We have posted several articles on yesterday’s UN attempt at staging a non- event.

It really starts with the announcement of a meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, 11:30 am to 1 pm, today, March 11, 2010, with the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN. THIS IS A CLOSED MEETING and the announcement in the Journal of the United Nations of yesterday, March 10, 2010, that says having that meeting there it does not imply any opinion or endorsement by the Secretariat of the UN.

The meeting is a Briefing on the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC – or the COP 16 of December 2010, that the UN thinks should help it extricate itself from the situation left behind by the Copenhagen COP 15. Mexico is the host and it does not want to be the home of a disaster. So that is why the UN hauled in to New York also Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the IPCC, and Professor Robert Dijkgraaf who as head of the InterAcademy Council (IAC) was asked to arrange for a review of the IPCC scientific procedures – a step very much in need now after the fact that the UN decided to cave in to the criticism from the deniers of the idea that there is soundness in the scientific evidence that CO2 emissions are not good for the health of the planet. At least they want to be able to say that damages have not been caused by humans – so why bother with this climate change effort at all?

OK – now step 2 the Journal announces for March 10, 2010, an official UN Press Conference with Mr. Rajendra Pachauri and Profesor Robbert Dijkgraaf. This announcement sounded to me quite insane. What would be the credibility of the reviewer if he lines up at what could have become in a free society at a hearing on the side of the head of the organization he is suppose to review? This really deserved two question marks. The Netherlands is an advanced State to the attention of the UN.

I was tipped off and decided to call in to  Ms. Isabelle Broyer, Chief of the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit, as I wanted to get a pass to this Press Conference in order to be able to ask some good questions. As the readers of our website know, I do not hold a Press Pass to the UN since the changes in UN Administration that brought in Mr. Ban Ki-moon who replaced Mr. Sashi Tharoor with Mr. Kiyotaka Akasaka as Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information -  a move that allowed Mr. Ahmad Fawzi, the Director of News and Media Division, to revoke our pass because we did not follow his ways of thinking when it comes to reliance on oil and the essence of sustainable development and problems of global warming/climate change. That was when the job Ms. Broyer holds now was in the hands of Mr. Gary Fowlie who was moved since to another job, and Mr. Fawzi is about to retire at the end of this month also. I thought that Ms. Broyer would show now the courage to correct an evil, but she was not up to this. This caused me to make sure I get the information I was after and I knew that I was on an interesting something when I got the e-mail from Geneva, which I posted, that clearly proved to me that folks from at least two outside agencies do not want to be seen as fall guys for the New York Headquarters.

OK – now step 3 – the Appointments of the Secretary-General for March 10, 2010 include a private meeting at 12:00 pm with Dr. Pachauri followed by a 12:30 pm joint “stake-out” for the benefit of the UN correspondents. A stake-out is a stand-up event where usually the correspondents are allowed to ask questions. In this case – please no questions – just be used as props – please. The event is described in full in the article by Matthew Russell Lee we posted.

As I was at the UN anyway – for a different event – I also learned that there was an adjustment to the Briefings to the Press schedule for the day. Seemingly Professor Dijkgraaf is no push-over to his large credit – he clearly pulled away from joint appearances with those he will be called to investigate, and did not appear at that stake-out, but as the UN is in terrible need to do something on this so called “climate-gate” was given separate Press meeting time at 1 pm.

OK – now step 4 – the output from the Press events of March 10, 2010 include the self-serving “Remarks to Media on IPCC” from the UN Secretary-General that had not the courtesy of allowing questions, and a not-easy-to-get two page document by the uninitiated – “PRESS CONFERENCE ON REVIEW OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE.” This was the document used by Jeffrey Ball in his evaluation for the Wall Street Journal that we also presented.

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The material follows:   http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2…

Press Conference on Review of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – March 10, 2010

The aim of an independent review of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was to ensure the quality of its future reports, the co-chair of the scientific institute charged with that task said today.

“Our goal will be to assure nations around the world that they will receive sound scientific advice on which Governments and citizens alike can make informed decisions,” Robbert H. Dijkgraaf of the InterAcademy Council said at a Headquarters press conference.

Created by the world’s science academies in 2000, the Council aims to mobilize top scientists and engineers to provide evidence-based advice to international bodies.  IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri announced the review’s establishment amid growing attacks by sceptics following the disclosure that the Panel’s fourth assessment report, which confirmed human responsibility for global warming, contained errors in respect of the pace of the phenomenon.  Mr. Pachauri and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had then asked the InterAcademy Council to lead the independent review.

“Our task is forward-looking,” Mr. Dijkgraaf stressed, explaining that the Council had been asked to form a group that could recommend improved practices and procedures so as to ensure the quality of reports in time to impact the Panel’s fifth assessment, already under way.  That meant that the review and recommendations were required by the end of August 2010, “a very tight schedule”, he said.  Specifically, the review would examine quality control and guidelines for the types of literature appropriate for use in assessments, with special attention to non-peer review literature.  It would also look at the Panel’s procedures for Government review of IPCC materials, its handling of the full range of scientific views and its procedures for correcting errors.

Reviewers had been asked to analyse the entire IPCC process, including management, administration, transparency and the way in which the Panel handled possible errors and communicated them to policymakers and the public, he said.  They would also look at how the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Meteorological Association (WMA), the overall United Nations system and other stakeholders related to the Panel, with a view to strengthening assessments and ensuring consistent application of IPCC procedures.  Finally, they would analyse the Panel’s communication strategies to ensure that the public was kept informed of its activities.

Emphasizing the independence of the review, which would be conducted in accordance with the InterAcademy Council’s own procedures, he said neither the IPCC, UNEP, WMA, nor any related bodies, would exercise control over or oversee the review process or the final report.  The international group of experts to be assembled by the Council would serve on an unpaid, voluntary basis in all cases where the group was asked to provide advice on a particular issue, he said, adding that the United Nations would provide funds for travel and other expenses.

All draft reports of the InterAcademy Council underwent an intensive peer-review process by international experts, he said, stressing that a final report was only released to the public when the Council’s Board was satisfied that the subsequent feedback had been thoughtfully considered and incorporated.  In addition, all efforts were made to ensure that reports were free of national or regional biases.

Responding to questions, Mr. Dijkgraaf declined to comment on Mr. Pachauri’s chairmanship of the IPCC or give his own views on climate change and the Panel’s current structure, only reiterating the forward-looking nature of the review to be conducted, and pointing out that continual review was part of all scientific procedures.

Asked how he hoped to find enough scientists for an independent review when the IPCC counted thousands of the world’s top climate scientists in its ranks, he said it would be a delicate task to find the necessary diversity of scientific disciplines and people with experience of large-scale organizations.  It was also important that all involved maintain objective distance from the Panel’s work.

In response to a question as to whether the opinions of climate change sceptics would be included, he said:  “By nature every scientist is a sceptic.”  As for alleged manipulation of data at East Anglia University and various consultancy agreements that had been the subject of controversy, he said certain case studies might be part of the investigations, but the reviewers would certainly look at management and organizational issues.

Questioned further, Mr. Dijkgraaf said the number of experts to be appointed had not yet been determined, though a substantial number was needed to provide diverse expertise.  Hopefully, there would have been progress in determining the Board’s composition by a 22 March meeting.

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Further, considering that Professor Dijkgraaf expects to have his panel ready by March 22nd, we would like to point out the added importance of the full day meeting at the Earth Institute of Columbia University on March 25th – we posted.

The meeting gets added interest as the UNSG is part of that meeting, and he will be there at the home of serious scientists that may not treat him as kindly as the UN Department of Public Information. We look thus forward to further disclosures specifically that there are scientists that think the IPCC under the Pachauri ledership erred rather on the low side and not on the high side. Others may even be less kind by saying something like that both men – the UNSG and the head of the IPCC – were choices of the G.W. Bush US Administration.

State of the Planet, March 25, 2010.

