U.S. and Politics Reports
October 22, 2004
The business community, and the world as a whole has a clear vested interest in one, clear, global system for protecting the climate, for agreeing emissions reduction targets, and for carbon trading and emissions reductions. Such a situation would create lucrative business opportunities in carbon trading and renewables technology. How long will the United States stay out of the game?
(last updated version February 2005)
Download PDF (53 Kb)
May 11, 2004
America needs an energy policy makeover. Renewable energy is affordable and available now. A national commitment to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency would reduce pollution, create millions of high tech jobs, diversify our nation's energy sources, enhance our national security and save Americans billions of dollars.
Download PDF (771 Kb)
March 08, 2004
Control over oil is a central motivation for the Bush administration's military confrontation with Iraq. The unilateralist nature of the U.S.'s new security stance in a post September 11th world has become inexorably linked with the importance of controlling oil.
Download PDF (29 Kb)
December 19, 2003
CoP-9 has agreed the rules of accounting for Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry, so called "Sinks", projects in the Clean Development Mechanism for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol as required by the Marrakech Accords (17/CP.7, 10(b)).
This document presents a rough guide and analysis of the key decisions that were made in Milan at CoP-9 on CDM sinks rules (FCCC/SBSTA/2003/L.27). As is well known, Greenpeace and many other environmental groups have long been opposed to the inclusion of sinks projects in the CDM, and this opposition remains. Nevertheless, Parties have agreed to include sinks and consequently the focus of our efforts since Marrakech has been to ensure that the rules have climatic, environmental and social integrity.
After the key climate concern was overruled by allowing "offset-sinks" into the CDM at CoP-6bis, the current rules should at least have prevented subsidies to environmentally and socially damaging projects. Unfortunately, the door is now wide open for projects with disastrous effects for biodiversity and local livelihoods. Such projects should now, and most likely will, be opposed on the ground and investors should be held accountable. No party acting in good faith should want to give Kyoto a bad reputation by using monocultures or genetically modified organisms in the name of climate protection.
Download PDF (127 Kb)
October 01, 2003
A world thrown into turmoil by drought, floods, typhoons. Whole countries rendered uninhabitable. The capital of the Netherlands submerged. The borders of the US and Australia patrolled by armies firing into waves of starving boat people desperate to find a new home. Fishing boats armed with cannon to drive off competitors. Demands for access to water and farmland backed up with nuclear weapons. Sound like the ravings of doom-saying environmental extremists? It's actually from a report commissioned by the Pentagon on how to ready America for the coming climate Armageddon.
Download PDF (913 Kb)
