Obama brings US in from the cold: In a landmark speech, the next president pledges to revive Kyoto Protocol and end American isolationism over climate change.

By Leonard Doyle in Washington and Michael McCarthy
Thursday, 20 November 2008, The Independent of London

Michael McCarthy: Finally, we can dare to hope.

Prospects for success in the world’s struggle to combat global warming have been transformed at a stroke after US President-elect Barack Obama made it clear that America would play its full part in renewing the Kyoto Protocol climate-change treaty.

The Bush withdrawal set back the international effort by nearly a decade – years in which it became increasingly clear that the warming of the atmosphere being caused by greenhouse gas emissions was proceeding much faster than UN scientists thought it would.

Although Mr Bush and the oilman-caucus in his government justified their Kyoto withdrawal by casting doubt on whether climate change was happening, or was caused by human actions, by last year the scientific consensus on both propositions was so great that Bush aides had to reluctantly accept both were true. But Mr Bush’s diplomatic stance hardly changed.

In contrast, the President-elect’s remarks, in a video address to a global warming summit in California attended by US governors and representatives from other nations, instantly injected a new mood of optimism among negotiators preparing for the conference at which Kyoto will be renewed and extended, due to take place in Copenhagen in December 2009.

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“This is an incredibly welcome statement about the need not to delay, and it will send a very positive message around the world, especially to the developing countries,” said a British source involved with negotiations.

***

The Obama message was clearly timed to influence the interim negotiating meeting being held in Poznan, Poland, next month, which Mr Obama reminded his audience he could not attend, “because the United States has only one president at a time”. Mr Bush remains president until the Obama inauguration on 20 January.

But if he will not be present in Poland personally, his latest pronouncement made it clear he will be very much there in spirit. “Once I take office, you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations, and help lead the world toward a new era of global co-operation on climate change,” he said. And he went on to make the key pledge that the US would once again accept targets to reduce its own emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, which – alongside China’s – are the highest in the world.

“We will establish strong annual targets that set us on a course to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and reduce them by an additional 80 percent by 2050,” he said. Mr Obama had made his support for action clear as a presidential candidate, but he has now spelled out new yearly targets. It signals that the US is at last coming in from the cold – and that is the essential prerequisite for success at Copenhagen, which will try to map out a way for the world to hold global temperature rises to two degrees celsius above the pre-industrial level – regarded as the maximum the earth and its human communities can safely sustain.

***

The trick will be to balance the burden-sharing – in essence, to get the US and China to act together, when each has been concerned about the other trying to get a free ride. It has to be the US that takes the lead and Mr Obama recognised that explicitly. “My presidency will mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process,” he said.

His words were instantly applauded as “fantastic” by California’s Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a leading force for environmental changes in the face of White House obstinacy.

***

“These were inspirational words from Obama,” said Frank O’Donnell of Clean Air Watch. “He basically said that, even though the world economy is less than healthy, global warming remains an absolutely top priority. It means the United States is now ready to take on a leadership role in combating climate change.”

Behind Mr Obama’s words is the big idea that energy-hogging is at the root of US economic problems at home and security problems abroad. America’s gluttonous oil consumption is unsustainable, damaging the environment and making the country dependent on unstable parts of the world for its energy which, in the end, has become a threat to its national security.

Mr Obama says he is committed to pumping $150bn into transforming the economy to cut oil consumption dramatically and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He wants to start with US car manufacturers – which already need rescuing – to ensure they make hybrid or petrol-sipping cars.

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At www.SustainabiliTank.info we believe that only a bi-national agreement between the US and China can remove the brakes on the multi-lateral negotiations.

So, the Way to a Copenhagen I resolution goes via a Washington-Beijing agreement that was not possible under the Bush/Cheney government by oilmen-caucus and their intentional undermining of any alternative future that would be less dependent on oil.

Poznan happens at the wrong time and in the wrong EU Member State, but nevertheless, it will become the stage where many participants will have now the courage to speak up, as they did not do in the last eight years. We do not expect a Paula Dobriasnsky change of heart, and we predict a sorry sight for the exit of an US Administration that left the world in shambles. But the participants will leave with the feeling that Hope Is On The Horizon. The Independent has just given voice to it.

