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COP 26 - UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE
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COP FLOP DIRTY DOZEN - HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
2021: COP
26, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
One shining ray of hope is Canada's Justin Trudeau, stomping on oil and gas emissions, and around 100 countries agreeing to halt deforestation by 2030, presumably meaning replanting sustainably, to allow for the harvesting of wood for eco builds.
One of the outstanding issues is fossil fuel subsidies, artificially sustaining oil, gas and coal as being cheaper than renewables. These subsidies for climate deniers must cease, to level the playing field for solar and wind power, and a green hydrogen-fuel based economy.
The biggest blow to progress at COP26 is probably the absence of Xi Jinping, in that China is the dirtiest country in the world, still reliant on coal to underpin the manufacture of cheap products, as suppliers to the rest of the world. But how can that be justified? Why are global corporations investing in a country where coal is accelerating the rate of climate change. Big players such as Tesla and other OEM motor manufacturers are all guilty of encouraging coal-fueled industry in China. Why not source or manufacture locally. It may well be cheaper in the long term, if you factor in the cost of global warming. There is no point buying an electric car in an effort to go green, if the battery comes from a country reliant on fossil fuels to make those packs. The whole exercise is counter-productive. Silly, billies!
Given the reluctance of fossil fool countries to change, it makes sense to assist green innovators to undo the harm they are doing with alternatives, such as the acceleration of hydrogen production and distribution, by way of the development of an infrastructure. In order to speed that along, the World Intellectual Property Organization might come to the rescue with concessions for green patents.
If green tech could be accelerated so that green hydrogen could undercut coal and oil, or at least compete on equal terms, cost wise. Then, coal mining and exports might cease. The same for oil. We need a carbon tax to level the playing field, until then. To eliminate imports that appear cheap, but are climate expensive.
SUPERHEATED ECONOMY & CHEAP IMPORTS - It's no longer a bowl of rice a day in China, they want western luxury, executive cars instead of cycles and rickshaws - and worst of all - military might. Set against this developing scenario, why are so many big players having goods Made in China? Imports are not cheap if you are pushing out masses of CO2 into the atmosphere, because of the cost to our environment. Goods from China that can be certified made using renewable electricity, and zero emission transport - now that's a whole new ballgame. Xi Jinping will not attend COP26, where he will be told off by Greta Thunberg for sure. His administration is cooking the books using coal. The expansion bubble is already showing signs of bursting, with Evergrande. All over China, dozens of high-rises continually spring up, spread across spaces the size of several football fields. The rush to build has caused numerous problems, including risky finances, poor construction – dramatically demonstrated in viral footage of the mass demolition of 15 high-rises in the city of Kunming – and huge oversupply. Analysts have estimated 90 million people could be housed in the empty properties. The value of home sales has fallen by 20% year on year in the wake of tougher regulation. Does Xi Jinping know what he is doing?
On the flip side, at the UN General Assembly 2021, Jinping announced that China “will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad”. Chinese banks then swung into gear. Three days after Xi’s speech, the Bank of China declared it would no longer provide financing for new coal mining and power projects outside China from the last quarter of 2021. So, Xi may have a lot on his plate with 3 day working weeks and power outages, but he is doing a bit here and a bit there. Come on Mr Jinping, we know you can do a whole lot better. Why not put China centre stage of a massive world clean up.
IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD - COP 26 DOCUMENT LEAK - TELEGRAPH 21 OCTOBER 2021
Cop26 document leak shows the countries lobbying to alter crucial UN climate report.
Over 32,000 submissions have been made by governments, companies and other parties to scientists compiling a UN report on climate change.
The documents include more than 32,000 submissions made by governments and other global stakeholders to a team of climate experts. The group is putting together a UN report intended to collate the best scientific evidence on how to get to grips with global warming.
A senior Australian government official repudiated the judgement arguing for the closure of coal-fired power plants - despite reducing coal dependency being a key objective of the Cop26 meeting. Australia is a major coal producer.
COAL
SHOULD BE OUTLAWED -
In a world racing to reduce pollution, Australia is a stark outlier.
