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THE DON JONES INDEX… |
GAINS
POSTED in GREEN LOSSES
POSTED in RED |
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5/21/21…
14,204.82 5/14/21… 14,210.23 6/27/13… 15,000.00 |
DOW JONES INDEX: 5/14/21…34,021.55; 5/14/21…34,548.43; 6/27/13…15,000.00)
LESSON for May 21, 2021 – “DA FURRENERS do JOE!”
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Hopefully our
computer problems – whether caused by cybernetics or wetware (human beings –
evil human beings) are over and the Index is back online today, Friday, (or…
probably… Saturday, or… even more probably… Sunday). With a wink and a nod to the events of our
lost week… the good, vaxxing up, cases in America
down; the bad, war in the Mideast and plague rampant in Third World countries
like Brazil and India… we are going to resume listing some of the reactions
of world leaders who participated in the Earth Day Climate Summit, with the
addition of a few developments (mostly minor) since the global politicians
zoomed back to their respective constituencies (or, as in the case of a few
dictatorships, subjects). (See a listing of Joe’s invitees as Attachment One.) Not surprisingly, not one of the forty thie…
er, statesmen and women… categorically dismissed
the reality and dangers of climate change – the last to do so was an American
President who, in November, either 1) lost, or 2) was cheated out of his
re-election. The recount goes on in
Arizona, where the margin of victory and defeat was unassailable, and
overturning it (because Democrats either used paper ballots with threads of
bamboo… Chinese bamboo… that
magically transformed votes for Trump into votes for Biden or else they
scarpered with boxes of the same ballots, fed them to chickens and then, to
eliminate the witnesses, duly incinerated the birds – leading to a Democrat
sweep and a hefty spike in the price of poultry at the local grocery stores)
would not have changed the national outcome, but Arizones
will do what ‘Zones will do so the bamboo and the chickens remain at issue,
but even such friends of democracy as Vladimir Putin, Xi and Jair Bolsonaro at least paid a little lip service to at least
the concept that untrammeled use of fossil fuels is raising the temperature
of the planet. The points at issue,
then, became… for the wealthy nations adhering to the Paris accords,
supplemented by the newly enlightened United States of America… whether a so
called “tipping” point at which the Earth irrevocably becomes a tropic hell
such as Venus or South Georgia in July (or, as we are seeing this week, the
dog days of May) should be counted at one, one and one half, two or three degrees
Centigrade (a little more for the outliers who still use the Fahrenheit
scale. The poor countries, and it must
at least be termed a miracle that they were allowed into the sanctuary of the
great and powerful, predictably wanted somebody to blame, and that somebody
was the aforesaid plutocrats of the G-20 and NATO and Davos. (Among those excluded, Pakistan, Malaysia and Morocco squawked…
fruitlessly.) On hand, instead, were the European Council, European Union
and European Commission – all of a type: white, affluent and oh-so-concerned
about those poor, coal-burning Poles and South Africans. Some honesty came
from an unexpected source… Vladimir Putin… who promised Russia would be free
of its carbon shackles by 2050 (a date that most Westerners feel would come
too late to save the planet). Last
winter, the dictator had dismissed rumblings of climate change – like his
bro, Donald Trump. Putin had cast doubt on the man-made origins of
global warming, saying "nobody knows the origins of global climate
change." "We know that in the history of our Earth there
have been periods of warming and cooling and it could depend on processes in
the universe," Putin said. "A small angle in the axis in the
rotation of the Earth or its orbit around the Sun could push the planet into
serious climate changes." But Trump is gone, for now, and things American are different… Biden’s invitation to five African countries to participate
and comment was certainly a different approach than his predecessor would
have taken (had he even attempted such a summit). Africa’s participation in the summit reflects the
continent’s indispensability as an actor in the world’s efforts to reduce
emissions and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius – which question
(and by when) was the central point of the debate such as it was. There was some genteel personal sniping…
these were, after all, diplomats… but most of the delegates took each others’
good faith and excuses in stride. With only
19 percent and 1 percent of urban and rural populations having access to electricity,
respectively, over 80 percent of the nearly 100 million Congolese rely on the
forest for energy. And yet, DRC has outsized importance in climate
mitigation. According to Phillip Van Niekerk, DRC’s Cuvette Centrale
peatlands are estimated to
contain 30 billion tons of carbon, according to the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) Some studies suggest that if one-third of it
were to burn, it would double atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and
raise global temperatures by 5 degrees Celsius. Especially in the
world’s poorer countries, progressive environmental policies that further
impoverish an already-marginal population are likely to generate political
and labor backlash. South African
labor, for example,while supporting of low- or
zero-carbon future, is insisting on a “just transition.” (CSIS)
Any shift from fossil fuels that does not generate employment offsets
will be resisted by the ruling party and its labor allies. The world’s other
superpowers (Russia and China) each thanked President Joe for his
initiative. Putin obliquely, calling
the Yankee replacement for his poodle, Djonald
(whom he had defended only a few weeks ago to a German journalist) worthy of
(promised) oodles of global cooperation and boasted that he was enhancing the
source of non-carbon energy production – primarily nuclear. (Cernobyl? What Cernobyl?) “We must
be committed to harmony between man and Nature,” declared Chinese President
Xi (or, at least, his speechwriters did). “All things that grow live in
harmony and benefit from the nourishment of Nature… Mother Nature is the
cradle of all living beings, including humans. It provides everything
essential for humanity to survive and thrive. Mother Nature has nourished us,
and we must treat Nature as our root, respect it, protect it, and follow its
laws. Failure to respect Nature or follow its laws will only invite its
revenge. “ We need to look for ways to protect the
environment, grow the economy, create jobs and remove poverty all at the same
time, so as to deliver social equity and justice in the course of green
transition and increase people’s sense of benefit, happiness and security.” (Except, perhaps, for the Uighurs.) And, perhaps taking a swipe at ol’ 45, Xi
welcomed the United States’ “return to the multilateral climate governance
process” albeit still committed to
“the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.” Some of the
assembled leaders chose to call out others at the virtual conference for
their inattention to the problem.
Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, like Trump a
climate change denialist, was read the riot act by environmentalists, who said they were skeptical about Bolsonaro following through on the pledges, given his
past criticisms of conservation efforts and calls to develop protected
indigenous reserves. Reuters cited
deforestation in Brazil's portion of the Amazon, which has soared to a
12-year high in 2020 with an area 14 times the size of New York City
destroyed. "The government makes totally empty
promises," said Marcio Astrini,
the head of Brazilian environmental group Climate Observatory. Bolsonaro, at
least, participated in the summit… it is highly unlikely that Djonald Unconcerned would have even participated, let
along sponsored the zoomfest… and did tell Reuters
he would join the rest of the civilized world in addressing the issue,
believed or not. Teenaged Cassandra
Greta Thunberg didn’t… girlcotting
the summit because the mood of the world environmental community remained “in
denial” specifically claiming that the politicians were abandoning the 1.5⁰ maximum climate
increase in favor of… 2? 3? 10?
(See Attachment Two) So, in her absence,
plenty of other youthful finger pointers were quick to pounce on the
politicians… one being a 22 year old Samoan, Brianna Fruean, joined Kabua and the Shiekh in
emphasizing the danger to low-lying communities. (See Attachment Four) In
other cases, the leaders’ own domestic critics administered a flogging –
particularly in the South Pacific where an apparent New Zealandish
revenant of the underground press of half a century ago, stuff, called PM
Jacinda Ardern, an all-but-saint to white leftists, part of the cabal of
callous, rich oilies as traffick
in “low targets, dirty lobbying,
tokenistic speeches, and broken promises.” Australia’s ABC News castigated
PM Scott Morrison for what they called a “shambolic
approach” — abrupt policy reversals, leadership vacuums,
indecision, broken promises and a “frustrated” private sector increasingly
alarmed about the prospect of being isolated by global investors – whose
legacy has been that “our carbon emissions have fallen at a much slower clip
than the US and Europe.” (President Ivan
Duque) Márquez neglected to address the root causes of human-induced
disasters in Colombia that include environmentally detrimental practices in
the mining and extraction sector as well as surface level resource
exploitation, Colombia’s Impakter pointed out,
deficiencies which can have rippling effects on communities. “Researchers have
argued that ‘the substitution of social justice for market laws leads to
different crises, especially those that erode human rights’,” they added. And there were,
of course, global lobby-bobbies who saw, heard and evaluated the leaders’
promises and found some of them lacking in substance. Greenpeace's International Executive
Director Jennifer Morgan called out Chile, saying that “postponing a meeting
doesn’t postpone climate change and its impacts on the very people Piñera is claiming to protect ... Leaders cannot hide,
instead they have to listen to the people's demands and act urgently on the
impact the climate crisis is having on our ecology and social fabric.” Greenpeace Israel joined a chorus of
Environmentalists saying Netanyahu’s pledge to lift their carbon footprints
off the throats of the world was “at odds” with reality. “In practice, Israel has no plan to fight
the climate crisis.” Also reaping scorn (or,
at least, doubt from world environmentalists was Indonesia’s Joko Widodo who,
said the Jakarta Post, “ did not specify any
net-zero emissions goal, or when Indonesia would reach a point of balancing
out the greenhouse emissions.” And in what was
billed as her final appearance on the climate stage, reaction to German
Chancellor Angela Merkl’s performance was
underwhelming – at least in the view of certain agitators for economic
equality and the environment. DW Media
reported that groups such as the international church network ACT
Alliance EU, have bemoaned the fact that wealthier countries have
failed to live up to their promise to help, pointing out that Germany, France,
and Spain, for instance, have now opted to provide loans to be paid back at
current market rates while presenting those as aid. "That
is unfair because those loans have to be paid back with interest, which means
lender nations are going to profit," said Sabine Minninger,
an environmental policy expert for the church organization Brot für die Welt (Bread for
the World). Perhaps the most pitiable appeals arose from those places that
were both poor and low-lying… notably a few Third World coastal cities like Tokyo,
Lagos and New Orleans, almost the entire nation of Bangladesh and, worst off
of all, the island nations of Antigua and Barbuda, the Marshall Islands and
Tokelau and Samoa where the threat… probably within no more than a hundred
years… will be existential. “One-third of my country
was underwater last
month,” said Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina (who has been announced as one of the winners of the
United Nations Champions of the Earth award in recognition of her country’s
