Global Policy Forum

Rising sea levels caused by global warming have led to the disappearance of India's Lohachara island – the first inhabited island to be permanently inundated – and researchers state that other islands in the area are also at risk. This Independent article argues that numerous islands and even entire island nations such as the Maldives are at risk of submerging beneath the rising seas in the coming years.

Under the "central scenario" of the World Bank's Global Economic Prospects 2007 world GDP will roughly double over the 2005-2030 period with developing country exports accounting for a significant share of the increase. While this growth could halve the number of people living on less than a dollar a day by 2030, the report also acknowledges that growing income inequalities and global warming could "jeopardize long-term progress." Along with reducing barriers to trade, the report calls for stronger international institutions to tackle the stresses on the ‘global commons.' At the national level the Bank calls for government investments in education and infrastructure "to ensure that the poor are incorporated into the growth process."

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in this Washington Post editorial argues that the remaining climate change skeptics are "out of step, out of arguments and just about out of time." The UN chief says people are eager to address climate change and that a growing number of businesses only wait for the right incentives. Accordingly, he urges politicians not to "fear the voters or underestimate their willingness to make large investments and long-term changes," and asks that the November 2006 climate change conference in Nairobi sends "a clear credible signal" that the world's decision makers take climate change seriously.

At the 2006 UN conference on global warming in Nairobi the US demonstrated its continued hostility toward a mandatory reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The US remains one of the few countries not party to the Kyoto Protocol, which as of the 2006 conference had 165 signatories. The Bush administration believes that committing to an emissions quota will limit "US economic growth." This Canadian Press article notes that, even though the majority of politicians in the new US Congress favor emission caps, any legislation imposing such caps remains subject to veto by US President George Bush.

As the 2006 United Nations Climate Change Conference commences in Nairobi, the Christian Science Monitor reports on the findings of a September 2006 UN report on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in Africa. The report finds rising sea levels could inundate 30 percent of Africa's coastal infrastructure, while 25-40 percent of the continent's natural habitat could be lost by 2085. According to the article, "climate change is a present reality for many Africans," as a tight link exists between Africa's many violent conflicts – often viewed by the West as stemming from ethnic or religious differences – and the increasing climate-induced scarcity of water resources.

The global livestock sector provides livelihoods for one billion people but it generates a large amount of greenhouse gasses. It accounts for 65 percent of nitrous oxide release as well as large amounts of methane, both far more potent than carbon dioxide. In addition, livestock causes land degradation and water pollution. This report calls for a new policy framework that acknowledges and mitigate the deep environmental effect of livestock. (FAO)

George Monbiot in this Guardian piece sets out a 10 point action plan for bringing about the necessary greenhouse gas emissions reductions in Britain. Monbiot's recommendations include; distributing annual carbon dioxide quotas to every citizen, banning "wasteful and unnecessary technologies" such as incandescent light bulbs, and developing a new national coach network while abandoning road-building programs. Arguing that rich nations must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2030, Monbiot acknowledges his plan with its specific timescales will require "some pretty brutal emergency planning system," but says the alternative is "mass death."

According to this Independent article, future generations may come to regard the ‘Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change' "as the turning point in combating global warming." While the report, commissioned by the British treasury, does not present much that is scientifically new, it finds that inaction could mean the permanent loss of 20 percent of annual global GDP. Drawing up a bill "which would enshrine in law" a long-term target of reducing British carbon emissions by 60 percent by 2050, British ministers hope this "hard-headed economic analysis" will convince the US government of the importance of curbing emissions.