In our view, Prime Minister Scott
Morrison is a climate criminal. Australia is one of the dirtiest countries per head of population and a massive global supplier of fossil fuels. Unusually for a rich nation, it also still burns coal for most of its electricity.
Odd, when they have so much desert to install solar panels, with which
to produce green hydrogen.
WHAT A WASTE - It's bad enough that the power to build these properties was generated by coal, but the unregulated building boom and bust, is a waste of earth's resources. Building projects should be sustainable and necessary. Not an investment opportunity to get rich. Where are the affordable (zero carbon) homes in China? Chinese policies appear to be all wrong. How many tons of coal, and building material imports were wasted on these developments? They are not the only kleptocrats. There is a building boom in England, and many other countries. You will note the absence of solar panels or solar water heaters on these buildings.
IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE
Planet earth can produce only so much food and grow so much timber. In our view the agricultural food limitation (security) should be the recognised Standard for all Member Nations to abide by, as a basic rule. The prickly question for the land of thistles, is will this be on the 2021 agenda?
We imagine that farming should be changed and old fashioned house building must stop. It's not that difficult an equation really. We know the earth's physical dimensions. We know how much agricultural land is available, and how much seafood the oceans may provide sustainably. From this we can calculate the population our planet can provide food for. Given that with other factors, it may be a lower figure than might be theoretically possible.
The same applies to renewable energy production. If the UN have not done so, it's time there was the world equivalent of an international Domesday Book. The Domesday Book was commissioned in December 1085 by William the Conqueror, where, having invaded England he wanted to know how much he could milk the population for, by way of taxes.
THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT, DOMESDAY BOOK - The book is metaphorically called by the native English, Domesday, i.e., the Day of Judgement. For as the sentence of that strict and terrible last account cannot be evaded by any skilful subterfuge, so when this book is appealed to on those matters which it contains, its sentence cannot be quashed or set aside with impunity. That is why we have called the book "the Book of Judgement", ... not because it contains decisions on various difficult points, but because its decisions, like those of the Last Judgement, are unalterable. Our prediction is that the COP26 talks will yield very little, if they cannot get commitment from China and Russia. That being the case, the remainder of the world needs to enact policies to constrain (insofar as is possible) the irresponsible development outside the boundaries of the natural world.
We can also assign a value to a country based on useable land area, and from that calculate how much currency they may print. Banks would not be able to lend above the genuine GDP, based on sustainable use of land.
They teach basic housekeeping at schools as domestic science. Why is it that politicians don't get it?
Today a career in politics, especially in the UK, involves juggling, tightrope walking, white makeup and a big red nose.
ACTION NOT WORDS - At 2019 end, 470 hydrogen stations were operating worldwide, 1/1200th of what is required. How can the World Intellectual Property Organization accelerate Green Patents, using a system that has remained unaltered for decades?
SIX (SUGGESTED) STEPS TOWARD A COOLER PLANET
1. TRANSPORT: Phase out polluting vehicles. Governments aim to end the sale of new petrol, and diesel vehicles by 2040 but have no infrastructure plan to support such ambition. Such infrastructure should exceed the performance of fossil fuel filling stations, prolong EV battery life and provide power grids with a measure of load leveling. Any such system should seek to obviate the provision of millions of fast charge points to include fuel cell cars, where implementation could otherwise prove to be a logistical nightmare. This may involve international agreement as to energy storage format and statute to steer OEM vehicle makers to collaborate as to future proofing, to include green hydrogen.
Marine transport can be carbon neutral given the right policy incentives, with phased transition in specific stages such as not to unduly penalize present investment in LNG shipping and other recent MARPOL compliant IC powered vessels. Future cargo vessel should be at least in part powered by renewable solar and/or wind energy, on the road to zero carbon, making allowances for technology catch-up. A scrappage scheme might encourage fleet operators to accelerate shipping upgrades, and a fund for radical innovation that would not otherwise qualify under in-situ programmes (such as Horizon Europe) might be introduced - with fast-track, reduced, form-filling and open-loop decision making, such that applications may be tweaked rather than struck out.