 From:       Elizabeth.Migongo-Bake at unep.org
Subject:  The 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry 23rd-29th August 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
Date:       November 20, 2008

2nd World Congress of Agroforestry – 3rd Announcement

 http://www.worldagroforestry.org/wca2009

Theme: “Agroforestry - The Future of Global Land Use”

The Congress will assess opportunities to leverage scientific agroforestry in promoting sustainable land use worldwide.
It will also serve as a forum for agroforestry researchers, educators, practitioners and policy makers from around the world to:

-share new research findings, lessons, experiences, and ideas that will help influence decisions that impact on livelihoods and the global environment

-explore new opportunities and strengthen existing partnerships in agroforestry research, education, training, and development

-form new networks and communities of practice, and nurture old ones.

enquiries:  WCA2009 at cgiar.org

From:              press at pipa.org
Subject:     Advance Materials: World Publics Favor Wind, Solar Energy
Date:            November 17, 2008

Dear Colleague:

I write to inform you of the upcoming release of a 21-nation global survey on attitudes about the use of alternative energy systems, requirements for greater energy efficiency, and other strategies for dealing with the problem of energy.

The poll finds very strong support for the government requiring utilities to use more alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, and requiring businesses to use energy more efficiently, even if these steps increase the costs of energy and other products. Fewer than half of the nations polled favor putting more emphasis on nuclear energy or on coal or oil.

In all nations most people reject the view that shifting to alternative energy sources would hurt the economy, believing instead that it would save money in the long run.

The poll was conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org, a network of research centers from around the world managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland.  The poll includes the opinion of 20,790 respondents surveyed between July 15 and November 4, 2008. Margins of error range from +/-2 to 4 percent.

Interviews were conducted in 21 nations, including most of the largest nations—China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Russia—as well as Argentina, Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, the Palestinian Territories, Poland, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and Ukraine. Interviews were also conducted in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Please note that this information is under embargo until 21:01 GMT Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The embargoed press release is pasted below. To download a PDF version, please click here:

 http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/p…

To download the embargoed questionnaire, which contains a methodological statement, please click here:

 http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/p…

If you would like to speak with one of the principal researchers on this study, please feel free to contact me:

Melanie Ciolek
Communications Coordinator/Survey Manager
Program on International Policy Attitudes
 mciolek at pipa.org
 

College Park, MD—A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 21 nations finds very strong support for the government requiring utilities to use more alternative energy, such as wind and solar, and requiring businesses to use energy more efficiently, even if these steps increase the costs of energy and other products. Fewer than half of the nations polled favor putting more emphasis on nuclear energy or on coal or oil.

In all nations most people reject the view that shifting to alternative energy sources would hurt the economy, believing instead that it would save money in the long run.

“It is quite remarkable that there is such unanimity around the world that government should address the problem of energy by emphasizing alternative energy sources and greater efficiency,” comments Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org. “Equally remarkable is how little the governments around the world are following the public’s lead.”

The poll of 20,790 respondents was conducted between July 15 and November 4, 2008 by WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative research project involving research centers from around the world and managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. Margins of error range from +/-2 to 4 percent.

Interviews were conducted in 21 nations, including most of the largest nations—China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Russia—as well as Argentina, Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, the Palestinian Territories, Poland, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and Ukraine. Interviews were also conducted in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Asked how much emphasis their government should put on various approaches to the problem of energy, the most popular is for the government to put more emphasis on installing solar or wind energy systems.  Majorities favor it in 20 of the 21 nations, led by South Korea (89%), Kenya (88%), France (88%), Italy (88%), and the US (87%).  Only Russia (a major oil producer) lags behind with just 50 percent in favor.