initiatives to address climate change). “The heaviest rains in
almost a decade began and have still not abated. More than 1.5 million
Bangladeshis are displaced; tens of thousands of hectares of paddy fields
have been washed away. Millions of my compatriots will need food aid this
year.” “Serving as Prime Minister of Bangladesh – one of
the world’s least-developed countries – Sheikh Hasina has proven that
investing in climate change is conducive to achieving social and economic
development,” said the announcement issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which confers the awards. "We are low-lying atoll nations, barely a metre above sea level," said David Kabua, President of the Marshall Islands. "For millennia, our people have navigated between our
islands to build thriving communities and cultures. "Today, we
are navigating through the storm of climate change, determined to do our part
to steer the world to safety." We remind the “major emitting nations” that the 44
members of the Alliance of Small Island States, through no fault of our own,
“confront the greatest threats of Climate Change,” declared Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda. “The 44 AOSIS members, are the
least contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, but the most affected by
climate change.” Collectively, (we) emit just 1.5 percent of the emissions of
industrialized nations, and many of (us) “have already begun to roll out
ambitious programmes to reduce (our) small carbon
footprint, particularly in renewable energy.” Barely mentioned were the numerous other perils attendant to
half a degree Celsius or ten years of climate change… effects like species
migration and/or extinction (“Gangs of New York” and “Titanic” actor Leonardi
diCaprio has pledged 43 million to help out the
giant turtles of the Galapagos and this… fellow… in Oklahoma adopted 68 giant
felines (which gesture of solidarity went unappreciated by the animal control
people who confiscated the beasts.) (This is the place where we are supposed to interject the
Trump boys and their Great White Hunter safaris. Noted and done. After all, Daddy,
then President, visited Rome in 2017 and the Pope said in his (separate) address that he had
brought up the climate issue in their conversation, urging Trump to clock in
on the right side of the race to save the planet. After all, isn’t “conserve” the root word of “conservatism”? But
a week later after meeting the former American leader, Trump announced the US
would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. (See Frank’s response to the 2021 summit as
Attachment Two.) Consequently, most of the global
Greenies were too flummoxed and still blinkin’ at
the abrupt retirement of the Devil to Mar-a-Lago to toss more barbs into the
hide of Joe Biden. Global politics and economics, however, remained at least a
subsidiary, if underlying, theme of the Zoomfest. Debt and disease have
also impacted the climate sustainability, particularly for some small
nations, the poor and those with special circumstances (like a skyrocketing
plague problem and little or no vaxxing
infrastructure). Like sea levels or a
dependence on single crop economies, like that of Antigua and Barbuda, whose
single crop is tourism. With
pandemic restrictions preventing international tourist travel, the economy of
the islands, according to Megan Rowling of Reuters, “was likely to shrink by
about 30% in 2020-21, pushing up its debt-to-GDP ratio from just under 70% to
95%.” “Countries more fortunate than mine should
take a long, hard look at what we are battling,” Shiekh
Hasina told the virtualosities. “Recent research suggests rising sea
levels will force hundreds of millions of people to abandon low-lying coastal
cities worldwide by mid-century. Will the global community act in time to
avert this catastrophe? “The climate
crisis is a national
security threat to the US. We already see the effects.” “If greater efforts are
not made by wealthy emitting countries to curb climate heating and protect at-risk
communities with more finance, the flow of “climate refugees” seeking shelter
in rich nations would likely increase,” Browne told Rowlings. Some of those
wealthier emitting nations congratulated themselves and their tribes on their
capacity to pivot from fossil fuel to alternate energy sources. “Over the past four decades,
Denmark has developed a cutting-edge wind industry,” PM Mette Fredricksen boasted in Foreign Policy. “Thanks to
innovative technologies, smart regulation, and financial support from the
government, wind energy in Denmark is now as cost-competitive as that
generated by fossil fuels.” Another
self-congratulator, the European Council’s Charles Michel, declared “Green
finance was born in Europe”. (See
remedies, below) “Israeli
ingenuity will enable us to play our part in the global transition to a
net-zero carbon economy,” claimed embattled (literally) PM Netanyahu. President Lopez Obrador showed a pinch of Mexican ingenuity by
suggesting that the US offer visas in exchange for his tree planting program,
already up and running in Central America.