Air travel powered by kerosene should attract hefty mitigation offset, where low carbon alternatives should be encouraged such as electric air transport.
2. RENEWABLES: Renewable energy should replace carbon-based fuels (coal, oil and gas) in our electricity for homes, factories, heating and transport. Coal and nuclear power plants should be phased out.
3. HOUSING: On site micro or macro generation is the best option, starting with new build homes that are both affordable and sustainable by design to replace crumbling housing stocks. Encourage building in timber to provide carbon lock from a renewable natural resource. Planning policies should be updated to outlaw unsustainable development, with harsh financial penalties for kleptocratic local authorities, especially those with a history of corrupt practices (from historic similar fact evidence files).
4. AGRICULTURE: We need to grow more trees to absorb carbon emissions from a growing population, unregulated/unrestricted air travel. New homes should be timber where practical as a priority. We should promote reductions in food waste and the eating of foods that use less energy to produce. Educate children on these matters in schools and via campaigns such as no meat Mondays, should be part of ordinary study. Polluted fish from fisheries, might be replaced with fish farmed by aquaculture inland, rather than risk carcinogens from our seas.
5. INDUSTRY: Factories should be aiming for solar heating and onsite renewable energy generation. EV parking and even service facilities should be part of new industrial estates as part of any building permissions - with subsidies or tax reductions as incentives to property developers.
6. POLITICS: - National governing bodies need to adopt rules to eliminate administrative wastages, to include scaling down spending on (showboat) war machines, increasing spend on educating the public and supporting sustainable social policies that mesh with other cultures. This includes fostering policies and making funds available to close links in the technology chain to make up for lost time. Kleptocratic empire building must cease in the search for natural equilibrium.
International aid should not be provided to regions that cannot support life naturally. Land reclamation should be outlawed, and a solid currency system based on the ability of the planet to provide food for a growing population, such as a $Food Standard, such as to index link food production (security) to prevent unrestricted (artificial) money lending and superheated economies. There should be a policies of zero trust and full accountability.
Taxes collected from citizens in any form should only be spent on services they are collected for. Road Fund Licenses, for road building, National Health Insurance Contributions, for health facilities, etc., not 5% on the charged for item. The spend of other taxes such as Income and Value Added, should be fully accounted for to prevent slush fund payouts, for defence contracts, for example. If you are going to build more warships, then call it a Defence Tax. Start being honest with the electorate.
All policies should be SDG and Human Rights compliant, with exceptions needing to be openly qualified and justified, with a genuinely effective remedy (right of challenge) to a higher national tribunal/court at every level, and with an easy path to the International Court of Justice, where a national remedy conflicts and obfuscation is identified. A lack of transparency and accountability would be one of the main reasons for challenge - because such decision making is highly suspect.
TOO SLOW BOJO, UK POLITICS, ALL TALK - Boris Johnson's Government have been a little slow to introduce policies and tax breaks to gird the loins of the energy industry to change from coal, oil and gas, to green hydrogen from wind turbines and solar farms. His inability to read world change and act decisively to create a sustainable society, has just about halved pensioner's savings in real terms in the UK. Nice one Bojo. Should save a few bob on the NHS bill, when the elderly cannot afford heating, so pass away from hypothermia. At least the US seems to be back on track now that the other clown in politics has been de-throned.
1995 COP
1,
BERLIN, GERMANY
2020 COP 26/CMP 16/CMA 5, Glasgow, Scotland 2021 COP 26/ Glasgow, Scotland 1-12 November 2022 COP 27/ Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 6-18 November 2023 COP 28/ Expo City, Dubai, UAE, 30 Nov - 12 Dec 2024 COP 29/ Absheron, Baku, Azerbaijan 11 - 24 November
DESERTIFICATION COP HISTORY
BIODIVERSITY COP HISTORY
CONTACTS
Floor 3
info@climateactionprogramme.org
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58982445
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The 26th session of the UNFCCC was originally scheduled to take place from 9-19 November 2020, in Glasgow, UK. On 28 May 2020, the COP Bureau decided that it would take place from 1-12 November 2021, in Glasgow, UK
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