From The Earth Institute, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Thursday, March 25, 2010 -  8:30am-5:30pm EDT

Beijing, London, Nairobi, New Delhi, New York, via live links/webcast

New York site: Lerner Hall, Columbia University, 115 St/Broadway

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Webcast/event site: http://www.stateoftheplanet.org/

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The State of the Planet conference, held every two years, brings together insights on critical issues from the world’s most influential thinkers and leaders. This year, the Earth Institute, The Economist and Ericsson join forces to bring the conversation to the global community. With broadband access enabled by Ericsson, live events in five cities will be brought together in real time, moderated by Economist journalists. Viewers at home can participate via interactive online tools and discussion boards.

Four major topics are on the table: the science and politics of climate change; healing the world economy in an environmentally sustainable way; the ongoing challenge of ending extreme poverty; and how we can build and strengthen international systems able to deal with continuing crises that span borders.

Speakers include:  UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon; President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa of Mexico; Prince Albert II of Monaco; Sanjeev Chadha, CEO of Pepsico India; Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme; Xu Jintao, head of the environmental economics program, Peking University; and many others. Moderator: Al Jazeera journalist Riz Khan. Hosts of the event are: Earth Institute director Jeffrey D. Sachs; Ericsson president and CEO Hans Vestberg; and Matthew Bishop, American business editor and New York bureau chief of The Economist.

New York press registration/info: Kevin Krajick kkrajick@ei.columbia.edu 212-854-9729

Beijing: brookings@tsinghua.edu.cn

Nairobi: Nick Nuttall  nick.nuttall@unep.org

New Delhi: Abhijit Sinha  Abhijit.sinha@teri.res.in

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DRAFT AGENDA –  New York, NY

March 25, 2010

8:30 a.m. EDT     Video Introduction

Welcome and Introduction by Event Hosts:

• Jeffrey D. Sachs, The Earth Institute
• Hans Vestberg, Ericsson
• Matthew Bishop, The Economist

Introduction of Global Sites:  Riz Khan, Al Jazeera English (Master of Ceremonies).

8:55 a.m. EDT SESSION I:  CLIMATE CHANGE – What Would It Take to Complete the Climate Deal?

In recent months, the world saw failed negotiations in Copenhagen, attacks on the validity of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and calls from politicians to open criminal investigations into climate science.  In this context, discussion is likely to go beyond “completion” of a climate deal to delve into the true state of our knowledge; how the world perceives it; and whether, and how, the world can move forward toward real action on climate change.

New York

Event Site Host: The Earth Institute, Columbia University

Moderator: Matthew Bishop, American Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief, The Economist
Panelists:

• Wallace S. Broecker, Newberry Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University
• Mark Cane, G. Unger Vetlesen Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences and Professor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University
• Johan Rockström, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute and Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University

Beijing

Event Site Host: Brookings Institution, Tshingua University

Moderator: James Miles, China Correspondent, The Economist

Panelists:

• Xiao Geng, Director, Brookings Tsinghua Center for Public Policy; Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution (speaking from Beijing)
• Xu Jintao, Professor of Natural Resource Economics; Head of the Environmental Economics Program in China, Peking University
• Jiang Kejun, Research Professor and Director, Energy Systems Analysis and Market Analysis Division, Energy Research Institute, National Development and Reform Commission
• Qi Ye, Professor of Environmental Policy and Management; Director; Climate Policy Institute, Tsinghua University

Monaco – HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco

New Delhi – Event Site Host: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

Moderator:  Simon Cox, Correspondent, The Economist

Panelist:

• Nitin Desai, Former UN Under-Secretary-General; Distinguished Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) (TBC)

10:30 a.m. EDT   Break

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10:45 a.m. EDT SESSION II:  POVERTY – How Do We Achieve the Millennium Development Goals?

Only five years remain until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the world’s agreed-upon targets to end extreme poverty and fight hunger and disease. This year is pivotal. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders to attend a summit in New York September 20-22, to boost progress toward the MDGs and agree on a plan of action to achieve them. The prospect of falling short of the goals due to lack of commitment is real, but achieving the MDGs remains feasible with adequate commitment, policies, resources and effort.

New York

Event Site Host: The Earth Institute, Columbia University

Moderator:  Matthew Bishop, American Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief, The Economist

Panelists:

• HRH Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development
• Glenn Denning, Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University
• Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson

Nairobi (Special Focus: Is Green Growth the Answer for Africa?)

Event Site Host: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Moderator: Jonathan Ledgard, Correspondent, The Economist

Panelists:

• James Mwangi , Group Managing Director and CEO, Equity Bank
• Sylvia Mwichuli Mudasia, Director of Africa Communications, UN Millennium Campaign
• Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); UN Under-Secretary-General

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12:15 p.m. EDT  Lunch

1:30 p.m. EDT     Keynote Address

President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, Mexico (speaking from Mexico City)

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1:58 p.m. EDT     SESSION III:  ECONOMIC RECOVERY – What Does a Green Recovery Look Like?

This session will deal with two colliding questions. First: How do we haul the world out of the current economic recession? Second: Given that economic activity helps drive environmental degradation, how do we make a recovery environmentally sustainable? Discussion may start with shorter-term questions of money and finance, but will quickly move on to longer-term ones on how the world economy fits in with the usage or conservation of  natural resources; systems of energy generation, old and new; and the survival or fall of natural ecosystems.

New York

Event Site Host: The Earth Institute, Columbia University

Moderator: Riz Khan, Host of the Riz Khan Show, Al Jazeera English
Panelists:

• Sanjeev Chadha, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo India
• Geoffrey Heal, Paul Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Business Responsibility and Professor of Economics and Finance, Columbia University
• Peter  Wierenga, Executive Vice President and CEO,  Philips Research

London

Event Site Host: The Economist

Moderator: John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist, London

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3:55 p.m. EDT     SESSION IV:  How Can an International System Be Built To Deal with Transnational Issues?

4:00 p.m. EDT     Keynote Address

Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General

The challenges of sustainable development—whether heading off climate change, fighting extreme poverty, stabilizing populations, or ensuring adequate water supplies for human use and crops—must all harness actions from a wide array of institutions. Gaining cooperation among the many stakeholders involved is the toughest challenge of all. In the countdown to achieving the MDGs by 2015, and in the midst of a global economic crisis, the need to strengthen global cooperation has become an emergency rather than simply a matter of urgency. Strengthening global partnerships in the areas of aid, trade, debt relief, and access to affordable medicines and new technologies is critical to prevent a decline in development.

New York

Event Site Host: The Earth Institute, Columbia University

Moderator: Riz Khan, Host of the Riz Khan Show, Al Jazeera English

Panelists:

• Matthew Bishop, American Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief, The Economist, New York
• Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute, Columbia University
• Rajiv Shah, Administrator, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (TBC)
• Ann Veneman, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

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5:17 p.m. EDT     Wrap-Up: Jeffrey D. Sachs, Hans Vestberg and Matthew Bishop

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MORE INFORMATION:

Kevin Krajick, The Earth Institute
212-854-9729
kkrajick@ei.columbia.edu

Dayna De Simone, The Economist

Daynadesimone@economist.com

Ericsson Corporate Public & Media Relations

Phone: +46 10 719 69 92

The Earth Institute, Columbia University mobilizes the sciences, education and public policy to achieve a sustainable earth. Through interdisciplinary research among more than 500 scientists in diverse fields, the Institute is adding to the knowledge necessary for addressing the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. With over two dozen associated degree curricula and a vibrant fellowship program, the Earth Institute is educating new leaders to become professionals and scholars in the growing field of sustainable development. We work alongside governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals to devise innovative strategies to protect the future of our planet.

The Economist, edited in London since 1843, is a weekly international news and business publication offering clear reporting, commentary and analysis on world politics, business, finance, science, technology, culture, society, media and the arts.  The Economist has a North American circulation of 813,000, a global circulation of more than 1.4 million and 4 million monthly unique visitors at The Economist online.  Because of its international editorial perspective, it is read by more of the world’s political and business leaders than any other magazine.