Reporting to the British government, Sir Nicholas Stern examines the economic impacts of climate change, and considers the challenges involved in switching to a low-carbon world economy. Stern finds that while the costs of action can be limited to around 1 percent of global GDP, inaction could mean a permanent loss of 20 percent of annual world GDP. Accordingly, Stern makes a very strong case for early action, and argues that the investments we make in the next 10-20 years will have profound effects on the climate in this century and the next. The 700 page report goes on to consider the many elements of an effective response, including the expansion of emissions trading schemes. (HM Treasury)

In this TomPaine opinion piece Jeffrey Sachs makes a clear connection between climate-induced drought since the 1980s in Darfur, extreme poverty, and the present conflict in the region. Sachs argues that "crises that are fundamentally ecological in nature are managed by outdated strategies of war and diplomacy." Climate change will increasingly pose security threats across the world, as it causes or exacerbates huge ecological challenges, among them the looming worldwide water crisis. Arguing for instance that "Darfur needs a water strategy more than a military strategy," Sachs urges the worlds' governments to focus their resources to such underlying challenges, and suggests that all governments establish ministries of sustainable development.

To avoid dangerous climate change, humanity must reduce worldwide greenhouse gas emissions about 60 percent by 2050, scientists estimate. Since at the same time, the International Energy Agency projects that the increasing energy demands will raise emissions by 52 percent between now and 2030, "we are facing the biggest economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution" says Cristopher Flavin of the Worldwatch Institute. This Inter Press Service article focuses on the vast possibilities for energy efficiency improvements that could dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and expresses regret that governments tend to focus only on investing in new energy technologies.

With water tables falling, rivers drying out and salt pollution of groundwater rising across the world, global fresh water resources become increasingly scarce. In this Guardian article, George Monbiot cites results from a British Met Office study showing that climate change will significantly increase the severity and duration of droughts by 2100. He warns that the ensuing exacerbation of water scarcity will cause a global food deficit entailing "almost unimaginable future misery." With no viable adaptation alternatives, "averting this catastrophe" of global drying, requires a 60 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2030, Monbiot argues.

British climate scientists from the Met Office give "one of the most dire forecasts so far" of the potential effects of global warming. Their study predicts that by year 2100 one third of the planet will be desert, "uninhabitable in terms of agricultural production," and that already drought-stricken Africa will experience the most severe effects. While stressing that the findings contain uncertainties, the scientists deem the result "significant" and possibly even an underestimation. According to this Independent article, the study will be "widely publicized" by the British Government at the November 2006 UN negotiations on "a successor to the Kyoto climate treaty" in Nairobi.

Climate change will hit the poorest first and worst, and "divide rather than unite nations," this openDemocracy article argues. It thereby threatens both prosperity and security and in fact "is the most serious threat to humanity since the invention of nuclear weapons." Allowing the world economy to keep growing and avoiding catastrophic climate change requires a very rapid expansion of energy efficiency and use of renewables. With a relatively small carbon tax, "this will be easier than many think," and campaigners now need to leverage public awareness to concrete recommendations for government action.

In this extract from his latest book "Heat," George Monbiot reveals how a small group of people working for the oil and tobacco lobby specializes in challenging scientific consensus on both global warming and the health effects of smoking. According to Monbiot, US tobacco company Philip Morris was curiously the first company to pursue corporate funding of lobby groups denying human-induced climate change. By "dominating the media debate on climate change during seven or eight critical years in which urgent international talks should have been taking place," the "climate change deniers" have set back action by a decade. (Guardian)

By investing in clean energy projects in poor countries, rich countries can buy "emissions reduction credits" (CERs) that count towards their Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Despite stipulations that the protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) should promote sustainable and local development, most reduction credits from the largest CER-provider India come from industrial energy efficiency projects. Not a single Indian CDM project deals with deforestation, agriculture or rural development. Furthermore, a CDM consultant argues, with rich nations dictating the terms of projects, the CDM parallels the WTO process. (Inter Press Service)

