November, 2009

In her opening statements to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday, the Queen made an empassioned plea for action on climate change by Commonwealth Governments. In doing so, she sided with Turnbull, the republican. It no doubt caused a minor conniption amongst the arch conservatives of the Liberal Party to [...]

Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt has got the science on climate change wrong before. For instance, back in 2006, Jeff Severinghaus, Professor of Geosciences at the University of California, San Diego told Crikey “At the very least I would like it to go on record that Bolt’s abuse of my science is not done with my [...]

Last week, hundreds of private emails and documents from climate scientists were nicked from computer servers at the Climatic Research Unit of the UK’s University of East Anglia and unleashed into the wilds of the intertubes. The internet went insane (OK, more insane) as the leaked emails spread like a bad case of the clap [...]

“There was a realistic assessment . . . by the leaders that it was unrealistic to expect a full…. agreement.” That quote from U.S. deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs Michael Froman about his hopes for a final agreement in Copenhagen would be funny if wasn’t so, well… unfunny. The full quote: “I [...]

Yesterday, at the opening of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, President Nasheed of the Maldives delivered an incredible speech. I have included some of my favourite parts below: Members of the G8 rich countries have pledged to halt temperature rises to two degrees Celsius. Yet they have refused to commit to the carbon targets, which would [...]

Kevin Rudd’s speech to the Lowy Institute last Friday was one of the most extraordinary pieces of rhetorical hypocrisy this country has seen in recent years. Coming only days after he had been singled out by African negotiators at the Barcelona pre-Copenhagen talks as one of the leaders whose action does not match his political [...]

Stay tuned for the release tomorrow of an investigative piece by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. According to their website… “Starting in July 2009, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists fielded an eight-country team of reporters to uncover the special interests attempting to influence negotiations on a global climate change treaty. Relying on more [...]

The ABC has a great analysis on the Timor Sea oil spill and how the mainstream media only started paying attention once the leaking rig burst into flames. Endangered marine life? Pah. Big explosions?! Now you’re talking! It’s an unfortunate reality: science doesn’t sell; sex (and other big bangs) does. But what’s the lesson in [...]

The global climate talks are hotting up. This week, negotiators are meeting in Barcelona for the last week of discussions before the Copenhagen meeting in December. There is a lot at stake. Arguably it is the future of the planet. Some countries are literally fighting for their survival while other countries are fighting to defend [...]