Ericsson is a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and related services to mobile and fixed network operators globally. Over 1,000 networks in more than 175 countries utilize its network equipment, and 40 percent of all mobile calls are made through its systems. It is one of the few companies worldwide that can offer end-to-end solutions for all major mobile communication standards. Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the “prime driver in an all-communicating world” through innovation, technology and sustainable business solutions. More than 80,000 employees around the world generated revenue of SEK 206.5 billion (USD 27.1 billion) in 2009. Founded in 1876, with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASD

from: Americas Society <communications@as-coa.org> date: Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 12:19 PM subject: The Ford Foundation Awards Americas Society Grant to Promote Social Inclusion in the Western Hemisphere

New York, March 9, 2010—Americas Society is honored to announce the Ford Foundation’s generous award of a one-year grant of $132,700 for Americas Society’s program to promote research, policy debate, and policy change on social inclusion.

The Americas Society’s Social Inclusion Program aims to strengthen the economic and political representation of previously marginalized groups, coordinate new research on expanding access to markets and social services, and highlight how government and business can address the systemic problem of social exclusion throughout the Western Hemisphere.

“Drawing on new research and our unique partnerships with local and international business, our goal is to foster public/private partnerships to increase market access, support the integration of workers and influence public policy to reduce social, economic and political exclusion throughout the Americas,” says Christopher Sabatini, Senior Director of Policy for Americas Society and Editor-in-Chief of Americas Quarterly.

Through the AS’s policy journal, Americas Quarterly and the Americas Society website (www.as-coa.org), the program will also highlight Ford Foundation initiatives that advance social inclusion in the region and will aggregate research to provide a comparative regional perspective on topics such as land rights, access to public services, crime and insecurity, human rights, market access, and political representation.

“We are deeply grateful to the Ford Foundation for its generous support and look forward to expanding our activities to promote greater social inclusion in the Americas,” says Americas Society President and CEO Susan Segal.

For further information about the Americas Society’s work on social inclusion, please contact Americas Society Communications Manager Alex Andrews at aandrews@as-coa.org or (212) 277-8384.

Freedom for Sale: Why the World Is Trading Democracy for Security

Location:	OSI-New York
Event Date:	March 18, 2010
Event Time:	6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Speakers:	John Kampfner, Corey Robin, Joel Simon

We picked up some ideas from Katie McCaskey of an aol blog – http://www.housingwatch.com/2010/02/19/kill-your-lawn-earn-some-green/

Katie pointed out that Southern California residents have  now further good financial reasons for doing sane things and rip out their water-wasting turf – did you hear that they will get even a check in the mail?

These programs were instituted by Southern California utilities because of water shortage and above triggered my memory of things past that occured when I tried to do sane things in New York State and found that one must bow to the conventional narrow minds running the system.

In Southern California homeowners are now required to replace grass with drought-tolerant, native plant species or install permeable surfaces which filter water back into the ground. Common permeable surfaces that are allowed include:  flagstone, brick, and gravel. The rebate is $1 per square foot, up to a maximum of 2,000 feet.

Cyberhomes blogger Marcie Geffner writes:
The rebate might not be enough to persuade homeowners who really love their lawns. But for me, the offer was a no-brainer as I wanted to replace my big boring lawns with flagstone walkways, cactus and other plants that are more natural to the climate, if not necessarily native.

Other water-saving rebates available through LADWP include incentives to replace toilets and clothes washers with high-efficiency models, timer controlled irrigation, and pressure-reduced sprinkler nozzles. If you’re willing, there is even a rebate for installing synthetic turf.

Kathie McCaskey suggests – “Check with your local utility company or DSIRE.org to see what environmentally-conscious rebates are available in your area.”

If you want to unnerve a European, the revelation of a secret dinner of New York-based hedge funds conspiring against the euro is hard to beat. Europeans are right to worry – but not about the collusion itself. They should be much more concerned that some of the world’s smartest investors are convinced the euro has only one way to go: deep down.

At first sight, this flies in the face of a previous consensus. In Europe, in particular, the predominant view has been that the infidels at the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England will ultimately inflate themselves out of their debt, while the European Central Bank will hold firm. That scenario would be consistent with an overvalued euro.

So what has prompted some sophisticated investors to think the opposite? Greece? Probably not. This is a story about what will happen to the eurozone beyond Greece.

Without political and legal constraints, this would be much easier. The eurozone would prescribe itself a crisis resolution mechanism, a procedure to manage internal imbalances, and perhaps move towards a common eurozone bond. Several economists have made concrete proposals: Daniel Gros, director of the Centre for European Policy Studies, and Thomas Mayer, chief economist of Deutsche Bank, have argued the case for a European Monetary Fund. Yves Leterme, the Belgian prime minister, has proposed a European debt agency.

While all of this sounds sensible, none of it may ever happen because of political and legal constraints. Some member states would argue that a new European treaty would be needed to implement such proposals. The route to getting the Lisbon treaty ratified was so tortuous that Brussels would rather go to hell and back than negotiate and ratify another treaty. In any case, German constitutional law imposes such tight constraints that any dilution of the no bail-out clause in the Maastricht treaty or the price stability target of the ECB might trigger a forced German exit. The most one can hope for during the next 10 years is improved voluntary co-ordination in the European Council.

So the question then becomes: what economic adjustment mechanisms are feasible against this political and constitutional backdrop? The options are limited. The one policy response we can almost take for granted will be an attempt to reduce budget deficits back towards the Maastricht treaty’s upper ceiling of 3 per cent of gross domestic product. This will be achieved, if not by 2012, then a year or two later. Meanwhile, Germany has unilaterally prescribed itself a deficit-to-GDP ceiling of 0.35 per cent from 2016. There will be some slippage here as well. But there can be no doubt that the eurozone will try – and probably succeed – to consolidate its fiscal position. The budget committee of the German Bundestag started last Friday, in fact, by cutting the finance minister’s 2010 budget by almost €6bn ($8.2bn, £5.4bn).

If we assume further budgetary consolidation as a given, how then will the eurozone economy adjust? It is an economic fact that the sum of public and private sector balances must equal the current account balance. So forcing up public sector balances implies either an offsetting fall in private sector balances, an offsetting improvement in the current account balance, or some combination of the two.

In scenario one, the eurozone’s current account balance remains broadly unchanged, and all the adjustment comes through a fall in private sector balances. In a similar way, Greece last week solved its fiscal problem by creating a private sector problem of identical size. The Greek state – the sum of its public and private sectors – is just as bankrupt today as it was a week ago. This means that, by following the fiscal policy rules, the eurozone would risk a private sector depression, which would almost certainly be concentrated heavily in Europe’s south. This scenario would greatly increase the probability of a eurozone break-up at some point in the future. Investors who believe in this scenario would be very afraid to hold euros.

In scenario two, all the adjustment comes through the eurozone’s current account balance, which would turn from slightly negative to strongly positive. It is difficult to see how this could be done without a significant further devaluation of the euro. The euro would join the long list of currencies that have seen their problems solved through competitive devaluation. So the consequences would be a significant devaluation of the euro against the dollar and a reversal of its appreciation against sterling. It would make life more difficult for the British. But, most importantly, it would contribute to a resurgence in global imbalances.

Whichever scenario you choose, the euro is going to be weak. Even if the eurozone were to allow more serious slippage in budgetary consolidation than I have suggested, that would probably not help the euro either, as markets would start to doubt the longevity of the currency union for political reasons.

We have always known that a monetary union cannot exist without political union in the long run. Those smart New York investors are betting that the long run is closer than we thought.

munchau@eurointelligence.com

The New York Times Co.’s stock was surging today, March 1st, up 6.3%. It reached greater heights earlier in the day, spiking an astounding 11% on rumors that a billionaire shareholder – the Mexican Carlos Slim – would buy the whole company.

A representative for Mr. Slim has told CNBC that Slim won’t be buying The New York Times. For its part, the Times Co. has said it doesn’t comment on rumors.

Trading volume in New York Times shares is about four times as much as average today.

Slim bought a 6.9% stake in the Times in 2008. In January 2010 he invested an additional $250 million.

Over the weekend, New York Magazine reported that Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal was mooting a $15 million initiative to take on The New York Times with a new New York metro section, in hopes of cut into the Times’ advertising base. The Times needs money even though it actually returned last week the salaries of some of its employees that were cut because of the recession.

Does the NYT try to retain some of the staff so that its writing does not suffer further?