"I add a complementary proposal,
with all due respect, the U.S. government could offer those who participate
in this program that after sowing their lands for three consecutive years,
they would have the possibility to obtain a temporary work visa," Lopez
Obrador said. "And
after another three or four years, they could obtain residency in the United
States or dual nationality," he added.
(See Attachment Five) Canada’s Pierre
Trudeau brought, with him, a virtual chorus line of supporters, authorities
and flunkies who nodded with appreciation at every one of the PM’s BMs. The Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of
Environment and Climate Change assured the zoomers
that “…Canada will continue to support developing countries in their
transition to a carbon neutral and nature positive future.” Angela Merkl was far from alone in suspicions that she… in her
capacity as Chancellor, if not personally… openly stated that the wealthier
countries should profit off the miseries of the poor. The European Council’s Charles Michel
proposed issuing “Green Bonds” to poor countries to bring their compliance
with environmental policies up to speed – monies which would be loaned out
and paid back, over time, with interest.
French President Macron, on the other hand, advised the supplicants to
consult, hire and trust various hedge-fund cryptobankers,
utilizing such Macronistic vehicle as the Task
Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFS) and One Planet
Initiative to bring together “sovereign funds, asset managers and private
equity, so that everyone can use this same methodology.” When
desperation is not at hand, “methodology” seems paramount. New
Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern encouraged other nations to look to her
administration “in taking financial action to address climate change” (RNZ)
but also took a bit of a battering from the local rag stuff.co which cited a
statement by Oxfam New Zealand’s Jo Spratt who said that the
Kween Kiwi was failing to be a leader or even a
fast follower in the climate crisis, Spratt added in a statement. “Our
emissions are continuing to go up, and we are not contributing our fair share
of climate finance to those on the frontlines of climate breakdown.” “President
Biden and I are launching the 'India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030
Partnership',” announced India’s PM Narenda
Modi. “Together, we will help mobilise investments, demonstrate clean technologies and
enable green collaborations."
(See Attachment Six) (Maybe
that collaboration will actually result in the production of… like… stuff?)
Argentina’s
Fernandez said international credit organizations should
contribute more, particularly with contributions "for ecosystem
services" and "debt swaps for climate action." Alternative
power sources should be sought more aggressively and implemented more
universally. “We are economically disadvantaged,” admits Bhutan’s
Prime Minister Lotay Tshering. “It limits our
economic growth a bit. But
politically, myself, my government, and the people of Bhutan are okay with
this because now we are becoming more and more clear that this is the way
forward. It’s not for the short term but for generations to come,” he
said. “The only way forward is we all
must agree, be willing to sacrifice a little bit now more from an economic
point of view.” Tshering’s
appeal is not entirely altruistic, for Bhutan is the world’s only
climate-positive economy due, he says, because it is heavily reliant on
hydropower, which it exports principally to neighbouring
India. Largely due to this electricity development and the export
relationship with India, the country “maintains solid growth and
macroeconomic stability”, according to an analysis by the World Bank. “To continue to be viable markets,” proposed
Antigua/Barbuda’s Browne, “to remain viable democracies that uphold human
rights and the rule of law; to achieve climate justice, and to provide
economic conditions that discourage refugees, we (AOSIS, the Alliance of
Small Island States) need the following: ·
Urgent access to
COVID-19 vaccines, which should be prioritised
based on vulnerability. ·
Immediate action
to cut greenhouse gas emissions. ·
A programme of debt forgiveness and debt rescheduling ·
Concessional
financing that takes account of vulnerabilities and, ·
Funding to
compensate for damage to help reconstruct our economies and funding to
acquire decarbonised technologies to assist in
building resilience.” Andrew Holness of another
small island nation, Jamaica, added his four suggestions for the summit to
consider… “We need to take specific actions to
include: 1) The establishment of a
global disaster fund to help SIDS recover, and manage disaster risk. 2) The development of
innovative risk-informed financing for disasters and climate events. 3) The inclusion of
vulnerability measures as the PRIME CONSIDERATION in determining access for
financing rather than only income criteria. 4) The scaling-up of debt-for-climate-adaptation
swaps to simultaneously address climate crises AND the systemic debt issues
affecting already burdened developing countries.” “Jamaica has great
sprinters,” he added, (but) “we know that a great start does not guarantee a
win.” Democratic
Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi alternatively proposed raising
the price of forest carbon credits should be raised to at least $100 per tonne in order to achieve the climate objectives set out
in the Paris Agreement. Tshisekedi
said the current price of $5 per tonne was neither
fair nor realistic. Next? They’ll do it
all over again at the 26th
United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, this November. Johnson
said of Glasgow: "It must be a summit of agreement, of action, of deeds,
not words. For that to happen, over the next six months, we must be
relentless in our ambition and determination, laying the foundations on which
success will be built," adding, "If all that emerges from COP26 is
