

Few details were given, although a preliminary agreement reached in May stated that Japan, South Korea and China would contribute 80 percent of the fund, to be set up by next June, with ASEAN countries covering the remainder. ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The deal would enable countries to borrow from the fund when facing a liquidity crunch.

It builds on the so-called Chiang Mai Initiative, in which the 13 nations set up bilateral contracts to supply funds through currency swap lines.

The summit later Friday of 43 Asian and European nations hopes to establish a consensus on a common approach to the global crisis.

The meltdown has injected a new sense of urgency into the normally plodding biennial Asia-Europe Meeting, known as ASEM, with EU Commission President Jose Barroso saying “unprecedented levels of global coordination” are needed to deal with the current crisis.

“It’s very simple: We swim together, or we sink together,” Barroso said at a news conference Thursday in Beijing ahead of meetings with top Chinese leaders.

ASEM has no mandate to issue decisions, but participants hope it will build momentum toward a common stance ahead of a Nov. 15 meeting of the world’s top economies in Washington to discuss the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.

Padre Miguel or Nicaraguan diplomat, politician, liberation theologian and Maryknoll Catholic priest, H.E. Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, is indeed a breath of fresh air at the UN.

The Maryknoll Catholic priests from the US helped the poor of Nicaragua at the time of the US imposed dictatorship - we remember pictures of kidnaped and killed Maryknoll sisters and we remember the difficulties Latin American liberation theologians had, and still have, with the Vatican. Padre Miguel was born in the US, and was active in Nicaragua, and was bleeding for all Latin poor. Having him, a Ghandian, as President of the UN General Assembly, the nominally highest international position in the world, is indeed amazing. Nominally, the President of the General Assembly is the highest ranking UN personality, though he does not have the decision making power of a Security Council member, neither the practical, administrative power of the Secretary General. but he has at least, for one or two years, the power to decide what should be talked about at the General Assembly talking club.

To be clear about what this man stands for - openly in public - we attached his June 4, 2008, acceptance speech at the UN. We proceeded and marked with yellow the lines where he mentions the anthropogenic nature of so called natural phenomena and his attention to hunger, poverty, climate change, energy crisis, terrorism, human rights, disarmament, nuclear control, rights of women and children, preservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity. We clearly expect him not to treat those issues as individually separate issues but to make the connection and integrate the approach to the bundle of crises - exactly how they popped up to our attention in the last couple of months. We were excited back in November when a Catholic blog enthusiastically proposed Padre Miguel as Obama’s new Pastor. Who knows, there might have been a premonition here - but then let us not forget that the position of President of UNGA is for one year only - though it might be eventually extended for a second year. Nevertheless, if Obama becomes US President, he will have a good partner at the UNGA.

OK, so now Padre Miguel looked at all the crises and decided that the UN has to step in and asked Professor Joe Stiglitz to be his economist adviser and establish a panel to look at these crises. This panel is still in the making.

Then, looking at the upcoming November 29 - December 2, 2008 Doha Review Conference of the non-implementation of the so called Monterrey Consensus, that had in September 2008 already an introductory meeting here at the UN headquarters, he decided to use the “we go to Doha” idea in order to review the present bundle of crises that because of the Global Financial Crisis endangers all dealings with the other crises.

The Sarcozy suggestion to hold a global summit of the G-20 in New York on November 20, 2008, after the US Presidential elections, got deflected by President Bush to Washington DC - so it is a last hurrah for the present Administration - but this should not deter the UN to deal with the problems - if nothing else - it will UN material for the Washington meeting.

So, appointing Professor Joe Stiglitz, an adviser to Senator Obama, is also a good step in the direction of the future. To make this really inclusive he added further three known personalities: from Belgium the seat of the EU, from India - the second largest developing power of Asia, and from Ecuador - an OPEC member but fairly independent when it comes to Latin America issues.  Though nominally intent to deal with Financing for Development, it seems clear that global finances, hunger and the MDGs, and climate change will be topics of this day-long symposium and we look forward to the event.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Priest & President of the U.N.?

 

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From the Financial Times, October 24, 2008.

Newsbriefs
Reaching for the Moon on a Shoestring Budget

SRIHARIKOTA, Oct 23 (IPS) - With the successful launch of its maiden, unmanned mission to the moon, India has signalled growing confidence as an emerging Asian space power, ready to rub shoulders with Japan and China.