Are Murdoch – Salim fighting matches on New York’s horizon?

We think the beneficiary of this will continue to be The Financial Times.

HRW Press – HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH AT THE UN.

Egypt: Student Wrote About Corruption in Military Academy and was put before Military Court Trial.

(New York, March 1, 2010) – The Egyptian authorities should drop all charges against Ahmad Mostafa, a 20-year-old engineering student charged with writing about corruption in the military academy on his blog, Human Rights Watch said today.  Security officials are prosecuting Mostafa before a military court in a trial that began March 1, 2010.

“The government should not be prosecuting Mostafa at all, much less before a military court, with no possibility of appeal,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.  “Instead of looking into his accusations, the government is trying to silence him.”

Writing that exposes corruption is protected under Egypt’s international obligations, Human Rights Watch said. Article 9 of the African Convention on Human and People’s Rights, and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both ratified by Egypt, require Egypt to protect freedom of expression.

Mostafa, a student at Kafr El Sheikh University, in northern Egypt, is a member of “April 6,” a political activist youth group, and has a blog called “Maza Asabuki Ya Watan” (What is Ailing You, My Country?). On February 15, 2009, his post, “Scandal in the Military Academy,” contended that a teacher whose son was forced to leave the Military Academy later discovered that this was to make room for the son of an influential individual who would make financial contributions to the academy.

Military intelligence officers arrested Mostafa on February 25, 2010, while he was on his way to the Faculty of Engineering at Kafr El Sheikh University, and the prosecutor ordered his detention pending trial, based on a Military Academy complaint about the 2009 posting.

Gamal Eid, director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, told Human Rights Watch that military intelligence officers questioned Mostafa on January 17 about his blogging, demanded his password, and then changed his password to keep him from accessing the blog before releasing him that same day. The blog post appears to have come to their attention after Mostafa discussed plans to hold a demonstration during a January visit by President Hosni Mubarak to Kafr el Sheikh with other April 6 members.

The prosecutor concluded the investigation on February 28 and referred the case to the military court in Nasr City, Cairo.   The trial began March 1. At the first session, the judge agreed to defense lawyers’ request for an adjournment to study the court documents, but only by one day.

The prosecutor charged Mostafa under Law 113 of 1956 and the Penal Code which prohibit “the publication of information considered a secret of the armed forces, spreading false information with the goal of causing harm and insulting officials responsible for admission of students into the military academy.” The only evidence presented is the post on Mustafa’s blog.

Defense lawyers from the Arab Network for Human Rights Information and the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression told Human Rights Watch that the judge only allowed them a brief review of the court file and refused to allow them to see a memo regarding the case from the military academy or to take any notes.

Egypt has arrested and detained other bloggers for acts protected by freedom of expression.  Kareem Amer, whose real name is `Abd al-Karim Nabil Suleiman, has been in Borg El Arab prison, in Alexandria, since November 7, 2006, for writing about sectarian tensions in Alexandria and criticizing President Mubarak and the Al-Azhar religious institution on his blog. On February 22, 2007, a court sentenced him to four years in prison for “insulting the president,” “spreading information disruptive of public order,” and “incitement to hate Muslims.”

Hany Nazeer, another blogger, is being detained without charge in Borg El Arab prison, under the country’s emergency law. State Security officers arrested him at his home in Naga Hammadi, Qena, on October 3, 2008, after he expressed opinions critical of Christianity and Islam on his blog. Mostafa Hanafy, vice president of the Egyptian Council of State and a member of the Egyptian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Council, told the human rights body  on February 17 that the Egyptian government had “made a commitment before parliament to use the emergency law only for terrorism and drug-related crimes and it has only implemented the rules of the emergency law in these cases.”

Musad Abul Fagr, a novelist and rights defender who had been outspokenly critical of violation of the rights of Sinai Bedouin, remains in prison under an emergency law order despite several court orders for his release. On July 17, prison officials transferred him to Borg El Arab prison under the 13th emergency law order extending his detention.

Human Rights Watch strongly opposes any trials of civilians before military courts, whose proceedings do not protect due process rights. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, in interpreting the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, has said that military courts “should not, in any circumstances whatsoever, have jurisdiction over civilians.” The Human Rights Committee, the expert body that monitors compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), expressed concern in 2002 that Egypt’s “military courts and state security courts have jurisdiction to try civilians accused of terrorism although there are no guarantees of those courts’ independence and their decisions are not subject to appeal before a higher court,” as required by the ICCPR.

In a 2009 report following his visit to Egypt, Martin Scheinin, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, reiterated that “the trial of civilian terrorist suspects in military and Emergency Supreme State Security Courts raises concerns about the impartial and independent administration of justice and furthermore does not comply with the right to have a conviction and sentence fully reviewed by a higher court.”

During the review of Egypt’s record by the UN Human Rights Council, several countries recommended that Egypt stop detaining bloggers under the emergency law and stop trying civilians before military courts. Hanafy, the Egyptian delegation member, told the Council on February 17 that “there are very few cases of [civilians tried before military courts]; the decision [to refer a civilian to a military court] is an administrative one that can be appealed against in all cases.”

“The Egyptian government says one thing in Geneva and then immediately makes a mockery of the Human Rights Council’s review process,” Stork said. “No civilian should be tried before a military court, and no government that claims to respect human rights should be prosecuting someone solely for writing about corruption.”

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Egypt, please visit:
 http://www.hrw.org/en/middle-eastn-afric…

For more information please contact:
In Cairo, Heba Morayef (English, Arabic, French): +201-2381-0319; or  morayeh at hrw.org
In Washington, DC, Joe Stork (English): +1-202-612-4327; or +1-202-299-4925 (mobile)

Better than sliced bread?

{Now please – do not be sarcastic – this
should have been an Obama moment. Will the White House buy one – or
get one for free if this is permissible – and install it in the White
House Basement – Please? The point is that people should realize that
clean DECENTRALIZED ENERGY is the best we will ever get!}

Bloom: Thinking inside the box – { a new meaning for this – please! }

• Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 1st, 2010
  by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

  Date: Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 5:02 PM
  Subject: SustainableBusiness.com Update: 2/26/10

  UPDATE: 2/26/10 FROM THE EDITOR Dear Friends, Green educational programs are really taking off. This month’s sponsor is Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education and The Earth Institute, which is holding an information session on their new Masters in Sustainability Management (click on the banner above to register). The program will train sustainability practitioners for a broad range of fields and is directed to practitioners and aspiring professionals working in organizational management, facilities operations, and environmental stewardship. Of the roughly $90 billion dollars set aside for clean energy investments in the Recovery Act, only about a third of that money has been spent so far, creating roughly 63,000 green jobs. The majority of those funds will be spent over the next two years, creating an additional 720,000 jobs. The same is true for the $5 billion allocated for weatherization of homes – many of the largest states have met less than 2% of their 3-year goals because of bureacratic delays and furloughed workers. The good news is we’ll be seeing this huge ramp take place this year and next. THE LEADING GREEN JOB SERVICE! Sustainability Advisor, LEED-EB Senior Project Manager, Brightworks Purchaser, Veritable Vegetable Climate Adaptation Ecologist, The Wilderness Society Certification Specialist, Fair Trade Coffee, TransFair USA Marketing Manager, William McDonough + Partners

  Permalink | |  Email This Article
  Posted in Job Offers, New York

  Discuss this article

Women’s Network For a Sustainable Future (WNSF) Provided us with a pink invitation to an event for which we were supposed to pay $55 for this “generously hosted by PricewaterCoopers event.”

There was also an early bird option for $40. When I wrote that I would like to cover the event for the Sustainable Development website – the PriceWaterhouseCoopers lady of my correspondence first did not react to our e-mail then it was a nope. The Advertised pink sheet said:
 http://www.wnsf.org/

 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/55129493…

Cordially invites you to its New York Luncheon Panel

The Business of Climate Change: Post-Copenhagen Opportunities

Including speakers from:
Consolidated Edison,
Interface,
JP Morgan Chase,
PricewaterhouseCoopers,
Siemens

A discussion of business risks and opportunities post-Copenhagen: What’s in store for companies nationally and internationally–and how to plan for it–with tips from those who were there.