more hot air, then we have absolutely no chance of keeping our planet
cool." Maybe
even, this time, in person? MAY 14 – MAY 20
It was a good week to watch other people’s troubles on TV… war
in the Mideast, plague in India, terror amongst the oilies’
computer pipelines (which did lead to shortages and higher prices for Mister
Jones, but not for long). Mostly as a
result of the latter, the stock market crashed but, as the ransom was paid
and deliveries resumed, shot back up again. It would seem that catastrophe surrounds us, but the Don keeps
whistling along – as of believing in the words, not the deeds, of the power
brokers such as were assembled virtually by President Joe… mainly to raise
the dog whistle to his lips and blow out a squeaky sonata to the effect that
“America is back”. Back into the Paris
Climate accords, back into brokering peace in the Middle East (with, this
time, plenty of help from Egypt). THE DON JONES INDEX CHART of CATEGORIES w/VALUE ADDED to
EQUAL BASELINE of 15,000 (REFLECTING… approximately… DOW JONES
INDEX of June 27, 2013) See a further
explanation of categories here… ECONOMIC INDICES (60%)
The Don Jones Index for the week
of May 13th through May 20th, 2021 was UP 3.64 points. The Don Jones Index is sponsored by the Coalition
for a New Consensus: retired Congressman and Independent Presidential
candidate Jack “Catfish” Parnell, Chairman; Brian Doohan,
Administrator/Editor. The CNC denies,
emphatically, allegations that the organization, as well as any of its
officers (including former Congressman Parnell,
environmentalist/America-Firster Austin Tillerman and cosmetics CEO Rayna
Finch) and references to Parnell’s works, “Entropy and Renaissance” and “The
Coming Kill-Off” are fictitious or, at best, mere pawns in the web-serial “Black
Helicopters” – and promise swift, effective legal action against parties
promulgating this and/or other such slanders. Comments, complaints, donations (especially SUPERPAC
donations) always welcome at feedme@generisis.com or: speak@donjonesindex.com |
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ATTACHMENT ONE – from
the American
White House , March 26, 2021
President Biden Invites 40 World Leaders to Leaders Summit on Climate
Today,
President Biden invited 40 world leaders to the Leaders Summit on Climate he
will host on April 22 and 23. The virtual Leaders Summit will be live
streamed for public viewing.
President
Biden took action his first day in office to return the United States to the
Paris Agreement. Days later, on January 27, he announced that he would
soon convene a leaders summit to galvanize efforts by
the major economies to tackle the climate crisis.
The
Leaders Summit on Climate will underscore the urgency – and the economic
benefits – of stronger climate action. It will be a key milestone on the
road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in
Glasgow.
In
recent years, scientists have underscored the need to limit planetary warming
to 1.5 degrees Celsius in order to stave off the worst impacts of climate
change. A key goal of both the Leaders Summit and COP26 will be to
catalyze efforts that keep that 1.5-degree goal within reach. The Summit
will also highlight examples of how enhanced climate ambition will create good
paying jobs, advance innovative technologies, and help vulnerable countries
adapt to climate impacts.
By the time of the Summit, the United States will announce an ambitious 2030
emissions target as its new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris
Agreement. In his invitation, the President urged leaders to use the
Summit as an opportunity to outline how their countries also will contribute to
stronger climate ambition.
The
Summit will reconvene the U.S.-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate,
which brings together 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of
global emissions and global GDP. The President also invited the heads of
other countries that are demonstrating strong climate leadership, are
especially vulnerable to climate impacts, or are charting innovative pathways
to a net-zero economy. A small number of business and civil society
leaders will also participate in the Summit.
Key
themes of the Summit will include:
·
Galvanizing
efforts by the world’s major economies to reduce emissions during this critical
decade to keep a limit to warming of 1.5 degree Celsius within reach.
·
Mobilizing public
and private sector finance to drive the net-zero transition and to help
vulnerable countries cope with climate impacts.
·
The economic
benefits of climate action, with a strong emphasis on job creation, and the
importance of ensuring all communities and workers benefit from the transition
to a new clean energy economy.
·
Spurring
transformational technologies that can help reduce emissions and adapt to
climate change, while also creating enormous new economic opportunities and
building the industries of the future.
·
Showcasing subnational
and non-state actors that are committed to green recovery and an equitable
vision for limiting warming to 1.5 degree Celsius, and are working closely with
national governments to advance ambition and resilience.
·
Discussing
opportunities to strengthen capacity to protect lives and livelihoods from the
impacts of climate change, address the global security challenges posed by
climate change and the impact on readiness, and address the role of
nature-based solutions in achieving net zero by 2050 goals.
Further
details on the Summit agenda, additional participants, media access, and public
viewing will be provided in the coming weeks.
The President’s invitees to participate in the Summit
(and responses from themselves, their constituents and certain others) will be
attached to next week’s Index.
ATTACHMENT
TWO – from the Vatican
POPE
FRANCIS SPELLS IT OUT
The head of the
Catholic Church warned a climate crisis will take on an even greater
significance in the post-Covid-19 pandemic world.