Examining the World Bank's ‘Investment Framework for Clean Energy and Development,' nine non-governmental organizations reveal that the bank invests US$2-3 billion a year in greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuel projects, yet only five percent of its overall energy financing in renewable energy projects. The bank thereby fails "to reap the double dividend" of fighting both poverty and climate change with locally available renewable energy technologies. "Public funding for fossil fuels is a complete anachronism," and this report insists on a complete halt to the practice. Countries must redirect energy financing into renewable technologies through an "appropriate multilateral framework," and not the Western dominated World Bank. (Friends of the Earth)

As the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases, China and the US must bear the bulk of the worldwide emissions reductions costs. At the same time, both countries face disproportionately small losses from climate change. This Washington Post article suggests that this combination of circumstances constitutes the biggest obstacle to progress in international climate negotiations. If serious about preventing climate change, other nations must either convince the US and China "that they have a moral obligation to protect the planet's most vulnerable people" or that emissions reductions are affordable and beneficial.

Some observers attribute the US refusal to ratify the Kyoto protocol to its high level of emissions and its low vulnerability to climate change. This Agence France Presse article presents a study from the Earth Policy Institute contesting the reasoning behind the latter belief. It argues that with at least 250,000 of the Hurricane Katrina refugees not returning, the US suffers the world's "first massive movement of climate refugees." Many had expected this first "climate change exodus" to come from low-lying Pacific islands. According to the study, the booming Chinese port city of Shanghai faces a risk of flooding too, leaving the world's second largest greenhouse gas emitter more vulnerable to global warming.

This New York Times article examines whether the oil company BP lives up to its "beyond petroleum" slogan. Recent troubling incidents include a dangerous level of corrosion on an Alaskan oil pipeline, a massive oil spill, and an accident at a BP refinery that resulted in the death of 15 workers. Although BP puts great effort into marketing itself as environmentally friendly, critics such as Greenpeace point out that BP's financial commitment to the cause represents only a marginal amount of its massive profits. Lord Browne, BP CEO, is ironically a leading figure in the UN's Global Compact.

This Independent article highlights the "ethical challenge" of global warming. Residents of poor countries, especially in Africa, will suffer severe human health and agricultural consequences from climate change. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac call on the G8 and especially the US to initiate an "ambitious" plan to reverse environmental harm.

While NGOs and scientists warn of the harmful consequences of climate change, some governments and corporations look for possible profits from this environmental catastrophe. In the arctic region, the decreasing ice could facilitate the access to hidden natural resources, especially enormous oil and gas fields. Predictions of ice-free arctic summers also stimulate investments related to traditionally impassable trade routes between Russia, North America and Europe. (Spiegel)

As scientists publish more evidence on humans' influence on global warming, the US government remains inattentive to the speed of global climate change. Meanwhile, the US Congress seems to wait "for permission from lobbyists" to take action and would probably only get involved "if they thought Dubai was behind global warming." This Washington Post article argues that US authorities have run out of excuses for their inaction to regulate industries' harmful emissions.

According to the UN climate change bureau, many nations need to take tough measures to reach the Kyoto Protocol goal of decreasing carbon dioxide emissions 5% below 1990 levels until 2012. Governments' efforts can also include investments in clean energy projects in poor countries since they count against emissions back home. Nevertheless, with little progress in the EU and the US retreat from the protocol in 2001, global warming is further on the rise. (Reuters)

If fossil-fuel companies would include environmental damage, caused by the exploitation of oil resources, in their lost and profit accounts, the industries record profits would suddenly turn into enormous losses. The BBC argues that the world's poor suffer most from the environmental damage, with the worst still to come, while rich countries seem to care little about their "climate debt." As a first step, all governments should significantly cut their greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the use of environmental taxes to finance alternative energies.

Data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show an alarmingly sharp jump of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the major cause of global warming. Many scientists believe this may be the first evidence that climate change "is starting to produce itself" and therefore the planet could enter into a new phase of uncontrollable temperature increase. (Independent)

At the UN Climate Conference in Montreal, more than 180 countries worked towards an agreement on the second stage of the Kyoto Protocol. This article from The Independent reveals that, meanwhile, the US organized a "behind-the-scenes plan," aimed to draw together international corporations, think-tanks and academics to influence and "destroy" support for the climate change treaty.