Wednesday February 24, 2010
12 to 2pm

Generously hosted by
PricewaterhouseCoopers
300 Madison Avenue @ 42nd St.
New York City

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kathy Robb
Chair, WNSF; Head of environmental practice, Hunton & Williams.

Marlys E. Appleton
Vice President, Sustainability Initiatives; Chair, Sustainability
Steering Committee.
AIG Global Investment Group (AIGGIG).

Dianne Dillon-Ridgley
Director, Interface Inc.

Shelly M. Esque
Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs; Director, Corporate
Affairs Group, Intel Corporation

Karen Flanders
Director, Corporate Responsibility, The Coca-Cola Company

Joanne Fox-Przeworski. Ph.D
Former UNEP Director for North America and founding director of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy

Ann Goodman. Ph.D
Executive Director, the Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future.

Sarah C. Howell
VP, Public Affairs, American Wind Energy Association.

Michele Kahane
Professor of Professional Practice, Milano, the New School for
Management and Urban Policy.

Clair Krizov
Executive Director, Environment and Social Responsibility, AT&T

Joyce LaValle
Former Senior Vice President, Interface Inc. A veteran in the commercial interiors industry and advocate for environmental sustainability

———-

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Ray Anderson
Founder and Chairman, Interface Inc.

Jo Ivey Boufford
Professor and Former Dean, Wagner School of Public Service, New York University.

Paula Di Perna
Former President, Joyce Foundation.

Eileen Fisher
Founder, Eileen Fisher Co.

Joyce Haboucha
Director, Social Investment, Rockefeller.

Noreen Harrington
Former Managing Director, Goldman Sachs.

Stuart Hart
Director, Sustainable Enterprise Institute, Cornell University.

Terri Ludwig
President, Merrill Lynch Community Development Company.

———–

SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION

WNSF welcomes support from companies, foundations and individuals to help us spread the word to as many businesswomen as possible on how corporate responsibility can foster sustainability.

If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Ann Goodman, Executive Director. Please direct inquiries to  info at wnsf.org.

WNSF is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.

Recent Sponsors

Alcoa Foundation, AT&T, BP, Cola-Cola Co., Con Edison, Eileen Fisher
Inc., Ford Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Nathan Cummings
Foundation, Novartis, Pfizer, Starbucks, Swiss Re, McGraw-Hill Cos.

Participation

WNSF believes that integrating responsible, sustainable practices throughout organizations is key to building sustainable enterprises — and a sustainable future. That’s why WNSF welcomes participation from women in all parts of business including marketing, communications, legal affairs, human resources, finance, strategy, philanthropy, corporate citizenship and environment, health and safety. There are no formal membership requirements. To get regular email updates on WNSF activities, send your contact information to:info@wnsf.org

———–

WNSF Leadership Circle

Founding Members:
Eileen Fisher Inc.
Intel
Joyce La Valle
Kathy Robb

Recent WNSF sponsors include:

Adobe
Applied Materials
AIG
Alcoa Foundation
AT&T
BP
The Coca-Cola Companies
Con Edison
DuPont
Eileen Fisher Inc.
Ford Foundation
Hewlett-Packard
Hunton & Williams
Intel
Interface
JP Morgan Chase
The McGraw-Hill Companies
Merrill Lynch
Nathan Cummings Foundation
Novartis
Pfizer
Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC)
Siemens
Starbucks
Swiss Re
Symantec

Initial web site design and hosting provided by Netting Solutions

===============

OK – without an invitation to those sandwiches, I found it convenient to stop by at 2:15 pm after an event on Kazakhstan at the George Soros Institute.

Actually, I found that things, might actually be better then the initial impression. True, I have seen before high power corporate women barging into topics of social interest at the fringes of the UN that were rather a celebration of “We have Arrived” and we are ready to impress our sisters, but at least the most recent additions to this organization seem to understand the political importance of the subject beyond the potential of a corporate gain for their employing firm, and the lady I was in e-mail contact with, I was told was a complete novice employee of the organization.

Anyway, I seem to remember having already run into the Corporate Ladies of WNSF previously at an event at the outskirts of the UN Headquarters at the time of a Women’s Conference, but this time got really intrigued by the post Copenhagen and how to benefit from Copenhagen concept.

I understand that Dianne Dillon-Ridgley of Iowa City gave an inspirational description of the history of climate change policy.  She has experience with the Sustainable Development concept since her appointment by President Bush Senior’s White House to go to the Rio convention, as per http://www.wnsf.org/index.php?com=static…

Ann Godman is the Executive Director of the WNSF which she co-founded in 2002. She is now adjunct professor of corporate responsibility at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University, and affiliate professor at the graduate Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College. http://www.wnsf.org/index.php?com=static…

Helle Bank Jorgensen was the moderator of the panel, and the hostess of the panel, as she is Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Denmark. Member of the PwC Global Sustainability Leadership Council. She gave me a PriceWaterhouseCoopers two page “Sustainable growth strategies” sheet with indication that PwC is sponsoring “Sustainability & Climate Change Thought Leadership.” I learned that PwC is promoting literature with titles like: A point of view series that covers the EPA new rules on GHG registration requirements and their regulation under the Clean Air Act. www.pwc.com

Also – “Sustainability: Are consumers buying it?” and “Going Green: Sustainable growth strategies.”

Capitalizing on a climate of change” seems to be a good introductory booklet - www.pwc.com and if you want to learn about the tax implications - www.pwc.com . Above all it seems that what PwC wants you to remember is that CSR is in vogue – “A comprehensive survey of corporate social responsibility reporting trends, benchmark and best practices” is something the consulting firm can help you with. The company distributed also booklets of “Rethink” as in Vision, Visibility and Strategy resulting in improved performance for your company. Obviously – there is nothing wrong in using greed to help achieve important societal goals – or who knows – the knowledge to avoid having to comply.                                       http://www.accaglobal.com/documents/denm…

Rebecca Craft was there to speak of Energy Efficiency at Con Edison, and I am sure Alison Taylor had things to add to this from the Siemens Corporation performance that we know well from what we were shown in Copenhagen, at the Siemens Denmark headquarters.

Then there was James Fuschetti, the only man that was still in the room when I arrived, and the only man on the panel, a Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase, a banking corporation that has female executives, but has also the sense to deal with Sustainability and Climate Change to the subject and not as a matter of female representation.

James Fuschetti is the Managing Director of the Office of Environmental Affairs at JP Morgan Chase and is responsible for its overall management and direction. Mr. Fuschetti spent 26 years as a banker and product specialist at JP Morgan Securities, Inc. During that time he lived in New York, Sao Paulo and London and worked with corporate and government clients in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In 1999 Mr. Fuschetti left JP Morgan to join the World Wildlife Fund (“WWF”) in Washington DC where he co-founded the Center for Conservation Finance. During his 7 years at WWF he helped develop financing solutions for large scale conservation projects in Asia and Latin America. In February 2008 Mr. Fuschetti returned to JP Morgan Chase to assume responsibility for the Office of Environmental Affairs. Mr. Fuschetti reports to William Daley.

The Program was mainly about “REFLECTING ON COPENHAGEN” and Ms. Jorgensen posed questions to the panelists:

- What are the risks and opportunities you see for your company after Copenhagen?

- Do you see a different reaction nationally vs. internationally?

- How do you successfully plan for the future in a time of such uncertainty?

- While there is no current federal regulation – there is state/regional regulation – how do you address this in your company?

- Any last questions – or tips?

That all sounds good and I hope she got good answers, but for the life of me I do not understand why these topics had to be in pink format? Our website will fight for full equality for women when climbing the corporate ladder but we do not think that this sort of plain business talk ought to be segregated by sex.

I was glad I went to look at this congregation as I walked away with the feeling that indeed it was not a Sarah Palin tea party, but rather a joint learning experience that actually could have an impact if the ladies in the audience felt more comfortable in hearing about the misery of our environment and our governing system from a woman, rather then in a more mixed setting.

As Received from Arthur Plum – thanks for sending this.

Joe Stack, The IRS and the T-word.