In a video
recorded in the Vatican, Pope Francis called on the leaders invited to US
President Joe Biden's Summit on Climate Change to 'do more to protect the gift
of nature'.
In his message, to
mark Earth Day on Friday - an annual event calling for greater protection of
the environment - Pope Francis said Covid-19 had proved the global community
could work together to tackle a catastrophic threat.
But he said if
world leaders were not courageous and truthful in their efforts to combat
climate change, the result would be self-destruction.
In 2017, then US
President Donald Trump visited Rome and the Pope said said
in his address that he had brought up the climate issue in their conversation.
Pope Francis urged
on the race to save the planet.
But a week later
after meeting the former American leader, Trump announced the US would withdraw
from the Paris climate agreement.
However, Trump's
successor Biden, a Catholic, appears more on the Pope's wavelength.
ATTACHMENT
THREE – from Reuters
ACTIVIST
THUNBERG SAYS GLOBAL LEADERS STILL IN DENIAL OVER CLIMATE
Politicians,
including Sweden’s leaders, are still in denial over the threat from climate
change, environmental activist Greta Thunberg said on Tuesday after meeting
Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.
"We
climate activists have had, I don't know how many meetings with the people in
power and it is, basically, the same discussion every time - there is a
complete denial," Thunberg told reporters after the meeting.
"The
sense of crisis is absolutely zero."
Thunberg,
who shot to fame in 2018 when her lone protest outside the Swedish parliament
in Stockholm over the lack of action to stop climate change became a global
movement, also criticised the media for downplaying
the seriousness of the crisis.
"If
no one puts pressure on those in power, obviously they are not going to do
anything," she said.
Global
governments appeared to have given up on the goal of limiting global warming to
an increase of 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels, she said.
"We
are not going to accept that."
Sweden's
government has claimed a leading role in the fight against climate change, but
Thunberg and her fellow activists said the government was not doing enough.
"As
it looks now ... those who don't take the climate crisis seriously and don't
treat it as a crisis, unfortunately, are a part of the problem," she said.
But
there was reason to hope.
"Think
if these people did do something, think if they could shoulder the responsibility,
they could be such a big part of the solution, and we said that to him (Lofven)," Thunberg said.
In a
comment on the meeting on Instagram Lofven said that
Sweden was a driving force in the European Union's effort on climate change,
while its industry was transitioning to a fossil-free future and helping other
countries reduce emissions.
"Sweden
has the opportunity to be the world's first fossil-free, welfare-state, but we
need to raise the pace of change," Lofven said.
"We need new steps."
ATTACHMENT
FOUR – from RNZ nz
OPINION
By Brianna Fruean*
Opinion - This
week US President Joe Biden invited 40 leaders to his inaugural climate summit.
As part of the Pacific Voices project, the Pacific Cooperation Foundation asked
22-year-old indigenous climate activist Brianna Fruean of the Tokelau Islands to share her
perspective and she concludes that inaction speaks louder than words.
The world is
buzzing as President Biden hosts his big climate
change summit. With this buzz there is a lot of big talk on
how the attending climate leaders are leading the way towards climate action.
This
summit should make me feel hopeful, yet I cannot help but feel a sense of déjà
vu. These big talks happen all the time, and when the leaders sign out, they go
back home to little or no action.
New Zealand did not take the
opportunity to announce
new nationally determined contributions which fellow Pacific nations and
developed world leaders - the US, Canada, Japan - already have.
Year
after year we see low targets, dirty lobbying, tokenistic speeches, and broken
promises. It is not that I am pessimistic about change, it is that I am tired
of mainstream media painting these big nations like they are the "climate
leaders" who will save us when it is the young people, activists, movement
organisers and indigenous communities that are
showing true climate leadership.
There
is so much that Biden's summit can learn from frontline villages, organisers and activists, and there are so many stories
from these communities.
There
is a misconception that sustainability is something we are trying to get to but
really, it is something we're trying to get "back" to. Indigenous
communities have lived in harmony with nature for centuries and our practices
are based around principles of environmental conservation.
Our
indigenous communities already hold so many of the solutions we need to adapt
to this crisis.
I
have a friend, Mika, who is a farmer back in the islands. He is from Tokelau where
a big issue has been saltwater intrusion into their soil due to sea level rise.
This saltwater intrusion caused many of their crops to die, unable to handle
the salinity in the soil.
Knowing
how this would impact his village's food security Mika started looking for
solutions. He found exactly what he needed in a method of gardening that
originated in Lesotho, in Africa, where communities there were having trouble
planting because their soil was too dry.
Tokelau,
on the other hand, was having difficulty planting because their soil was too
wet. Mika learnt a method called keyhole gardening, gave it an island twist,
and found ways to build these types of gardens throughout Tokelau. This
traditional knowledge from Lesotho and Tokelau was woven together to form the
perfect solution.