Asia itself is following the lunar footsteps of western countries and analysts see the Chinese and Indian space missions as the Asian equivalent of the rivalry between the United States and the former Soviet Union for space glory four decades ago. Japan launched its first lunar orbiter Hiten in 1990 and China sent up its Change-1 orbiter is September 2007.

India’s Chandrayaan — meaning moon vehicle in Sanskrit — launched Wednesday from this spaceport, a small island in the Bay of Bengal, aims for the first total comprehensive mapping of the moon, says project director Mylswami Annadurai. Previous lunar missions by other countries have provided patchy data. Using a combination of 11 instruments — five Indian and six from the U.S. and Europe, the spacecraft will map the moon in various wavelengths of light and bands of energy, for two years, positioning itself at 100 kms off the surface of the moon by November.

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REEEP announces Call for Proposals for EUR 4.3 million in grant funding.
Vienna, 23.10.2008
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) today announced a call for project proposals which support the development of markets for renewable energy and energy efficiency. The project call is REEEP’s largest in its five year history with more than 4.3 million Euro available for projects in least developed countries and emerging market economies.

The programme cycle received funding from a consortium comprised of Australia, Ireland, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Australia, with its significant contribution will help intensify REEEP’s efforts in small island states in the Pacific.

The United Kingdom and Norway will continue their focus on emerging economies and Ireland and Italy will continue their focus on Africa.

The REEEP call is an open tender seeking projects from priority countries - Brazil, China, India and South Africa and from across the developing world.

REEEP will build on its experience gained over the last five years with a bottom-up approach to defining priorities and selecting projects.

REEEP is intensifying its efforts to directly engage governments and financial institutions in its programme. REEEP is inviting countries with specific policy, legislative or regulatory needs or development finance institutions with need for financing structures and business models to develop projects directly with REEEP. It is hoped that by assisting governments with lowering risk within the renewables and energy efficiency sector and by working with development agencies to encourage business and finance models, finance can be attracted into new markets.

To increase operational efficiency and to increase transparency and openness, all proposals will be submitted for evaluation via REEEP’s new on-line Programme Management Information System (PMIS).

Dr. Marianne Osterkorn, REEEP International Director stated that the partnership can now add value across a number of areas. “We are grateful to all REEEP donors – UK, Norway, Ireland and Italy and we welcome the new donor Australia to the REEEP programme. We look forward to working with Australia to support the Pacific Islands to develop local energy sources and helping their quest for energy security. We also look forward to intensifying our engagement with governments and development financial institutions to increase the chances of investments in sustainable energy infrastructure “.
REEEP previously disbursed € 3.2 million euro in 2007,  € 2.2 million in 2006 and € 1.1 million in 2005.

Agata Gago
Media Relations
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP)
International Secretariat
Wagramerstrasse 5
1400 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +48 503 180 791
 http://www.reeep.org

OK, WE ARE BULLISH BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT BY NOVEMBER 5, 2008, WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE SIMULTANEOUS ATTACK ON THE SEVERAL CRISES THAT MR. G.W.
BUSH IS PASSING ON TO HIS SUCCESSOR. THE MAIN TALK OF THE DAY WILL BE THAT HEALING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS, THE APPROACH WILL BE TO TURN THIS INTO AN
ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL ALLOW THE TACKLING OF THE GLOBAL WARMING/ENERGY CRISES WITH TOOLS THAT WILL IN TANDEM HELP SOLVE THE PESKY FINANCIAL CRISIS.

US Foreign Policy Towards a Rising Asia - A Conversation with Senator Chuck Hagel

Friday, October 24, 2008
12pm - 2pm Lunch and Program

Senator Hagel is completing his second term in the United States Senate and is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. At a time of unprecedented global financial uncertainty and imminent political change in the United States, Senator Hagel will discuss how America can best face its challenges and capitalize on its opportunities in the rising Asia-Pacific region.  Senator Hagel is the author of America: Our Next Chapter, which outlines proposals for the country’s greatest challenges of the 21st century.

Presiding
Joseph Klein
Political Columnist, Time Magazine

Copies of America: Our Next Chapter will be available for purchase and signing.  This book is also available for purchase at the Asia Society bookstore.

Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue at 70th St., NYC
Tickets: $50 Members; $75 Nonmembers