If someone flew an airplane into a building full of people to protest the Afghan war, it would be called an act of terrorism. However, when Mr. Joe Stack flew his plane into an IRS building and killed people, the news media calls it. “the accident,” and “the incident.” The local Texas prosecutor declared that Mr. Stack was not a terrorist. But what should you call it when a man pens a manifesto proclaiming, “violence is the only answer,” then kills people because they work for the government? Mr. Stack’s wife apologized on the news to “everyone affected by the incident,” but was careful not to use the term “victim,” when referring to the people her husband murdered.

Many have forgotten the violent Tea Party rallies of last summer, the buses full of anti-tax activists appearing at congressional offices around the country with their clubs and fists and foul mouths. Many have forgotten the Sarah Palin rallies of 2008, events that attracted characters similar to the murderous Mr. Stack. But the media has not forgotten those events, because they know that if they refer to Mr. Stack as a terrorist, as a man who killed innocent people to make a point, they’ll wind up in the crosshairs themselves.

 http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/18/scot…

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: NYU Abu Dhabi Institute <nyuad.institute@nyu.edu>
Date: Mon, Feb 15, 2010 at 3:25 AM
Subject: “Leadership for a New Era” and other Upcoming Events

All events are free and open to the public. Events are held at the Al Mamoura Auditorium, Abu Dhabi. For a map and directions, go here. For more information on these events go here. Seating is Limited RSVP for all events at nyuad.institute@nyu.edu.	Leadership for a New Era: Fostering Leadership for Public Well-Being Tuesday, February 16 6:30 – 8:30 pm Fadi Ghandour CEO and Founder, Aramex International Barbara Ibrahim Founding Director, John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement, AUC Asya Al-Lamki Omani Cultural Attaché, Embassy of Oman, Washington D.C. Moderated by Mariët Westermann Provost, NYU Abu Dhabi	Texts and Textiles Thursday, February 18 6:30 – 8:30 pm Paula Sanders Dean of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Professor of History, Rice University Visual Re?ections on Arabic Poetry Sunday, Feb 21 6:30 – 8:30 pm Salwa Mikdadi Head of the Arts & Culture Programme, The Emirates Foundation

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Esther Kaplan <esther@theinvestigativefund.org>
Date: Thu, Feb 11, 2010
Subject: New Investigative Website Launches

You may have learned about The Nation Institute by reading TomDispatch, buying a Nation Books title such as Blackwater, or attending one of our nationally televised public events. But you may not be familiar with one of the Institute’s most innovative and successful projects, The Investigative Fund. Today we’re launching the fund’s new website, and we hope you will take a look. The Investigative Fund is dedicated to broadening the scope and improving the quality of investigative reporting in the independent press and beyond. We support reporters in their efforts to expose human rights abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan, civil rights violations here at home, environmental toxins where we live and work, and profiteering from the economic meltdown. These award-winning investigations are then published or broadcast by our media partners at The Nation, Mother Jones, Democracy Now!, The New York Review of Books, Salon, Frontline, NPR, and dozens of other outlets across the spectrum of American media. For the first time, those stories will all be avai lable in one place. Our ambition at The Investigative Fund is to uncover untold stories and create real social impact. Among our most recent successes: Aram Roston’s probe into how U.S. contractors in Afghanistan are using millions of dollars in federal funds to pay off suspected insurgents attracted the attention of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NATO officials, and sparked a Congressional investigation. Anna Lenzer’s report on the ever-popular Fiji Water — bottled by a “green” company that deprives local people of potable water while enjoying tax breaks from a repressive dictatorship — made waves across the globe. A. C. Thompson’s investigation of racist violence by armed vigilantes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina sparked an FBI investigation and the empaneling of a federal grand jury in New Orleans, with indictments expected this year. Alyssa Katz’s series on the new wave of subprime profiteers — fraudulent mortgage servicers and property speculators — sparked follow-up reporting in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and op-eds across the country. Sheila Kaplan’s exposés of official environmental reports on toxic FEMA trailers and carcinogenic Great Lakes pollutants — which had been suppressed by the government — triggered three Congressional hearings. At theinvestigativefund.org, you can get inside this kind of enterprising journalism through a new feature, the Backstory, where our reporters open up about their difficult, demanding, and sometimes dangerous work. You can learn more about the investigative process and read brief biographies of your favorite reporters. We’ve launched a blog that will comment on developments in the world of journalism, and point you to great investigative stories you may have missed. And because we urgently need your help, we’ve created an online donations page. These are tough times for journalism, and especially for the independent media. Over the past year, regional daily newspapers such as the Rocky Mountain News have failed, our friends at Air America closed up shop, and the wave of layoffs has left few media outlets with the capacity to produce in-depth investigations. In this uncertain era, The Investigative Fund provides a home for independent reporters committed to seeking the truth: reporters such as Jeremy Scahill, Naomi Klein, Chris Hedges, Kai Wright, and many more. Here at The Investigative Fund, they receive grants to support their reporting, libel review from our attorneys, research assistance from our interns, and guidance from editors until their work finds a home with a publication or broadcast outlet. So we invite you to take a few minutes to explore the new site and dig in to the investigations we produce. Last month alone, our docket included a groundbreaking article about the State of Texas executing mentally retarded inmates in defiance of the Supreme Court; an exposé of the health risks posed by cell phones; and a series on how women were targeted for toxic subprime loans. We have many more stories like these in the pipeline, but we need your help. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to The Investigative Fund so we can continue this vital work. Thank you, Esther Kaplan Joe Conason Follow us on twitter @theifund

 http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-vine/what-th…

What The Snowpocalypse Tells Us About Global Warming.
by Bradford Plumer, February 10, 2010, The New Republic online

Washington D.C.’s getting slammed by record snowfall right now, which means that in addition to unplowed roads and Mad Max-style scenes at Safeway, we also have to suffer through a flurry of Al Gore jokes and Republicans snorting about how this proves global warming is all fake. I guess the prim, boring response is that a single weather event, even an extreme one, doesn’t tell us very much about long-term climate trends. But blah, blah, everyone’s heard that line before.

A more thoughtful reply comes from meteorologist Jeff Masters, who explains how massive snowstorms in the Northeast are, in fact, quite consistent with a steadily warming world:

There are two requirements for a record snow storm:

1) A near-record amount of moisture in the air (or a very slow moving storm).

2) Temperatures cold enough for snow.

It’s not hard at all to get temperatures cold enough for snow in a world experiencing global warming.

According to the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the globe warmed 0.74°C (1.3°F) over the past 100 years. There will still be colder than average winters in a world that is experiencing warming, with plenty of opportunities for snow.

The more difficult ingredient for producing a record snowstorm is the requirement of near-record levels of moisture.

Global warming theory predicts that global precipitation will increase, and that heavy precipitation events–the ones most likely to cause flash flooding–will also increase. This occurs because as the climate warms, evaporation of moisture from the oceans increases, resulting in more water vapor in the air.

According to the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, water vapor in the global atmosphere has increased by about 5% over the 20th century, and 4% since 1970. This extra moisture in the air will tend to produce heavier snowstorms, assuming it is cold enough to snow. Groisman et al. (2004) found a 14% increase in heavy (top 5%) and 20% increase in very heavy (top 1%) precipitation events in the U.S. over the past 100 years, though mainly in spring and summer. However, the authors did find a significant increase in winter heavy precipitation events have occurred in the Northeast U.S.

This was echoed by Changnon et al. (2006), who found, “The temporal distribution of snowstorms exhibited wide fluctuations during 1901-2000, with downward 100-yr trends in the lower Midwest, South, and West Coast. Upward trends occurred in the upper Midwest, East, and Northeast, and the national trend for 1901-2000 was upward, corresponding to trends in strong cyclonic activity.”

Meanwhile, it’s worth noting the U.S. Global Change Research Program actually predicted stronger winter storms for the Northeast, in its 2009 report on potential climate-change impacts for the United States:

Storm tracks have shifted northward over the last 50 years as evidenced by a decrease in the frequency of storms in mid-latitude areas of the Northern Hemisphere, while high-latitude activity has increased. There is also evidence of an increase in the intensity of storms in both the mid- and high-latitude areas of the Northern Hemisphere, with greater confidence in the increases occurring in high latitudes (Kunkel et al., 2008). The northward shift is projected to continue, and strong cold season storms are likely to become stronger and more frequent, with greater wind speeds and more extreme wave heights.”

