UN chief BarKing-moon is seen here 18 September 2007.
Posted on 09/24/2007 8:19:06 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon, opening a landmark summit on climate change, warned world leaders Monday they face condemnation by future generations if they fail to tackle greenhouse-gas pollution.
"Climate change, and what we do about it, will define us, our era, and ultimately the global legacy we leave for future generations," the secretary general said.
He demanded a breakthrough at a key conference taking place in Bali, Indonesia, in December.
"The time for doubt has passed," said Ban, as he noted the grim 4th assessment on climate change by the United Nations' top scientific panel this year.
"If we do not act now, the impact of climate change will be devastating," he added. "We have affordable measures and technologies to begin addressing the problem right now. What we do not have is time."
The exceptional one-day summit entitled "The Future in Our Hands: Addressing the Leadership Challenge of Climate Change," gathered around 150 nations, some 80 of them at the level of head of state or government.
It aimed to break the deadlock in efforts to deepen cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases, which trap heat from the sun and are inflicting damaging change to Earth's climate system.
Ban said that, if as scientists have indicated, global emissions are to peak within the next 10 to 15 years to keep warming to a tolerable level, "all sectors will need to be engaged," at the political level, by business, technology and finance.
He said the December 3-14 UN conference on global warming in Bali, Indonesia, has to set the stage for a comprehensive agreement for deepening and accelerating action from 2012, when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol runs out.
"Our goal must be nothing short of a real breakthrough in Bali," he declared.
Industrialised countries should show "enhanced leadership" on reducing their own emissions, and developing countries should have incentives to tackle their own pollution, "but without sacrificing economic growth or poverty reduction," said Ban.
The chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Rajendra Pachauri, gave a brief summary of the 4th assessment report.
Glaciers and Arctic sea ice were retreating rapidly and "major precipitation changes" -- droughts and floods -- were occurring.
On present trends, hundreds of millions of people faced worsening water scarcity as a result of glacier loss in the Himalayas, which fed key rivers in China and South Asia. Water scarcity would affect the growing of key crops.
"Climate change is accelerating," he said.
Tackling the problem swiftly though would keep the bill to a manageable level, but the cost will rise in line with the global temperature, he said.
To keep within range of the 2.0 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) goal would cost less than three percent of the gross domestic product by 2030, he said.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, the world's seventh largest economy, spelled out the possibilities for tackling greenhouse gases at the local level and with the help of business.
In California, "something remarkable is beginning to stir -- something revolutionary, something historic and transformative," he said.
Schwarzenegger pointed to the state's actions on emissions and low-carbon fuel standards, and the actions of its famously dynamic entrepreneurs who were seizing the opportunity to make money from the carbon cleanup.
"Last year alone, California received more than 1.1 billion dollars in clean tech investment," said Schwarzenegger. "This amount is expected to grow 20-30 percent a year for a decade."
Ban was later to present a summary of conclusions, following this with a dinner gathering representatives from the world's biggest carbon polluters.
On Thursday and Friday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will host a meeting in Washington of the world's 16 biggest polluters, plus representatives the European Union (EU) and the United Nations.
The Left makes mistakes. Learns nothing. Moves on. Makes the same mistake again. And pretends to be shocked if you call them on it.
These morons actually think they can change the climate of the planet.
“Global Warming will be conveniently forgotten.”
Perhaps pre-internet and 24-hour cable news that would have been true. You may be right but far too much has been filmed, written and politicized about this particular manufactured crisis for it to be simply forgotten, IMO.
If the Algores and other would be global masters seize power the future will be neither free nor rational.
Trying to shut down a debate like this is a sure sign that you're on the losing side.
UN chief BarKing-moon is seen here 18 September 2007.
Yes, they will look back and say, “Wow, what a bunch of arrogant idiots”
This doofus is both an ignoramus and a fool, proving, I suppose, that he is fully qualified for the job he holds at the U.N.
It has been only 150 years (about 8 "generations"...)
Climate Perculiarities of New-York Times. January 2, 1870, Wednesday
Page 4, 500 words
DISPLAYING FIRST PARAGRAPH - The climate of New-York and the contigous Atlantic seaboard has long been a study of great interest. We have just experienced a remarkable instance of its peculiarity The Hudson River, by a singular freak of temperature, has thrown off its icy mantle and opened its waters to navigation...
It has been 8 generations since that article was published.
Anyone remember the author, or the "scientific authority" behind it?
It's an inherent attribute of the liberal mindset. They're obsessively concerned with everything that is outside of their control, while ignoring everything that is within their control.
Maybe. There really has been a massive propaganda war on this for 15+ years and it really has kicked into full gear in the recent years. I have never seen anything like it. The left has gone all in on this bet, and could very well have overplayed their hand.
Yes, while they’re freezing to death in their homes because all known sources of heat have effects that are considered bad for the environment, so in the future they’ll all probably be banned. For the children.
It was a very abbreviated and telescoped history of 4 billion+ years of the geological history of the earth.
Naturally it had huge gaps in the analysis of the geologic development to the present, but it was generally excellent and factual.
It was only two hours long.
However, in it, the obvious was simply stated: man cannot change climate. Ever. Period.
I wish I had transcribed the exact words, but I have not yet done so. I hope everyone watches it if it is ever repeated.
It sidestepped entirely the current Climate Change hysteria.
At some point it is going to cost more to print the bloviations of the benighted and the requisite money to finance their pipe dreams than any measurable effects of attempted throttling of the industrial engine could ever accomplish.
Web Blogs Images News Video Results 1 - 10 of about 71,300,000 for global warming [definition]. (0.12 seconds)
Web News Blogs Video Images Results 1 - 10 of about 117,000,000 for iraq war. (0.24 seconds)
How many millions of trees have died for them over the years so they could spread their doctrine?
I would like to see the Library of Congress put all their old copyright-expired newspapers on the web going back 200 years. It would be fascinating to read about the left's buried past. Unfortunately librarians actively "lose" old articles and books that do not conform to whatever mores are in vogue. They feel it's part of their job. I don't think the left could handle letting the general public travel into the past.
I'd never seen that term before. I could search for "illegal immigrant" or "illegal alien" but any effort I might make to gather statistics on this sort of crime would likey miss those committed by "entrants".
The Left lies. About everything.
It sidestepped entirely the current Climate Change hysteria.
*************
It is running now, early am. Not only sidesteps AGW, but makes it basically irrelavant.
Currently, I am “suspending my disbelief” that leaders and people are buying the AGW BS.
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