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2017 – all came on us !
wind powered
. . . and it’s not over
. . . so sorry everyone, puerto rico
much family up north
hurricanes maria (caribbean) and jose (north US) just now on my screen
ok, so here’s how IRMA mostly looks, up & down
. . . thanks to THE WEEK mailbox magazine
always much as we’ve just been
ok irma
here in central florida just getting back to normal
been a week today. we’re ok
only back yard’s still a mess
out of power 3 o’clock last sat
gosh, while irma just started with low rain
out next 2 nights, 2 days
our old house came by ok
no window, no roof loss
we’re out no water or nat gas loss
not so up the road in woody deland
friends still out – no elec-gas-water
thanks not there. even so much worse that far below
well irma, you’re one real livelihood
. . . you working for ma ?
did try to tell us something ?
gov’s no-one-else telling me . . .
so here’s my imac’s screen saying the so @ 10:48 this morning
four wind swells moving up NE across this end of our planet
these few days after terrible harvey in texas
com’on you blind-tops, do notice
do get on with it !
our kids swallow red
hopefully growing greener
thank you, al gore +
my first climate reality project presentation
south east volusia aububon society ( sevas )
12/8/16, new smyrna beach FL
paris merci !
Dear Jim,
I’ve just returned from Paris, where exhausted delegates from 195 countries AGREED ON THE FIRST EVER UNIVERSAL DEAL ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
There was no end of superlatives for the Paris Agreement. It would be a turning point in human history, transformative, momentous, historical, according to François Hollande, Ban Ki-Moon, Al Gore and the many other dignitaries in the French capital.
The deal would be a game-changer and redefine future economic development, Jim Yong Kim, the World Bank president TOLD MY COLLEAGUE FIONA HARVEY.
The atmosphere at COP21, where the deal was struck after several sleepless days and last minute haggling over a verb in the 31-page text, was unprecedented in two decades of climate talks, according to veterans of the negotiations.
When Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister and president of the talks, announced the deal’s adoption and brought down his leaf-shaped gavel, the halls of the summit erupted with applause. UN and French officials LAUGHED, HUGGED, HELD HANDS ALOFT ON STAGE AND GAVE THUMBS-UP TO THE CROWD. EVEN JOURNALISTS CLAPPED.
Not everyone thinks the deal goes far enough, and the carbon curbs it’s linked to are entirely voluntary. But, AS BARACK OBAMA PUT IT, the Paris Agreement is the ” best chance ” we have of stopping dangerous global warming.
Adam Vaughan
Editor, THEGUARDIAN.COM/ENVIRONMENT
Reading list:
*__COUNTRIES SIGNAL FOSSIL FUEL PHASE-OUT
*__THE GUARDIAN VIEW ON THE DEAL
paris dispatch 7
Dear Jim,
The endgame approaches. Negotiators at the UN climate talks in Paris now have just hours left to find a global consensus on a new climate change deal. Despite the REMAINING STICKING POINTS the mood is still upbeat for a deal. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on Friday that he was “ENCOURAGED” BY PROGRESS.
” I have been attending many difficult multilateral negotiations, but by any standard, this negotiation is most complicated, most difficult, but most important for humanity . . . I am urging and appealing to all the state parties to take the final decision for humanity. ”
Our team of reporters at the summit are feeding into a live blog which will run throughout today. You can READ LIVE UPDATES HERE.
Yours Sincerely,
James Randerson, assistant national news editor
Friday’s reading list:
*__PARIS DEAL IS ‘CLOSE TO THE LINE’ BUT TALKS SET TO OVERRUN
*__NEW DRAFT TEXT OF THE DEAL CUTS THROUGH KEY STICKING POINTS
*__VIDEO: THE AMAZONIAN TRIBESPEOPLE WHO SAILED DOWN THE SEINE
*__PODCAST: CLIMATE TALKS TURN UP THE HEAT ON WORLD LEADERS
paris dispatch 6
Dear Jim,
It is crunch time in the UN climate talks in Paris. We had the diplomats wrangling last week but now the politicians have taken up the baton and with only the next day and a half to go, countries are going to have to make their mind up what they want and what they are prepared to sacrifice.