Now, that doesn’t mean we can definitely say that global warming caused this snow monstrosity—again, it’s too hard to attribute any single weather event to long-term climate shifts. (For instance, El Niño may be playing a bigger role right now in feeding these storms.) At most, we can say that a warming climate will create the conditions that make fierce winter storms in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic more likely. Or at least it will for awhile: If the planet keeps heating up, then at some point freezing conditions in the Northeast will become very rare, at which point snowstorms will, too But we’re not at that point—the Earth hasn’t warmed that much yet.

On the other hand, climate models do predict that snowstorms in the southernmost parts of the United States should become much rarer in the coming decades: There’s plenty of moisture down south, but freezing temperatures are likely to decrease and the jet stream is expected to shift northward. So if those regions start seeing a sustained uptick in snowfall, then something’s gone awry in climate predictions. But the blizzard in the Northeast, while miserable and incredibly disruptive, doesn’t appear whack with long-term forecasts. (That’s not exactly cheerful news for those of us who have to live here.)

—————
Dr. Jeff Masters’ WunderBlog

Last Updated: 1:02 PM GMT on February 11, 2010.
Heavy snowfall in a warming world.

Posted by: JeffMasters on February 08, 2010

A major new winter storm is headed east over the U.S. today, and threatens to dump a foot or more of snow on Philadelphia, New York City, and surrounding regions Tuesday and Wednesday. Philadelphia is still digging out from its second top-ten snowstorm of recorded history to hit the city this winter, and the streets are going to begin looking like canyons if this week’s snowstorm adds a significant amount of snow to the incredible 28.5″ that fell during “Snowmageddon” last Friday and Saturday. Philadelphia has had two snowstorms exceeding 23″ this winter. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the return period for a 22+ inch snow storm is once every 100 years–and we’ve had two 100-year snow storms in Philadelphia this winter. It is true that if the winter pattern of jet stream location, sea surface temperatures, etc, are suitable for a 100-year storm to form, that will increase the chances for a second such storm to occur that same year, and thus the odds have having two 100-year storms the same year are not 1 in 10,000. Still, the two huge snowstorms this winter in the Mid-Atlantic are definitely a very rare event one should see only once every few hundred years, and is something that has not occurred since modern records began in 1870. The situation is similar for Baltimore and Washington D.C. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the expected return period in the Washington D.C./Baltimore region for snowstorms with more than 16 inches of snow is about once every 25 years. This one-two punch of two major Nor’easters in one winter with 16+ inches of snow is unprecedented in the historical record for the region, which goes back to the late 1800s.

Top 9 snowstorms on record for Philadelphia:

1. 30.7″, Jan 7-8, 1996
2. 28.5″, Feb 5-6, 2010 (Snowmageddon)
3. 23.2″, Dec 19-20, 2009 (Snowpocalypse)
4. 21.3″, Feb 11-12, 1983
5. 21.0″, Dec 25-26, 1909
6. 19.4″, Apr 3-4, 1915
7. 18.9″, Feb 12-14, 1899
8. 16.7″, Jan 22-24, 1935
9. 15.1″, Feb 28-Mar 1, 1941

The top 10 snowstorms on record for Baltimore:

1. 28.2″, Feb 15-18, 2003
2. 26.5″, Jan 27-29, 1922
3. 24.8″, Feb 5-6, 2010 (Snowmageddon)
4. 22.8″, Feb 11-12, 1983
5. 22.5″, Jan 7-8, 1996
6. 22.0″, Mar 29-30, 1942
7. 21.4″, Feb 11-14, 1899
8. 21.0″, Dec 19-20, 2009 (Snowpocalypse)
9. 20.0″, Feb 18-19, 1979
10. 16.0″, Mar 15-18, 1892

The top 10 snowstorms on record for Washington, D.C.:

1. 28.0″, Jan 27-28, 1922
2. 20.5″, Feb 11-13, 1899
3. 18.7″, Feb 18-19, 1979
4. 17.8″ Feb 5-6, 2010 (Snowmageddon)
5. 17.1″, Jan 6-8, 1996
6. 16.7″, Feb 15-18, 2003
7. 16.6″, Feb 11-12, 1983
8. 16.4″, Dec 19-20, 2009 (Snowpocalypse)
9. 14.4″, Feb 15-16, 1958
10. 14.4″, Feb 7, 1936

The NYU Conference on the Africa – Arab Gulf Relationships will be
held on March 3-4, 2009 in Abu Dhabi. The event is organized as part
of NYU Africa House’s initiative to explore the relationship between
contemporary Africa and the rest of the world. The conference seeks to
examine the modern relationships between Africa and the Arab Gulf.
The lectures and discussions will focus on modern interactions as well
as future possibilities of the relationship.

NYU Africa House is an inter-disciplinary institute devoted to the
study of contemporary Africa with a concentration on politics,
economics, culture, language and social science. In the past, Africa
House has hosted a variety of events, seminars, and presentations
featuring panels of African Heads of Government, scholars, diplomats,
professors and ambassadors.

Africa’s own relationship with the Arab world is centuries-old. Oman
was once part of an influential political presence headquartered in
Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania, and a significant part of East
Africa’s population is of Arab descent. Swahili, the language of East
Africa, even has linguistic connections with Arabic. The ancient West
African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhay and Kanem are all marked by
historic partnerships with the Arab and Islamic world.

Today, the Arab influence is poised to become an even stronger
presence in Africa and vice versa, as the Gulf is becoming a hub for
intra-African and international travel and business. Politically,
there is also increasing desires for an examination of the potential
for the development of stronger South-South relations, with Africa and
the Arab Gulf becoming closer allies in the international political
arena.

These possibilities, both economic and political, are topical issues
that demand thoughtful consideration and debate, which is where the
Africa – Arab Gulf Relationships conference hopes to step in and
facilitate provocative conversation and discussion.

The Organizers:

Africa House
Africa House at NYU is an inter-disciplinary institute devoted to the
study of contemporary Africa, focusing on Economic, Political and
Social issues on the continent, as well as on programs in the Arts,
and particularly contemporary African Art. Part of our vision for
Africa House has been for it to be a meeting place for people in the
New York City metropolitan area who have a personal or professional
interest in Africa. It provides a venue for African dignitaries,
leaders, cultural figures, and academics who are visiting the city.
One area that Africa House is devoting attention to is the area of
Economic Development in Africa today by hosting a number of very high
level conferences and seminars, as well as policy luncheons and
research presentations on contemporary African topics. Part of Africa
House’s core mission is to understand the links between Africa and the
rest of the world, through the social, historical, economic and other
lenses.

Yaw Nyarko (New York University)
Yaw Nyarko is Professor of Economics at NYU. Professor Nyarko, a
Ghanaian national, is the founding director of Africa House at NYU and
founding co-director of the Development Research Institute at NYU. His
research interests include human capital theory, economic development
especially as it pertains to Africa, as well as migration and brain
drain studies and game theory. In addition to his academic work, he
has often served as a consultant for international organizations with
recent assignments at the World Bank and the UN Economic Commission
for Africa. He holds a PhD in Economics from Cornell University.

