China, India ask Obama for more on climate change

Delegates from China and India at the Poznan forum on climate change have called on President-elect Barack Obama to pledge even deeper emissions cuts to tackle climate change.

“The current climate-change issue was caused by the excessive emissions by the industrialized nations in the process over 200 years of industrialization,” Su Wei, China's lead negotiator said. “They should bear the responsibility to address that problem.” Su said that Obama's promise to reduce U.S. greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 is "not ambitious enough."

Obama's goals would fall under the limits set by the Kyoto Protocol for 2012, and well under the European Union pledge of a 20 percent cut by 2020.

Seattle Post Intelligencer

China, India Want More Commitment From Obama on Climate Change Bloomberg - 5 hours ago By Alex Morales Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- China and India, the developing nations with the highest carbon-dioxide emissions, want US President- elect Barack Obama to demonstrate more commitment in tackling climate change, delegates at United Nations talks ... The young are the key to fighting climate change guardian.co.uk US to leave door open on climate for Obama: officials AFP

An environmentalist from Oxfam protests in front of the buildings where the UN climate change conference is being held in Poznan December 4, 2008. Oxfam is demanding global action by rich countries to combat climate change. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel (POLAND)

EU leader urges climate change fight continue

European Union leader Jose Manuel Barroso urged leaders at the Asia-Europe Meeting in Beijing to keep up the fight against climate change despite the financial crisis.

In some ways, the climate change battle will benefit inadvertently from the fall in production and consumption that is likely to occur in a non-organized fashion from economic recession or depression.

Healthy economies can certainly be developed that do not depend on rampant consumerism. Indeed, that's how the world has survived for most of history. However, the idea was a smooth, structured move toward such a transition. The economic free-fall could send us in that direction in a more drastic fashion. However, there still is a need to shift toward sustainable, green technologies.

Such a shift could become more difficult now because money is being diverted to prop up banks and financial firms.

If nothing is done, most scientists agree that severe consequences lie ahead from rising sea levels, to serious fluctuations in weather patterns that would hamper agriculture and cause extensive infrastructure damage.

CCTV
Barroso: Climate change to become more serious if no action is taken
Xinhua, China - Oct 25, 2008

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