On Wednesday afternoon THE FRENCH HOSTS PUBLISHED A DRAFT OF THE FINAL NEGOTIATING TEXT. It’s a bit shorter, there are many fewer brackets ( points of disagreement that are still unresolved ), but all the core sticking points remain unresolved. Last night the countries met in plenary to give their reactions, and today there will have to be movement if there is to be a deal.
The good news, especially for poor countries, is that the new text now includes the figure of 1.5C as one of three options for a target rise in temperatures ( THIS PIECE BY MY COLLEAGUE ADAM VAUGHAN explains what impacts are likely to be associated with each extra degree of rise ). The other options of ” 2C ” and ” under 2C ” are still there but it does suggest that the pressure put on countries by development groups, churches, the media and others to be ambitious has paid off. It’s another matter whether that is the final figure agreed.
Finance to help poorer countries to adapt to climate change will be a major issue and the text recognizes the $100bn figure promised by 2020, but indicates that this is just a starting point. Although no ongoing figure is given.
Equally, the thorny issue of loss and damage ( what some poor countries see as compensation for climate impacts ) is in the text but with no new language around it. That probably means that no-one is prepared to compromise yet.
As I write this around 400 people from environment and development groups are inside the centre demonstrating that they want countries to be ambitious. The cry is ” 1.5 to stay alive “.
The next 24 hours will decide if there is to be a deal. There will have to be compromises made but by lunchtime we should have the bones of a final agreement. Then there will be long plenary sessions, possibly another text, and a deal possibly on Friday night or Saturday morning.
It could all go wrong but the mood here is positive. Whether they can now find a way through the labyrinth of alternatives and brackets is another matter.
Yours Sincerely,
John Vidal, environment editor, The Guardian
Thursday reading list:
*__DELEGATES WARN OF FLAWS IN AMBITIOUS PROPOSALS FOR DEAL
*__ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AT LOUVRE OIL PROTEST
*__SAUDI ARABIA ACCUSED OF TRYING TO WRECK CLIMATE DEAL
*__£352bn INVESTORS’ COALITION LAUNCHED TO PUSH CLEAN ENERGY
*__MARCH TOWARDS A GREEN FUTURE LIKE TERMINATOR, SAYS ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
paris dispatch 5
Dear Jim,
Here in Paris, negotiators are feeling the heat. As the conference enters its final crucial week, ministers are arriving, greeted by young volunteers from local neighborhoods, electrified transport and recycled art.
Negotiators were working into the early hours over the weekend to produce a 48 page draft agreement. Published on Saturday, it was 252 pages shorter than at this point during the disastrous Copenhagen talks in 2009. But within the agreement lie more than 900 square brackets, signifying areas of disagreement.
Laurent Fabius, president of COP21 and the French foreign minister, summed up the challenge ahead:
” We’re talking about life itself . . . I intend to muster the experience of my entire life to the service of success for next Friday, ” he told the conference.
But many developing countries are now worried about parts of the agreement, which they say could put pressure on them to provide climate finance, alongside rich nations. Some even say that the text is an attempt to change the UN’s convention itself.
So can the negotiators find the right compromises, delete the brackets and come to a consensus by 6pm on Friday ?
We’ll be here to find out.
With hope,
Emma Howard and the Guardian team in Paris
Here’s today’s reading list:
*__RUSSIA PLEDGES NOT TO STAND IN THE WAY OF PARIS CLIMATE DEAL
*__PARIS CLIMATE TALKS YIELD FIRST DRAFT AMID AIR OF OPTIMISM
*__ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SAYS CLIMATE CAMPAIGNS NEED TO FOCUS ON ” RIGHT NOW ” NOT 2050
*__COALITION OF BUSINESS LEADERS CHALLENGES 2C CLIMATE CHANGE TARGET
*__THE KEY PLAYERS AT THE CLIMATE PARIS SUMMIT
she moves me 