Both rich and poor countries must address climate change if they want to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Stressing the connection between climate crisis and development, this document proposes a new approach based on "common but differentiated responsibilities." Specifically, governments should determine such responsibilities through an historical analysis of their past and present contributions to the climate crisis. (Friends of the Earth International)

Delegates from an estimated 190 countries are meeting for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal. The conference aims to develop a global strategy to address global warming, a big threat to younger generations. About 40 rich countries have signed the Kyoto Protocol, the only international treaty that spells out binding standards to curb gaseous emissions. But the US, which is "the top consumer of emission-polluting energy", still rejects the Protocol. (Reuters)

The relationship between poverty and climate change is much closer than many people think. Man-made greenhouse gases are exacerbating drought and famine conditions in Africa, and most scientists consider global warming "the biggest single threat to the world today." This article warns that the Gleneagles agreement on debt relief will not decrease poverty unless it is attached to a strong action plan on climate change. (Independent)

Even though the majority of the scientific community considers global warming a concrete threat, the US opposes the Kyoto protocol because it is "too costly." The 2001 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that "most of the warming observed over the past 50 years is attributable to human activities." Environmental disasters in the US such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed the high costs of failing to take action on global climate change. (Seattle Times)

At the 2005 annual meeting, the World Bank attempted to stake a claim of leadership in the global climate debate. According to the Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, while the Bank talks a lot about climate-friendly formulas, in practice, it supports export-oriented oil extraction. In doing so, it even ignores the recommendations of its own commissions. A multilateral framework of the UN should deal with climate problems, rather than the World Bank, which is "an unrepresentative institution that profits from fossil fuels and carbon trading."

Not all companies oppose government environmental regulation of their activities. During a conference on climate change and the role of corporations, several companies lobbied for new industry-wide rules and policies, reasoning that "it is regulation that creates the market." This article argues that governments do not act because they are siding "with the dirty companies against the clean ones." (Guardian)

Africa, a continent already suffering from extreme poverty and epidemics of AIDS and malaria, will be the hardest hit by global warming, according to a report by the Working Group on Climate Change and Development. As temperatures rise, desertification threatens land for farming and grazing. Conflicts over natural resources could prove even deadlier and more violent than the civil wars that have shaken the African continent in the past. Tragically, African countries will pay the highest price for climate change that is caused by much wealthier industrial countries. (Independent)

Struggling to survive in the competitive global market, poor countries have resorted in the past to cutting down their virgin rainforests. Now faced with the challenge of global warming and rising carbon emissions, these countries, led by Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea, have proposed a way to reduce greenhouse emissions while promoting development. Joseph Stiglitz reports on why rich countries should take heed. (Project Syndicate)

With strong evidence that significant changes in the global climate will occur over the next century, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned in a report that global warming will pose a risk to global food security. Climate changes will include increased flooding and "extreme weather events" as well as drier climates and more droughts for other parts of the world. (Reuters)

New Zealand has become the first country in the world to introduce a tax on carbon emissions. By making polluting energy sources such as coal and oil more expensive than cleaner ones, New Zealand intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The government says the new tax will also have a beneficial impact on the economy in the long run, as timely action will make it easier for New Zealand to comply with stricter norms in the future. (Guardian)

As a result of rising temperatures and deforestation, the ice cap on Mount Kilimanjaro is melting, decreasing the water supply to the lowland areas around the mountain. Scientists warn that the greenhouse effect will have a devastating impact on communities around Kilimanjaro and across Africa unless rich countries take decisive and concerted action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Already suffering from poverty, food insecurity and conflicts, Africa is particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming. (Integrated Regional Information Networks)

Long viewed as separate issues, African poverty and global warming have become increasingly interconnected. Warming climate and failures of rainfall contribute not only to chronic hunger but also to the onset of violence when hungry people clash over scarce food and water, says Jeffrey Sachs in this Project Syndicate article.

