. Earth Science News .
CLIMATE SCIENCE
China's Xi demands developed nations pay for climate action
by Staff Writers
Le Bourget, France (AFP) Nov 30, 2015


Climate: Mugabe lashes out at 'miserly' West
Le Bourget, France (AFP) Nov 30, 2015 - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe lashed out at "miserly" developed nations at the UN climate summit Monday, accusing them of trying to shift the burden for curbing carbon emissions onto poor countries.

The elderly firebrand, who has a notoriously sour relationship with the West, said the developed nations were historically responsible for the "precarious climate environment we currently live in."

"It is unconscionable that not only are developed countries miserly in providing the means" for developing countries, "but also want inordinately to burden us with cleaning up the mess they themselves have created," he told the gathering.

Mugabe was among 150-plus heads of state and government attending the opening one-day summit of a two-week conference tasked with crafting the first-ever truly universal climate pact.

A key disagreement between rich and developing nations at the talks revolves around who should be doing what to curb climate-altering emissions from burning fossil fuels, and who should pay.

Mugabe said African countries were not to blame for climate change and had more at risk, as they did not have the money for shoring up defences against impacts such as droughts and rising seas.

"We cannot and we will not assume more obligations," he said. "Doing so will dent our development aspirations, and in particular our efforts to eradicate poverty."

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for rich nations to honour their commitment to provide $100 billion a year to developing countries to tackle climate change.

Xi told the UN climate summit in Paris that developed countries should accept "more shared responsibilities" for limiting global warming and helping poor countries adapt to a climate-afflicted world.

"Developed countries should honour their commitment of mobilising $100 billion each year from 2020 and provide stronger financial support to developing countries afterwards," Xi said, according to an official translation of his remarks.

"It is also important that climate-friendly technologies be transferred to developing countries."

Rich nations pledged at a UN summit in Copenhagen in 2009 to muster $100 billion (94 billion euros) annually in financial support to poor countries starting in 2020.

The money is meant to help them cut greenhouse gas emissions that drive global warming, as well as to adapt to rising sea levels, droughts and other potentially catastrophic impacts.

However, six years later poor nations are frustrated that rich countries are yet to fully commit to the fund.

The debate over the money highlights a long-standing feud between rich and poor nations over how to distribute responsibility for tackling climate change.

While China and the United States have pledged to work together to fight global warming, Xi made clear on Monday that poor nations should not have to sacrifice economic growth.

"Addressing climate change should not deny the legitimate needs of developing countries to reduce poverty and improve their people's living standards," Xi said.

"The Paris conference should reject the narrow minded mentality of a zero-sum game and call on all countries -- developed countries in particular -- to assume more shared responsibilities for win-win outcomes."

Rich nations acknowledge a historical responsibility for global warming.

But holding temperature increases below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) -- the UN-endorsed goal -- will be impossible if emerging giants such as China and India fail to step up their efforts, they argue.

China raises alarm over rising seas amid climate talks
Shanghai (AFP) Nov 30, 2015 - A new Chinese government report raises the alarm over rising sea levels caused by climate change which could potentially threaten the country's developed eastern coast, according to state media and the New York Times.

The release of the official report, now in its third edition, came shortly before the UN Conference of Parties (COP21) summit, which began on Monday with the aim of striking a global deal limiting dangerous climate change.

China is the world's second biggest economy but also its largest polluter, estimated to have released between nine and 10 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2013.

Beijing pledged last year to peak carbon dioxide output by "around 2030" -- suggesting at least another decade of growing emissions.

The government report said the sea levels off China's coast have risen 2.9 millimetres annually from 1980 to 2012, according to an article posted on a government-backed website, while glaciers shrank just over 10 percent since the 1970s.

Temperatures are rising at the rate of 1.5 degrees Celsius every 100 years and could jump a further 1.3 to 5.0 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, said the China Climate Change website, which operates under the state planner.

The New York Times said the report, which was compiled under the authority of the Ministry of Science and Technology, spells out "sombre scenarios" including threats to infrastructure from increased rainfall and melting permafrost, among the possible fallout from climate change.

"Climate change will make the urban conurbations along the coast the regions most affected by climate change nationwide," it cited the report as saying.

"Some cities may even face risks of massive disasters that are hard to forecast."

The report, called "The Third National Climate Change Assessment Report", cites projections that the sea off eastern China could rise between 40 to 60 centimetres by the end of the century compared to 20th century averages, the newspaper said.

A separate study by US-based research group Climate Central predicted that China would be the country hit hardest by rising sea levels if global temperatures rose by four degrees Celsius.

It estimated some 145 million people live in Chinese cities and coastal areas that would eventually become ocean were warming to be that high.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Climate can grind mountains faster than they can be rebuilt
Corvallis OR (SPX) Nov 30, 2015
Researchers for the first time have attempted to measure all the material leaving and entering a mountain range over millions of years and discovered that glacial erosion can, under the right circumstances, wear down mountains faster than plate tectonics can build them. A study of the St. Elias Mountains on the Alaskan coast by researchers from The University of Texas at Austin, University ... read more


CLIMATE SCIENCE
Russia causing 'environmental disaster' in Ukraine

Fukushima protective sea wall cracking

Climate change and conflict, a perfect storm

Brazil mining giant rejects UN anger over 'toxic' flood

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Plant defense as a biotech tool

Material universe yields surprising new particle

Inkjet hologram printing now possible

Chemical design made easier

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Increased carbon dioxide enhances plankton growth

Senegalese villages swallowed by the sea

Fish use smart camouflage mechanism in open ocean waters

CO2 keeps even small fry invasive carp at bay

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Adapting to -70 degrees in Siberia: A tale of Yakutian horses

Very large volcanic eruptions could lead to ice sheet instability

Sea level rise from Antarctic collapse may be slower than suggested

Sea ice loss associated with increased summer land use by polar bears

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Red clover genome to help restore sustainable farming

Study suggests bees aren't the be all and end all for crop pollination

French chefs cook up a storm for climate

Climate change threatens Tunisia olive farming

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Nicaragua volcano belches ash, causes fears of eruption

Great Barrier Reef protecting against landslides, tsunamis

Hurricane Sandra surges to Category 4 in Pacific

Flooding brings Qatar to near standstill

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Mugabe 'overjoyed' to host rare VIP visitor in China's Xi

China's Xi heads to Zimbabwe ahead of Africa summit

'Lay down your weapons', pope tells warring sides in C Africa

Massive 'development corridors' in Africa could spell environmental disaster

CLIMATE SCIENCE
China cloning pioneer offers vision of brave new world

Fossilized Homo erectus skull found in China

Clues emerge about the earliest known Americans

Human brains evolved to be more responsive to environmental influences









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.