Support was strong even when it was specified that the cost of energy would go up.  Asked whether they favor the government “requiring utilities to use more alternative energy, such as wind and solar, even if this increases the cost of energy in the short run,” respondents in all but two nations favor the idea, led by South Korea (96%), France (88%), Kenya (87%) and Jordan (77%).  Russia again departs from the norm with a divided response and only a plurality in Azerbaijan (another oil producer) favors the idea.

One of the reasons that emphasizing increased costs in the short run has little impact on support may be that respondents are also optimistic that shifting to alternative energy sources will save money in the long run. Presented two competing arguments about the cost of “making a major shift to alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar” in all nations a majority takes the view that “with the rising costs of energy, it would save money in the long run.”  In no nation does a majority favor the view that it “would cost so much money that it would hurt the economy.”

Another popular approach to the problem of energy is to put more emphasis on “modifying buildings to make them more energy efficient,” and is favored by majorities in all nations. Support ranges from 54 percent in India and the Palestinian Territories, to 89 percent in Great Britain and France.

Sixteen nations favor the idea, led by Britain (79%) and South Korea (74%), along with very high support in Taiwan (80%), Hong Kong (71%), and Macau (71%).  The five nations that do not support the idea are all oil-producing countries: Azerbaijan (55%), Russia (43%) and Indonesia (47%) are opposed while Mexicans and Nigerians are divided.

Another possible energy conservation measure that would create costs for consumers receives more modest support.  The idea of “having an extra charge for the purchase of models of appliances that are not energy-efficient” is supported by publics in 12 nations.  However, it is also opposed in seven nations.

Support for such a charge is highest in Kenya (74%), Italy (69%), Indonesia (61%) and France (60%).  The nations with a majority rejecting the idea include Thailand (64%), Argentina (62%), the Palestinian Territories (58%), Mexico (57%), Germany (54%) and the United States (52%).

An unpopular approach to dealing with the problem of energy is to put more emphasis on building nuclear energy power plants.  Publics in only nine nations favor this idea.  The most enthusiastic nations are China (63%), Jordan (58%), Kenya (57%) and Nigeria (56%).  On the other hand, only four nations favor putting less emphasis on nuclear energy and only one by a majority:   Germany at 63 percent.

The least popular approach to addressing the problem of energy is to put greater emphasis on “building coal or oil-fired plants.”  Only seven publics favor doing so and only five of these are majorities.  The countries most positive are Kenya (69%), Jordan (63%) and Argentina (60%).  But here again there is little support for putting less emphasis on coal and oil.  Germany is the only country where a majority (62%) prefers this approach.  On average, just 31 percent favor less emphasis.

For more information, visit www.WorldPublicOpinion.org

Hijacked Ship Holds $100 Million in Oil

By BARBARA SURK, AP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Nov. 18) - The owner of a Saudi oil supertanker hijacked by Somali pirates over the weekend said the company is working to win the release of the crew and vessel, which is carrying about $100 million in cargo.

Dubai-based Vela International Marine Ltd., a subsidiary of Saudi oil company Aramco, said in a statement Monday that company response teams have been created. The MV Sirius Star is the largest ship ever taken by Somali pirates, according to the U.S. Navy.

Dangerous Waters ? …. and How Many Boing 747 Can Feed This Ship? Then How Many Fish Can Kill This Ship?

Sirius Star: Somali pirates hijacked the oil tanker, here in an undated photo, about 450 nautical miles off the Kenyan coast Nov. 15. It is the farthest from shore Somali pirates have struck and is thought to be the largest ship ever hijacked. The aircraft-carrier-sized tanker, owned by Saudi oil company Aramco, was carrying crude oil. It can carry about 2 million barrels.

The statement gave no further details. Employees who answered the phone said no one was immediately available to comment and that Vela executives were meeting to discuss the situation. They declined to give their names.
The Navy said the brand-new MV Sirius Star, with a crew of 25, was seized far off the coast of Kenya on Saturday and the bandits were taking the ship to a Somali port known as a hub of pirate activity. It announced the hijacking on Monday when it first received the information.

The statement posted on Vela’s Web site late Monday said the ship was hijacked Sunday. The discrepancy could not immediately be explained.
Attacks by Somali pirates have surged this year as bandits have become bolder, better armed and capable of operating hundreds of miles from shore.

