. Earth Science News .




.
CLIMATE SCIENCE
At climate talks, an African approach to tackling deadlock
by Staff Writers
Durban, South Africa (AFP) Dec 5, 2011


To the European eye, the leafless black tree that is the logo of the UN climate talks here looks alarmingly like the symbol used back home to denote containers of toxic waste.

To the African eye, though, the picture represents something quite different.

It is a baobab, the slow-growing giant which in many villages provides shelter from the sun and becomes a place where people meet and talk.

This totem of resilience and community is one of several ways in which host country South Africa is delving into African culture to try to ease negotiations that have been perilously deadlocked for years.

One gap-bridging technique is an "indaba," a word in the isiZulu language that refers to an informal forum where all can take part and all can voice their thoughts -- but they must also come with a desire to listen.

"In successful indabas, participants come with open minds, motivated by the spirit of the common good, listening to each other to find compromises that will benefit the community as a whole," says the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on its website.

Last week, the South African presidency of the 12-day UNFCCC gathering held three indabas, touching on some of the issues that have so badly divided the world's nations.

They include sharing out responsibility for reducing greenhouse gases that stoke global warming, the future of the Kyoto Protocol and setting up a super-fund to help poor countries most exposed to climate change.

More indabas are expected this week.

Informal talks under the presidency of the host country are a vital part of the nearly two-decade-old ritual of climate negotiations.

But some of these contacts are far more successful than others. Two years ago, Denmark's presidency was hugely criticised for being hard-edged and clumsy.

The Copenhagen Summit came within an inch of fiasco, saved only at the last minute by a lowest-common-denominator deal agreed behind closed doors by a handful of leaders.

In contrast, the mood was better last year in Cancun, where Mexico gained high marks for cajoling and coaxing a deal that restored some momentum to the damaged process.

"Just the fact that they are calling this an indaba has already put an African imprint on that consultation," UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres told AFP.

"It is the calling together of the elders to sit around a table when there is a divergence of opinion to listen to each other carefully in order to find collective wisdom for moving forward.

"That's a beautiful description of what is going on here, and has helped countries come to the table to not only put forward their positions but listen."

South Africa has also brought up some heavy moral weaponry to help its effort: the apartheid struggle.

It is being presented here as a victory for all against odds that for decades seemed overwhelming.

Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu recalled the long campaign at a rally on November 27 on the eve of the conference.

"Now we are facing another huge, huge enemy. And no one, no country can fight that enemy on his own... an enemy called global warming, climate change," the 80-year-old former archbishop said.

"We have only one home. This is the only home we have. And whether you are rich or poor, this is your only home ... you are members of one family, the human race."

Figueres invoked anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela as a source of inspiration, quoting him as saying, "It always seems impossible until it is done."

Whether, by Friday's close, African notions of inclusiveness and the soaring example of Mandela will overcome deep rifts of national interest remains unclear.

For optimists, baobabs are the perfect symbol of victory over adversity. Known as the "tree of life," they can be burnt or stripped of their bark, and they will just form new bark and carry on growing.

For pessimists, though, baobabs take more than 70 years to reach maturity. To have patience is one thing: but to be able to respond to an emergency is another.

Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation




.
.
Get Our Free Newsletters Via Email
...
Buy Advertising Editorial Enquiries




.

. 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



CLIMATE SCIENCE
China lays out conditions for legally binding climate deal
Durban, South Africa (AFP) Dec 4, 2011
China's top climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua on Sunday laid out conditions under which Beijing would accept a legally-binding climate deal that would go into force after 2020, when current voluntary pledges run out. The conditions included a renewal of carbon-cutting pledges by rich nations under the Kyoto Protocol, along with hundreds of billions of dollars in short- and long-term climate fin ... read more


CLIMATE SCIENCE
Web helps Bangkok's flood-hit pets find relief

Workers at Japan nuclear plant recall tsunami desperation

Swiss Re estimates Thai floods cost at $600 mn

Fresh radioactive runoff at Japan plant

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Japan baby formula shows radiation contamination

Dell abandons Android tablet in US

Smartphone snooping sparks lawsuits and denials

Microsoft adds voice search to Xbox Live

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Australian fish adapts to hotter waters: study

Danube's near-record lows strangle shipping

Mekong nations to meet on controversial Laos dam

From curses to sacrifices, S.Africa's deadly shark puzzle

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Scientists confirm Himalayan glacial melting

Simultaneous ice melt in Antarctic and Arctic

'Record-setting' change in warming Arctic: report

Drop in carbon dioxide levels led to polar ice sheet

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Plant seeds protect their genetic material against dehydration

Massive roof farm planned for Berlin

World Grain Production Down, But Recovering

Using Radiation to Sterilize Insect Pests

CLIMATE SCIENCE
No end to eruptions at Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano

Hundreds of houses collapse in China quake

Thailand floods a 'wake-up' call for Asia: ADB

Pakistan most affected by climate change

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Tough hunt for Lord's Resistance Army in central Africa

Liberia's Nobel Peace Laureate holds peace jamboree

S. Sudan battles to transform guerrilla army

Blair highlights China's role in aid for Africa

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Lighting the way to understanding the brain

Making Collective Wisdom Wiser

Scientists Uncover New Role for Gene in Maintaining Steady Weight

Malaysia tribes struggle with modern problems


.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2012 - Space Media Network. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal 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. 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. Privacy Statement