This
is a lesson in the value of having indigenous communities be a part of the
climate resilience conversation, so they can share these solutions with each
other and the world. Climate solutions will not solely be found in future
technology, but also in practices of our indigenous past.
Children
showing climate leadership
I
did a project with a primary school back home in Samoa where these kids really
wanted to switch their school's power to solar energy. They wanted to do their
small part in the just transition to renewables. These students who ranged from
five to 12 years old put their money where their mouth was by hosting a mufti
day. Mufti Days in the islands mean you can come to school out of uniform and
in exchange donate what you can to a cause.
These
kids gave the little money they had in their pockets and put it towards paying
for solar panels. They had so little, but they were willing to give everything
to be a part of the solution. In my eyes, this is climate leadership.
President
Biden and his fellow delegates at his summit have a lot to learn from these
students. They need to put their money where their mouth is, by investing more
into climate adaptation and mitigation. If big money can be put into prisons,
the military, and government offices then more money can be put into saving the
planet.
More
Pacific voices should have been heard
Biden's
summit is being labelled as progressive and a show of climate leadership, yet
there is a lack of participation from real climate leaders. Those on the
frontlines fighting in the eye of the storm.
I am
very grateful that the Marshall Islands is represented and providing the voice
of the Pacific islands, but even then, the weight of all our islands should not
just fall on one island. Our ocean is big and our places diverse, all our
challenges and solutions should not just all fall on the Marshall Islands to
voice.
More
Pacific islands should have been invited. Before even thinking of the need to
invite representatives from places like Tonga or Solomon Islands, the Biden
administration should have at least invited its own US associated islands.
American Samoa, Guam, Palau, and Hawaii all deserved their own seat at the
table.
We
all know that island nations are experiencing the impacts of climate change at
an extreme rate compared to the rest of the world, yet the US did not even
invite the islands that they are linked to for this climate summit. All
indigenous people who live on land that has been historically exploited by the
US and continues to be exploited by the US should have had a prominent seat at
the table. From the Kānaka Maoli
to the Native Americans, their voices should have been in this space.
Although
I want to remain hopeful as I see summits like Biden's take full effect, I must
constantly remind myself that I cannot rely on these closed spaces of exclusive
leaders to solve the climate crisis.
I
have to remind myself that I must look for hope in real climate leaders like
the solar students in Samoa and village farmers like Mika, who continue to show
real climate leadership. The world has so much to learn from them. If there
were three things I could ask President Biden to implement in his next summit
it would be invite more island nations, value indigenous communities for the
knowledge they hold, and invest in climate solutions like those on the
frontlines of its impact.
I look forward to the day when the talking stops and the action
begins.
*Brianna Fruean
is a Samoan climate activist who has been leading grassroots climate justice
movements for most of her life. She is the youth representative of the Pacific
Climate Warriors Council of Elders and is currently studying politics and
international relations in Auckland, New Zealand. At 11, she became a founding
member of the climate group 350 Samoa, becoming the youngest 350.org country
coordinator.
ATTACHMENT
FIVE – from
Reuters
TREES FOR VISAS: MEXICO SUGGESTS US CITIZENSHIP FOR
REFORESTATION
Mexican President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday suggested the U.S. government offer
temporary work visas and eventually citizenship to those who take part in a
vast tree planting program he hopes to expand to Central America.
In remarks at a
White House virtual climate summit, Lopez Obrador said that Mexico aimed to
expand his administration's signature "Sembrando
Vida," or "Sowing Life," program to Central America, which he
said is planting 700,000 trees.
Calling it
"possibly the largest reforestation effort in the world," Lopez
Obrador said the program aims to create 1.2 million jobs and plant 3 billion
additional trees through expansion into southeastern Mexico and Central
America.
At the two-day
climate summit attended virtually by leaders of 40 countries, Lopez Obrador
said U.S. President Joe Biden "could finance" the program's extension
to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
"I add a
complementary proposal, with all due respect, the U.S. government could offer
those who participate in this program that after sowing their lands for three
consecutive years, they would have the possibility to obtain a temporary work
visa," Lopez Obrador said.
"And after
another three or four years, they could obtain residency in the United States
or dual nationality," he added.
Lopez Obrador did
not make new commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions. He has faced
criticism for a pro-fossil fuel energy policy, but said Mexico is modernizing
its hydroelectric plants to reduce the use of oil and coal in the production of
electricity.
"The energy
produced with water is clean and cheap, which is why we have decided to change
old turbines for modern equipment, which will allow us to take advantage of the
water from the reservoirs to produce more energy without building new dams and
without causing any damage," he said.
Since taking
office in December 2018, Lopez Obrador has prioritized the health of Mexico's
state-owned energy behemoth Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) over wind and solar.
The president says
renewable energy companies were given excessively generous contracts by
previous administrations, and sees the tree planting program as a major plank
of his climate change mitigation strategy.