After years of arguing and lingering, the Kyoto Protocol is finally about to go into force. By refusing to sign the treaty, the United States not only ignores scientific evidence and contributes to acceleration of global warming, it also hurts its own interests, says this Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial.

Millions of Africans already struggling with poverty and disease will suffer most from the global warming crisis unless the major producers of greenhouse gases substantially reduce their emissions. According to Nigerian scientist Anthony Nyong, a rise in temperature and a drop in rainfall will lead to major shortages in highly water-stressed African countries that depend on agriculture for food and export earnings. (Reuters)

This article by the senior climate change negotiator in the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, asserts that the Kyoto treaty's most important contribution does not lie in its environmental agenda. Instead, Kyoto reveals how countries increasingly shape the international and environmental agenda without the US. The author stresses that the US may pay a high political and economic cost for this isolation. (International Herald Tribune)

Even though rich countries are overwhelmingly responsible for global climate change, poor countries bear both the highest environmental and economic costs. Greenpeace and the New Economics Foundation accuse rich countries of hypocrisy by revealing that the countries annually spend $73 billion on polluting while providing only a paltry $0.41 billion in additional funds to help poor countries to manage their emissions. (Common Dreams)

Development and environment agencies warn in a new report that global climate change hits primarily poor communities and hinders them from achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The report concludes that governments must face the inseparable challenges of poverty and a rapidly warming global climate. (New Economics Foundation)

This Inter Press Service article analyzes the effects of Russia's endorsement of the Kyoto Protocol and argues that the quota system on emissions will affect trade of emission rights rather than the real target - the environment. By allowing corporations to purchase or sell their quotas, the protocol fails in pushing companies to introduce environmental technology and decrease emissions.

Scientists are predicting that global climate change will have substantial effect on environmental conditions, causing damage to the infrastructure, economy and public health in India. Increased malaria, frequent tropical cyclones, and acute water shortages are among the expected results. (Science and Development Network)

The Kyoto Protocol will become legally effective for all signatories, with Russia's ratification. Though the international community prepares for this breakthrough, the US continues to rebut the agreement. Accepting that this will not change, and highlighting the urgent need for improved environmental policies, this article suggests the alternative of US-based bilateral and trans-Atlantic climate change agreements. (International Herald Tribune)

The World Resources Institute (WRI) argues that, despite a decade since the ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, global warming is worsening due to the "collective failure" of governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A report, commissioned by the Pentagon, declares that global warming "requires immediate action" following recent evidence of a "dire climate scenario" unfolding. Greenpeace criticizes that despite these warnings from the Pentagon, the World Bank continually fails to promote renewable energy in its lending programs with 94% of all energy loans devoted to oil projects.

Friends of the Earth International examines ExxonMobil's contribution to global climate change over its 120 year existence. The company is responsible for 5 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, 70 percent of the emissions came after 1967, when scientists first warned about the consequences for the global climate. (Inter Press Service)

A British study claims that climate change presents the most severe problem to today's world. The study criticizes the US – producer of 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions – for refusing to join international efforts to slow global warming. Instead of regulating its industries, the US relies on market-based incentives and voluntary action. (Independent)

While Nepal contributes little to the global emissions of greenhouse gases, the country increasingly suffers the consequences of global warming. Climate changes cause receding snow lines in the Himalayas, which in turn lead to lake bursts and flash floods that threaten to wash away vast areas of the country. (OneWorld)

According to a survey, 79 percent of US citizens think that the US government should curb its greenhouse gas emissions. A majority believes that cutting greenhouse gas emissions will benefit the environment without hurting the economy. (National Wildlife Federation)

This article reports that global warming causes 160,000 deaths each year from diseases and starvation, following extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods. The Environment News Service calls on Russia to promptly ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which could contribute to halting climate change.

Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to commit to ratifying the Kyoto Protocol on the climate change convention. Environmental groups fear that without Russia's support, the Kyoto Protocol may not come into force, and that the legal enforcement of greenhouse gas reductions in rich countries will remain wishful thinking. (Guardian)

With a radical increase in natural disasters and climate temperature, scientists contend that global warming grows as threatening as terrorist activities. Yet President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair fail to recognize the eminent danger of not joining world efforts to curb global warming. (Guardian)

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change released six working papers examining the increasing negative impact global warming has on economies and trade. Regardless of when or if countries sign the Kyoto treaty to reduce emissions, all will have to make long-term policy and mobilize resources to address the issue.

Bush administration's refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol not only ignores real environmental dangers but also severely strains relations with US traditional allies. This reflects Washington's failure to understand the growing strategic importance of the climate issue in international relations.(International Herald Tribune)

In an implicit challenge to US President Bush, Britain will commit to cutting carbon emissions by 50% by 2050, a target surpassing even the Kyoto protocol. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will also pressure the US to cut consumption of fossil fuels, dismissing the US argument that cutting carbon emissions threatens economic growth. (Guardian)

The Carbon Disclosure Project aims to convince companies that mitigating climate change by cutting carbon emissions may be in their best financial interest. The campaign represents one way to promote environmentally sound business practices to parties ultimately interested in the bottom line. (Inter Press Service)

UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher writes that the global warming crisis isn't as bad as we think – it's worse. Like a body worn from fever, the Earth cannot cope with the current rate of human biocarbon production much longer before it collapses. (Guardian)

Scientists believe that Africans suffering from food shortages across the continent may represent some of the first victims of climate change, as highly unusual weather patterns have left fields barren. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the effects of global warming will continue to intensify water shortages, hunger, and disease. (Washington Post)

Andrew Simms of the New Economics Foundation proposes ways to get the US on board the Kyoto treaty on global warming. He argues that if a "reasoned approach" doesn't work, and the US continues to ignore signs of climate change, "things might have to turn nasty." (The Guardian)

A combination of drought followed by floods has destroyed rice crops and left hundreds of thousands of people vulnerable to a food crisis in Cambodia. The World Food Programme calls for more attention to climatic abnormalities, stating that, "To ignore the threat of climate change is to gamble with people's lives.'' (Reuters)

The World Bank recently set up a multi-million dollar fund to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet it continues to fund projects that include toxin-emitting waste incinerators. Monica Williams of Essential Action says, "''They are either willfully deceiving people, or simply, their right hand does not know what the left is doing." (Inter Press Service)

Outside the UN Conference on Climate Change in Delhi, Indian people hardest hit by environmental degradation and natural disasters including fish workers, indigenous peoples, rickshaw pullers and street children convened to discuss climate change "from a human rights, social justice and labor perspective." (Corpwatch)

Proposals to adapt to climate change, rather than to address its causes, dominated the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in New Delhi. The priority shift suited both the Bush administration, which opposes limiting fossil fuel consumption, and developing countries that claim resource consumption will help them rise out of poverty. (New York Times)

A UN report warns that poor people in mountainous areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change and "insensitive" approaches to economic development. (Guardian)

A United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Finance Initiatives report warns that human-induced climate change poses grave economic and social risks. The financial sector and businesses "can make a real difference through harnessing the new market instruments and mechanisms made possible by the Kyoto Protocol."