A coalition of warships from eight nations and from NATO and the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is patrolling a critical zone in the Gulf of Aden leading to and from the Suez Canal. The gulf is where most of the more than 80 attacks this year have taken place.

The Saudi tanker, however, was seized far to the south of the patrolled zone, about 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa, Kenya, according to the U.S. Navy.

Maritime security experts said they have tracked a southward spread in piracy over the last several weeks into a vast area of the Indian Ocean, noting with alarm that the area would be almost impossible to patrol.
The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet said Tuesday it was monitoring the situation but did not expect to send warships to surround the vessel as it has done with a Ukrainian ship loaded with tanks and other weaponry the was seized off the Somali coast on Sept. 25 and remains in pirate hands.

“I don’t anticipate any U.S. ships on station,” said Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the 5th Fleet, speaking from its headquarters in Bahrain. He would not elaborate on how the Navy was watching the hijacked tanker.
“We remain deeply concerned because this attack represents a fundamental change in pirates’ ability to hijack bigger vessels farther out at sea,” he said.
The Sirius Star is the “largest pirated vessel in the region” to date, Christensen said.
At 1,080 feet, the Sirius Star is the length of an aircraft carrier and can carry about 2 million barrels of oil.
“We are very concerned that a (ship) of this size has been hijacked. We have safety concerns, security concerns, environmental concerns,” said Noel Choong, the head of the International Maritime Bureau’s regional piracy center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“Of course, as long as there is no firm deterrent, pirates will continue to attack. The risk is low and returns are extremely high. You will see more and more of such attacks,” he told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Somali fishermen and witnesses on shore said the pirates apparently anchored the ship last night in Harardhere, a pirate stronghold some 265 miles by land from Eyl.

The Saudi tanker was just a few miles from shore Tuesday morning, said Abdinur Haji, a fisherman.
“As usual, I woke up at 3 a.m. and headed for the sea to fish, but I saw a very, very large ship anchored less than three miles off the shore,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
He said two small boats floated out to the ship and 18 men — presumably other pirates — climbed aboard with ropes woven into a ladder.

“I have been fishing here for three decades, but I have never seen a ship as big as this one,” he said. “There are dozens of spectators on shore trying to catch a glimpse of the large ship, which they can see with their naked eyes.”
Vela, the ship’s owner and operator, says it is one of the largest crude oil tanker companies in the world.

Including the Sirius Star, Vela owns and operates a fleet of 19 vessels classed as Very Large Crude Oil Carriers and five product tankers of various sizes. It transports supplies primarily between the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to the company’s Web site.

The Sirius Star was sailing under a Liberian flag and its crew includes citizens of Croatia, Britain, the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia. A British Foreign Office spokesman said there were at least two British nationals on board.
Associated Press Writer Mohamed Olad Hassan contributed to this report from Mogadishu, Somalia.

Hijacked Ship Holds $100 Million in Oil

————–

The UN sensation  of the day as per Title of UN Wire:

From:        un.wire at smartbrief.com
Subject:       Pirates seize Saudi oil supertanker; Court to hear Croatia’s genocide case against Serbia
Date:       November 18, 2008

Pirates seize Saudi supertanker
Los Angeles Times (11/18)

Piracy abates in Southeast Asia
Piratical activity has dropped along the Asian coasts where it once proliferated, falling 11% from last year and 32% from 2006. Many of those attacks off Indonesia and throughout Southeast Asia were low-level attacks against small ships or incidents of petty theft of cargo. Naval patrols along the “littoral states” of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are credited for the sharp decline. The New York Times (11/18)

The Drylands, Deserts, and Desertification - 2008 Conference. December 14-17, 2008, Sede Boqer Campus, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Israel.

www.desertification.co.il

THE PROGRAM As Available on November 18, 2008. There might be still Changes and Additions, as well -  further Poster Sessions.

Download this schedule: detailed_program_sessions_1611_publish.doc

Please note that the list of presentations is still not final.