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Beijing (AFP) Oct 7, 2010 China's capital Beijing on Thursday shared the title of most polluted city in the country, as delegates from around the world worked in nearby Tianjin towards a deal to combat global warming. The China Environmental Monitoring Centre rated both Beijing and the central city of Zhengzhou as having "slightly polluted" air -- a rating of III2 on scale from I (excellent) to V (hazardous). The US embassy in Beijing, however, qualified the air as "hazardous" in its own measurements made available on the popular microblogging site Twitter (http://twitter.com/beijingair). At the joint WTA/ATP China Open in the north of the capital, organisers were forced to turn on the floodlights on the stadium courts at about 4:00 pm (0800 GMT) due to the poor visibility, an AFP correspondent witnessed. The pollution level could not be attributed to Beijing's infamous traffic jams, as the capital's roads were mainly clear on the last day of a week-long national holiday. The talks in Tianjin, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) from Beijing, are part of long-running efforts through the United Nations to secure a post-2012 treaty to limit global warming and avoid potential environmental catastrophes. After being blamed by many in the developed world for derailing a summit in Copenhagen last year, China has insisted it wants to foster a spirit of cooperation at this week's talks. China is now the world's largest source of greenhouse gases and its emissions continue to increase as its economy expands at near double-digit pace. It pledged last year to slow the growth in those emissions by reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by 40-45 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. That is essentially a vow of greater energy efficiency that would likely, however, see emissions continue to increase, and officials have so far rejected suggestions that Beijing commit to emissions cuts and outside verification.
earlier related report More than 7,000 events to fight climate change will be held in at least 180 countries around the world on Sunday, with the day gaining massive support largely through 350.org, tcktcktck.org and other Internet-based groups. "I congratulate you on your work and I want to offer my personal support to the... Global Work Party," UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said in a video message posted on tcktcktck. "I urge you to continue your inspiring work. When citizens are inspired to take action, it is easier for governments to initiate real climate change action." Figueres recorded the video message from the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, where a week of UN talks on trying to secure a global deal on tackling climate change remained in gridlock. The talks, which are due to end on Saturday, are aimed at laying the foundations for progress at a UN climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico, next month. But the conference has so far been unable to heal the deep rifts between developed and developing countries that led to the failure by world leaders to broker a binding deal in Copenhagen last year. Figueres said the Global Work Party could help push governments into making compromises in their efforts to forge a treaty. "That is exactly what governments need to rally around urgently," she said of the grassroots campaign. "They need to be determined to arrive at compromises that move the world towards winning the battle against climate change." Events on Sunday will include tree planting, installation of solar panels, bicycle riding and planting of organic vegetables. Organisers are describing it as "the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history". As part of the event, Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed will install a set of solar panels on his roof. In China and India, more than 300 universities will join in a student clean energy competition. In Afghanistan, students will plant hundreds of trees in a valley outside Kabul.
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Host China plugs its climate efforts at UN talksTianjin, China (AFP) Oct 7, 2010 China has seized on its hosting of UN climate talks this week to showcase its efforts to curb carbon emissions, and environmentalists say the top greenhouse gas polluter is making huge progress. China's phenomenal economic growth has made it the biggest source of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, and those emissions will continue to soar due to its dependence on carbon-belching coa ... read more |
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