Mexico Foreign
Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Wednesday said he had
spoken to U.S climate envoy John Kerry and they agreed on the priority of
reducing methane gas emissions and recovering the rainforest of southern Mexico
and Central America.
The statement made
no mention of carbon emissions.
At the virtual
conference, Lopez Obrador also framed worker opportunities through tree
planting as a potential way to address a cycle of poverty that has led millions
of people to leave Mexico and Central America in recent years.
"The
migratory phenomenon, as we all know, is not resolved with coercive measures,
but with justice and wellbeing," Lopez Obrador said, adding that Biden was
a "sensitive man" who understood the spirit of work.
Lopez Obrador has
tended to skip international events and has only left Mexico once, to meet with
then-U.S. President Donald Trump, since assuming power.
Biden’s opening
statements at the summit were broadcast in Spanish at Lopez Obrador’s regular
morning news conference.
ATTACHMENT
SIX – from Business
Standard
CLIMATE SUMMIT: MODI ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF INDIA-US CLEAN ENERGY
PARTNERSHIP
Press Trust of India | New
Delhi Last Updated at April 23, 2021 07:06 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on
Thursday that India and the US are launching an "agenda 2030"
partnership on green collaborations as he pitched for concrete action at a
"high speed" and on a "large scale" globally to
combat climate change.
Addressing a virtual summit on climate
change convened by US President Joe Biden, Modi said a guiding philosophy
of "back to basics" must be an important pillar of the economic
strategy for the post-COVID era and asserted that India has taken "many
bold steps" on clean energy, energy efficiency and bio-diversity, despite
its development challenges.
The summit is being attended by some 40 world leaders,
including Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin,
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide
Suga.
"As a climate-responsible developing country,
India welcomes partners to create templates of sustainable development in the
country. These can also help other developing countries, who need affordable
access to green finance and clean technologies.
"That is why, President Biden and I are launching
the 'India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership'. Together, we
will help mobilise investments, demonstrate clean
technologies and enable green collaborations," Modi said.
In his remarks on the opening day of the two-day
summit, the prime minister also recalled the words of Swami Vivekananda, saying
he called on "us to 'arise, awake and stop not until the goal is
reached'".
On the Indo-US partnership, a joint statement by the
two sides said it is aimed at demonstrating how the world can "align swift
climate action" with inclusive and resilient economic development, taking
into account national circumstances and sustainable development
priorities".
"Led by Prime Minister Modi and President Biden,
the partnership will represent one of the core venues for India-US
collaboration and focus on driving urgent progress in this critical decade for
climate action," it said.
"The partnership will aim to mobilise
finance and speed clean energy deployment; demonstrate and scale innovative
clean technologies needed to decarbonise sectors
including industry, transportation, power and buildings; and build capacity to
measure, manage and adapt to the risks of climate-related impacts," it
added.
"Both India and the US have set ambitious 2030
targets for climate action and clean energy. In its new nationally determined
contribution, the US has set an economy-wide target of reducing its net
greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52 per cent below 2005 levels in 2030," the
joint statement said.
In his address at the summit, Modi said India's per
capita carbon footprint is 60 per cent lower than the global average.
"For humanity to combat climate change, concrete
action is needed. We need such action at a high speed, on a large scale and
with a global scope," he said.
"We, in India, are doing our part. Our ambitious
renewable energy target of 450 Gigawatts by 2030 shows our commitment,"
the prime minister added.
He said humanity is battling a global pandemic right
now and the climate summit is a timely reminder that the grave threat
of climate change has not disappeared.
"In fact, climate change is a lived reality for
millions around the world. Their lives and livelihoods are already facing its
adverse consequences," Modi said.
He said India is among the few countries whose
"NDCs are two-degree-Celsius compatible".
Under the Paris agreement, each country has to set its
own emission-reduction targets, known as national determined contributions
(NDCs) and the pact's goal is to limit global warming to well below two degrees
Celsius.
"Today, as we discuss global climate action, I
want to leave one thought with you. India's per capita carbon footprint is 60
per cent lower than the global average. It is because our lifestyle is still
rooted in sustainable traditional practices," Modi said.
He also emphasised the
importance of a lifestyle change in climate action.
"Sustainable lifestyles and a guiding philosophy
of 'back to basics' must be an important pillar of our economic strategy for
the post-COVID era," Modi said.
He also mentioned that India is encouraging global
initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, the LeadIT
and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
The summit is being hosted by Biden, for whom climate
change has been an area of focus.
After taking charge as the president, Biden on January
20 announced the return of the United States to the Paris climate accord.
The virtual summit is part of a series of global
meetings focussing on climate issues, being held in
the run up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November.
Earlier this month, US Special Presidential Envoy for
Climate John Kerry visited India and discussed issues relating to climate,
including the virtual summit, with Indian leaders.
The Indian leaders conveyed to him about the country's
efforts to meet the commitments under the Paris climate agreement and reduce
emissions.