NGOs are concerned that a World Bank offer of $8 million to fund a privately built biomass project is actually "a way for developed countries to dodge binding commitments to cut greenhouse gases" by earning carbon credits without making internal reforms. (Inter Press Service)

The clean development mechanism (CDM) gives industrialized countries incentives to promote environmentally-friendly projects in developing countries. The plan works in coordination with recent global commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Africa Recovery United Nations)

G8 leaders remain divided on the Kyoto Protocol as Canada puts off ratification to further consult with national energy producers. Frustrated European leaders are hoping Canada will not join the US in abandoning the protocol. (Reuters)

All spin, is Krugman's verdict on the content-devoid proposal by the Bush administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, this proposal – a stand-in for the rejected Kyoto Protocol – sanctions unbridled increase. (New York Times)

The United Nations Weather Agency says that the temperature in 2001 will probably be the second highest in 140 years. The rise in temperature seem to be attributed to the greenhouse effect, leading to an increase in storms, droughts and other unusual weather conditions. (Associated Press)

Governments reach a deal on terms for implementing the Kyoto Protocol. The treaty aims at fighting global warming and expects to be ratified by the major industrial countries, except the United States. (Environment News Service)

The United Nations resumes talks to limit global warming. The meeting seeks to establish a legal agreement for nations to cut greenhouse gas and allow countries to ratify the Kyoto protocol. But world's main polluter, the United States, is not present. (Reuters)

As climate talks launch in Bonn today, some US citizens, especially in the Arctic Village, are already feeling the effects of the global warming their president chooses to ignore. (Guardian)

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) applauds the initiative of more than 90 companies, which lobbied governments to finalize the Kyoto Protocol. The original aim of the initiative was to engage 55 companies across the world by the time of the Bonn climate summit, which opens on July 16 – an aim that has already been accomplished. (WWF)

Delegates from 127 countries have adopted a global treaty banning 12 highly toxic chemicals, but the tension between the US and Europe over the Kyoto treaty still remains. (International Herald Tribune)

President Bush's new energy plan, which emphasizes increasing domestic production of oil, gas and nuclear power, is according to Australian Greens leader Senator Bob Brown "a combination of Exxon Valdez and Chernobyl". (Reuters)

Danish Environment Minister Svend Auken urged the US not to obstruct the drafting of the UN's Kyoto Protocol on global warming, by bringing on its own proposals. (Agence France Presse)

The EU Environment Commissioner told Reuters that since the traditional US allies, Canada, Japan and Australia, are so dependent on the US economy, they may well follow the US move to abandon the Kyoto protocol.

Vice President Dick Cheney declared that the US need to build up to 1,900 new power stations over the next 20 years to meet the rising energy demands. On average that would be one a week! (The Scotsman)

In the informal talks on climate change held in New York, the EU said it will ratify the Kyoto treaty on climate change, even if the United States carries out its threat to pull out of the process. (BBC Online)

An international conference of environmentalists has called for a worldwide boycott of United States oil companies after President Bush declared his opposition to the Kyoto treaty. (BBC)

A cross-party committee of MPs in the UK has launched a campaign urging Coca-Cola's customers around the world to persuade the company into backing the Kyoto protocol. (Guardian)

The European Union has said it is willing to renegotiate parts of the Kyoto protocol on global warming to accommodate the United States. (BBC online)

After the US government's decision to abandon the Kyoto protocol, Europe and Japan complained that the Bush world view is not mere passive isolationism. It is more like to-hell-with-you-ism. (Atlanta Journal and Constitution)

Joshua Karliner says that unless G.W. Bush change his mind about abandoning the Kyoto treaty, "it's going to be "G" for global, "W" for warming, Bush from now on." (CorpWatch)

While claiming to remain engaged on global warming, the Bush administration seeks to unsign the Kyoto protocol. This act will probably delay action on global warming for several years. (Washington Post)

EU leaders urge US President George W. Bush to change his position on climate change and adhere to the Kyoto protocol to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. (Associated Press)

George Bush has abandoned his campaign promise to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide. According to Vice President Dick Cheney, promising to regulate carbon dioxide "was a mistake." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

The G8 states said they would aim to finalize the 1997 Kyoto agreement, on cutting pollution. No G8 country has yet ratified the Kyoto protocol. (Reuters)

