STOP THE QUIBBLING, START THE REAL WORK

The Philippine Star
12/18/09

As world leaders arrive in Copenhagen for the all-important concluding talks of putting a cap to emissions being spewed into the Earth’s fragile atmosphere, nothing much had been accomplished in the preparatory technical discussions and meetings during the last week.

Tension in fact is running high among country representatives as developing nations accuse developed countries of sabotaging the Kyoto treaty that was signed in 1997 legally binding all of the world’s industrialized economies to actually cut down emissions.

(The United States agreed to the treaty but has still to ratify this with its Congress. The U.S. had withheld to the binding commitment because it believes China should be included as among the world’s economies that should be legally bound to bring down greenhouse gas levels.)

There is a view that a two-tracked discussion in the United Nations’-led talks is derailing any resolution to the objectives agreed upon during the first meeting in 1992 by 150 countries. The second track emerged with the Kyoto Protocol.

A number of developing countries however fear that the dissolution of the Kyoto accord would only bring back the talks to its original general indecisive nature. Hence, they want discussions to proceed on “two tracks,” with one trying to come up with a better treaty than Kyoto, and the second, to keep tabs as to the progress of countries against what had been ratified at Kyoto.

Who should be subjected to cuts?

In the meantime, there are other pressing issues. The first deals with who should stop emitting harmful gasses that are destroying the earth’s atmosphere. One side says only developed countries should be subjected to cuts since they had been the cause of why the world is now seeing devastating environment changes.

The other side says that China, India, and other similarly fast-growing economies should similarly cut their emissions since they too are real part of the big problem. In fact, China has eclipsed the U.S. as the world’s biggest contributor of harmful gasses.

But China says that on a per-capita basis, the carbon footprint of each of its citizens is so much lower than that of a European or American. In fact, 400 million in India who live without electricity have little or almost no carbon footprint.

The second is about $100 billion in aid every year that should go to countries that are seen to be affected by the changing climates. This is seen as a payment that developed countries should give to small countries that will be worst affected.

In view of widespread stories about corruption in developing nations, donor countries want to see more stringent accounting measures as well as have a bigger hand in saying where the money in these affected economies should go. This, of course, is being resented by those that will receive the funds.

Of course, among affected countries, there is discussion on who should get the bigger slice.

Kyoto scorecard

For those that signed the Kyoto accord, several countries have been noted to have fallen in their commitments to cut greenhouse gasses. The Kyoto treaty will end by 2012, and even as the cuts agreed upon more than a decade ago are now deemed too small in view of recent scientific findings about the environment, some nations like Canada, Switzerland, and Australia are not doing well with regards their commitments.

On the other hand, two countries not bound by Kyoto – the United States and China – continue to account for than 40 percent of the world’s emissions. Together with the 18 of 36 countries that will not be able to meet their target cuts, global emission levels continue to rise.

Many developing countries not covered by Kyoto are on their way to becoming huge contributors of greenhouse gasses. Aside from China, India and Brazil are considered to become major contributors of harmful carbon in the world’s atmosphere.

Adapting

There is also the issue of how best to adapt. As the ongoing climate summit moves on to 2010 with no clear resolution in sight, talk is now shifting to how each affected nation/region will cope.

Replacing fossil fuels, which are seen as the biggest source of carbon emissions, is a big challenge given the urgency of time and the costs involved in shifting the world’s manufacturing and transportation sectors to non-carbon emitting fuels.

Countries that fear inundation from the growing amount of rainfall are talking about protecting their shorelines through massive infrastructure projects and replanting vast amounts of trees to bring back forest cover. Those that are seeing droughts are discussing shifting their crop selection to varieties that can adapt to warmer climates.

No alternative

As the negotiations, debates and talks continue, there are more findings that emerge about irrevocable changes in the world’s atmosphere. Aside from the physical changes, like the breaking up of Antarctica’s large ice shelves, normal health and food patterns are deemed under threat.

Climate scientists are sternly warming that business as usual will no longer be enough. The world must stop the continuing growth in greenhouse gas emissions, and must be prepared to make serious cuts in the very near future.

Already, scientists are saying that the world will experience a rise in water levels of as high as nine meters if warming levels reach 2C over the pre-industrialized era. To avert the temperature rise, cuts of 25-40 percent relative to 1990 levels are needed, and increasing to 80-95 percent by 2050.

If nothing substantial is agreed upon by the world’s nations this year or even next year, adaptive measures may not even be an effective band-aid to bind and heal the wound. Not even the strongest generation anti-biotic. Not even perhaps an amputation.

Ateneo Blue Eagles -2009 Philippine Collegiate Champion

There can only be one Champion among champions. And for 2009, the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles emerged as the best in the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL).

After more than fifty elimination and knock-out games involving champions and top rank teams from 27 “mother leagues” nationwide, sixteen of the best gathered to determine the one and only true champion for 2009.

The “Sweet 16” Finals were knock-out games and at the end, Ateneo and FEU, were left to compete for the championship in a three-game series that went the full route. FEU grabbed the first game but the Blue Eagles came back strong and won the last two games and the championship.

The elite “Sweet 16” included five UAAP teams, Ateneo, UE Red Warriors, FEU Tamaraws, UST Growling Tigers and DLSU Green Archers (2008 PCCL Champion); six NCAA teams, SSC-R Golden Stags, San Beda Red Lions, JRU Heavy Bombers, Letran Knights, Mapua Cardinals and Arellano University Chiefs; three CESAFI-Cebu teams, UV Green Lancers, University of Cebu Webmasters and University of San Carlos Warriors; NAASCU champion, SSC-Recoletos Cavite Baycats and ISAA champion, Lyceum Pirates.

Visit the official website, www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net for pictures and highlights of the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship games.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, SalcedoVillage, 1227 MakatiCity. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net