Please Find The Conference Proceedings By Day

Day 1: March 3 | Day 2: March 4

Tuesday, March 3

8:30 – 9:00

CHECK-IN AND COFFEE

9:00 – 10:30
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

Mariet Westermann
Vice Chancellor, NYU

HE Abdullah A. Al Saleh
Director General of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade

Tarik Yousef
Dean, Dubai School of Government

Yaw Nyarko, “The Africa Gulf Relationship: History, Politics, Economics”
Professor of Economics, NYU; Director of NYU Africa House; Co-founding Director of Development Research Institute, NYU

Dean, African Ambassadors, UAE 

10:30 – 10:45
BREAK

10:45-12:15
PANEL
Africa and the Gulf: Historic Ties, Contemporary Transformations

Panel Chair: Philip Kennedy

New York University    

Presenters:
Emmanuel Akyeampong, “For Prayer and Profit: West Africa’s Religious and Commercial Ties to the Gulf”
Professor of History, Department of African and African American studies, Harvard University

Edward Alpers, “Image and Reality of East Africa’s Ties to the Gulf  and Arabia”

Professor and Chair of Department of History, University of  California, Los Angeles

Matthew S. Hopper, “The African Presence in Eastern Arabia:  Globalization and Diaspora in the Age of Empire”       
Assistant Professor of History, California Polytechnic State University

Panel Discussion: Q & A

12:15 – 1:15
LUNCH BREAK

1:15-2:45
PANEL
Africa and Arab Gulf Tourism Relations
Panel Chair: Judith Aidoo

NYU Africa House Board Member; private investor and Chief  Executive of the Aidoo Group, Ltd.

Presenters:
Shamsa Mwangunga
Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism of the United Republic of Tanzania and President of the Africa Travel Association

Edward Bergman
Executive Director of Africa Travel Association; Faculty member in Department of Hospitality Management at CUNY’s New York City College of Technology 

Ogo Sow
African television and radio pioneer, producer and publisher; Special advisor and consultant to Africa Travel Association
Representatives of Tourism Boards in the Arab Gulf and in Africa

Panel Discussion: Q & A

2:45–3:00
BREAK

3:00-5:00
PANEL
Africa and the Gulf: The Economics of the Relationships I

Panel Chair: Kasirim Nwuke
Senior Economic Affairs Officer and Chief, MDGs/Poverty Analysis & Monitoring at the UN Economic Commission for Africa

Presenters:
Ibrahim Elbadawi, “Economic Links between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab Gulf: Recent History and Future Prospects”
Lead Economist at Development Economic Research group of the World Bank

Leonce Ndikumana, “Options for Transforming Transitory Income from Natural Resources into Permanent Income”

Head of Research, African Development Bank

Hippolyte Fofack, “Africa and Arab Gulf States: Divergent Development Paths and Prospects for Convergence”
Professional and Research Economist, World Bank

Panel Discussion: Q & A
——————–

Click here to download the complete conference brochure.

Dates

May 3-5, 2009

Title

Climate Change: Financing Green Development

Organizing Institutions

New York University School of Law

www.law.nyu.edu

Institute for International Law and Justice

www.iilj.org

Frank J. Guarini Center on Environmental and Land Use Law

www.law.nyu.edu/centers/elc/index.htm

Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research

www.ecssr.ac.ae

———

Organizing Institutions

Institute for International Law and Justice

The Institute for International Law and Justice (IILJ) brings together the research, scholarship, teaching and outreach activities of New York University School of Law’s acclaimed international law program. The Institute is closely connected with leading scholars and research institutions worldwide. It integrates the Law School’s scholarly excellence in international law into the policy activities of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, law firms, and industry.

The Institute’s research and scholarship is organized through three affiliated thematic centers and programs: the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, the Jean Monnet Center for International and Regional Economic Law and Justice, and the Program in the History and Theory of International Law. The Institute also runs cross-cutting research projects among these affiliates, including work on global governance and accountability (global administrative law), legal issues in United Nations security and development operations, financing of development projects, international arbitration, private military firms, intelligence, and rule of law issues especially relating to states at risk.

www.iilj.org

Frank J. Guarini Center for Environmental and Land Use Law

The Center was the first of three related initiatives that NYU took to make the Law School the leading national law school for the study of environmental and land use law. Together with The Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and the newly established Institute for Policy Integrity, the Center works to advance scholarly inquiry and writing, enhance legal training, and develop and implement innovative solutions to environmental protection and land use problems at the national, regional, and global levels.

www.law.nyu.edu/centers/elc/index.htm

Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research

The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) is an independent research institution dedicated to the promotion of professional studies and educational excellence in the UAE, the Arabian Gulf region and the wider Arab world.

The Center provides a forum for the scholarly exchange of ideas by hosting various academic events including conferences, symposiums, workshops and lectures throughout the year. The Center also publishes original and translated books; papers presented as part of its lecture series; and original research studies in the form of monographs. The ECSSR has an active fellowship and grant program for the writing of scholarly books and for the translation into Arabic of publications relevant to the Center’s mission. Through these and other activities, the ECSSR aspires to engage in mutually beneficial professional endeavors with comparable institutions worldwide, and to contribute to the general educational and academic development of the UAE.

www.ecssr.ac.ae
———

Conference Publication

Climate Change
Strategies for Climate Change and Global Development (PDF)

The Climate Finance publication includes 36 papers on issues related to regulatory strategies and development finance.

Location

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Download map of NYU Abu Dhabi (PDF)

Venue

The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research

Download map of ECSSR location in Abu Dhabi (PDF)

Media Contact

For press related inquiries, please contact nyuad@nyu.edu

———–

Please Find The Conference Proceedings By Day

Day 1: May 3 |
Day 2: May 4 |
Day 3: May 5 | Panelists | Participants

Download the daily schedule (PDF)

Participants: see conference papers (password required)

Sunday, May 3

OPENING SESSION (9:30am)

Introductions

Mariët Westermann, Provost, NYU Abu Dhabi

Addresses

Razan Al Mubarak, Managing Director, Emirates Wildlife Society – World Wide Fund for Nature

Sam Nader, Director, Carbon Management Unit, Masdar

PANEL 1 (10:00am)

NEW MECHANISMS FOR CLIMATE FINANCE

In this panel, the representatives of the Catalyst Project, Environmental Defense Fund, developing countries, and multilateral financial institutions will present innovative proposals to finance climate mitigation in developing countries. These include a reverse auction strategy for climate mitigation investment, emissions allowances for developing countries that make early commitments, and REDD credits. The proposals will provide the basis for the day’s discussion, which will include considerations of the merits of these novel architectures, potential convergence issues with other proposed mechanisms, and the relation among these proposals and a potential Kyoto successor global climate agreement.

Chair: Richard Stewart, NYU School of Law

Panelists:

Federica Bietta, Coalition for Rainforest Nations

Raekwon Chung, Ambassador for Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Korea

Luis Gomez-Echeverri, Global Energy Assessment Program

Tom Heller, Climate Adviser to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and George Soros / Stanford Law School

Nathaniel Keohane, Environmental Defense Fund

Bert Metz, European Climate Foundation

Murray Ward, Global Climate Change Consultancy

PANEL 2 (2:00pm)

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND CLIMATE FINANCE MECHANISMS

This panel will discuss the climate finance proposals discussed in Panel 1 and other approaches under active discussion in the run-up to COP 15 at Copenhagen from the perspective of developing countries. It will discuss whether the continued economic growth of developing countries has been productively addressed, what alternatives will engage developing countries more effectively than others, and whether the current proposals exhaustively capture the economic opportunities that climate finance can generate for developing countries.

Chair: Ngaire Woods, Oxford University

Panelists:

Navroz Dubash, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Israel Klabin, Fundação Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável

Arvind Mahajan, KPMG

Anthony Okon Nyong, Africa Development Bank

Rajeev Palakshappa, The Climate Group (India)

Youba Sokona, Sahara and Sahel Observatory

Jie Yu, The Climate Group

PUBLIC LECTURE (6:00pm)

THE SCIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Professor Michael Oppenheimer, Princeton University

There is growing consensus around the pressing need for global collaboration in designing a new climate change agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. With all eyes looking to the next round of negotiations in Copenhagen in December, Professor Oppenheimer, a leading expert in both the science and policy of climate change will address the question, Why the urgency? Scientific understanding indicates that the risk of dangerous climate change would increase sharply absent prompt action to curb global greenhouse gas emissions. Professor Oppenheimer’s presentation will highlight the scientific underpinnings of sensible policy responses and the need for truly global action to reduce emissions.

————

Climate Change

Strategies for Climate Change and Global Development (PDF)

The Climate Finance publication includes 36 papers on issues related to regulatory strategies and development finance.

Download the complete conference brochure.

Download the daily schedule.