A summary of all that happened at the climate change negotiations in the Hague.(International Institute for Sustainable Development)

The summit was brought to an abrupt end due to disagreement between industrial powers on opposite sides of the Atlantic over methods to cut down green house gases . (New York Times)

Vanuatu is the first country to enter a UN program that aims to help small island developing nations to achieve 100% renewable energy economies. The archipelago, currently dependent on oil imports, plans to reach total self-sufficiency by 2020. (Environment News Service)

This Think Tank Monitor Article reveals how the coal industry sponsored a report showing that minority populations will suffer most if the Kyoto agreement passes the US Senate.

When ministers get together in November to discuss the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, they have to reach an agreement or the entire process is in danger of falling apart, says a high-ranking UN official. (Reuters)

Launched in December, 1999, the $1.3 billion satellite named Terra has begun to collect data that scientists hope will provide desperately needed understanding of the way land, sea and air interact with each other and with clouds, vegetation and airborne compounds to influence global climate. (Washington Post)

A preliminary analysis conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sponsored by the UN and the World Meteorological Organization, shows that the planet's climate and the earth's surface is likely to warm 2 degrees to 9 degrees fahrenheit by the end of the 21st century. (Washington Post)

Global Warming is causing the Arctic town of Sachs Harbour to sink as it is softening the permafrost that supports it. (Southam News)

In an effort to extend participation and help ensure that the process is transparent, the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC) web site provides live coverage of all COP5 plenary meetings. To view, click on the link "Internet Broadcast".

Article about upcoming climate meeting in Bonn, Germany reports on Republican hold up of US's ratification of the 1997 Kyoto protocol and the fear that without US participation the protocal can have little effect. (Radio Netherlands/ Common Dreams News Center)

An article from Associated Press about an opening of the UN climate-change conference in Bonn to continue the painstaking process of defining reductions in greenhouse gases specified in a 1997 protocol approved in Kyoto, Japan.

ENDS Daily article on the outcome of the Bonn Climate Change Convention, noting that much was left for future meetings, and the discussion over flexibility mechanisms is far from over.

ENDS Dailyarticle on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn, Germany addressing the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and preparations for the meeting of representatives this fall.

UNFCCC Press Release stating the goals of the meeting in Bonn, including measures to elaborate on the nature, scope and implementation of the flexibility mechanisms listed in the Kyoto Protocol.

Reuters article on the efforts of the EU to meet their Kyoto targets in greenhouse gas emissions, facing criticism from the US for focusing on energy taxes rather than tradable permits.

In the interest of efficiency, the World Bank is attempting to control the new market in carbon emissions

Startling new findings coming out of the Hadley Centre for Climate Change

Michael Kahn on the dangers of a melting Antarctic glacier and its possible severe consequences.

Big changes have to be made to fight global warming UK minister said.

Statement by the International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations at the Third Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Kyoto, Japan.

'Urban Tech 21' facility introduced to help developing countries reduce their emissions of heat-trapping gases that cause global warming.

The business-oriented Earth Council proposes the trading of pollution rights as an approach to global abatement of carbon emissions. This is an extension of proposals that were first introduced in the United States and have had dubious results.

David Edwards discusses the campaign to trivialize global warming and the complicity of the press.

Article by David Helvarg shows how giant energy corporations influence discussions and political decisions on global warming. See also July 1996 Reuters article on corporations and the UN climate negotiations. And a review of Helvarg's book.

Dispatch from the NY Times News Service about a UN report on the dangers of global warming

A substantial document issued in 1996 that outlines human rights claims to protect people from industrial pollution, toxic wastes, and the like. Inspired by tragedies like Bhopal and Chernobyl.

Paper presented by Greenpeace expert Jeremy Leggett to a conference on Global Warming in December, 1995. Other papers, presenting diverse views, including those inclined to dismiss the evidence for global warming, can be found at the conference site.