The recent United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as "COP 15," ended in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 19, without a binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, in private meetings that bypassed UN discussions, the U.S. and the four "BASIC" bloc countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) wrote a so-called "Copenhagen Accord" that did not commit countries to specific greenhouse gas reduction targets. The Accord was neither accepted or rejected by the UN climate meeting, merely "noted." The Accord has been heavily criticized by numerous environmental groups and developing nations.

(See the video report by the Guardian (London) summarizing the outcome of the Copenhagen conference, and also Deutsche Welle, "UN climate summit 'takes note'' of Copenhagen Accord"(12/19/09); Friends of the Earth on the Copenhagen Accord; ExpressIndia, "US-BASIC 'Copenhagen Accord' disappoints poor nations", (12/19/09).)

The Copenhagen Accord states that "[w]e agree that deep cuts in global emissions are required . . . with a view to reduce global emissions so as to hold the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius . . . ." However, specific global greenhouse gas reduction targets are not spelled out to reach this goal.

The Accord also states that it commits the developed countries to funds for developing countries "approaching" $30 billion, during the 2010 - 2012 period, for climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. "Funding for adaptation will be prioritized for the most vulnerable developing countries, such as the least developed countries, small island developing States, and Africa. In the context of meaningful mitigation measures . . . developed countries commit to a goal of mobilizing . . . 100 billion dollars a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries." However, the Accord does not lay out specific commitments by particular developed nations towards these funding goals.

The Copenhagen Accord "has been widely condemned by African countries, and small island states, in particular," reports Living Planet (audio podcast 12/24/09). (See also BBC News, "Why did Copenhagen fail to deliver a climate deal?")

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On December 26th, China announced the fastest passenger train in the world, running the 1,069 kilometers between "Guangzhou and Wuhan at an average speed of 350 kilometres (217 miles) an hour," Agence France Presse (AFP) reports. ("China unveils 'world's fastest train link'") The train can reach a top speed of 394.2 kilometers / hour, a Chinese transport official told the Chinese news agency Xihnua. To view one of a number of videos of the train available via YouTube, click here.

Work on the project began in 2005, says AFP, showing how fast high speed rail can be implemented when it has serious governmental support. The Financial Times reports that this 4 1/2 year Chinese rail project cost $17 billion dollars. That's only a few billion dollars more than Boston and the federal government spent on the two mile long "Big Dig" highway tunnel project, and about what the Obama administration will spend in seven weeks for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. "In September, [Chinese] officials said they planned to build 42 high-speed [rail] lines by 2012 in a massive system overhaul as part of efforts to spur economic growth amid the global downturn", AFP reports.

After a comeback based on "taxpayer lifelines and other support from Washington," the six largest banks "have already made more than $50 billion in the first three quarters [of 2009] and are on track to deliver a year of hefty profits -- and bonuses -- that could rival those of the boom years", reports the NY Times ("Doubts on Regulation and Renewal Hang Over Wall St." (1/1/10)) The Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs "expects to award its employees $23 billion in bonuses -- the most in its history", says the Times ("With Bigger Bonuses, An Upside for Banks," 1/1/10)).

Alongside immense bonuses for bankers, the banking industry has repaid the American public for its lifeline to the banks by cutting back on lending to consumers and businesses. "The banking industry has throttled back lending for the last 15 months, draining more than $3 trillion of credit from the economy", reports the Times. ("Doubts on Regulation...") Wall Street has also "beef[ed] up its financial lobby in Washington to win big concessions. Among other things, the industry is working to ease rules governing derivatives and to weaken a proposal for a consumer financial protection agency", says the Times.

In a packed launch party at the Northampton Brewery November 30th, Pioneer Valley Local First unveiled its new Local Business Guide / Building Sustainable Communities, a free guide to over 200 local and independently owned businesses in our region. PV Local First is hoping to encourage Pioneer Valley (MA) residents to "Think Local First" and support local businesses when they buy goods and services.

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The largest Danish power company has joined forces with a Silicon Valley firm in a $100 million initiative to wire Denmark with electric car charging stations and to create roadside centers that can install a recharged battery in minutes, the NY Times reports ("In Denmark, Ambitious Plan For Electric Cars," 12/2/09). The Silicon Valley firm, Better Place, is reportedly launching a similar pilot effort in Israel.

The Euro-Japanese car maker, Renault Nissan, has agreed to make its new electric cars compatible with Better Place's robotic battery swapping equipment, reports the Times. If recharged batteries can be quickly and cheaply swapped out, much like stopping at a gas station now, it could decrease consumer worries of running out of battery charge in the middle of a day's travel, increasing the appeal of electric cars. Batteries in electric cars already can carry enough charge to travel several times the average day's travel for most American drivers, but a battery swapping system could also address longer haul electric travel, if widely adopted.

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What will it take to sustain our communities, our regions, our country over the long run?  That’s the question we tackle here at Sustenance, with news reports and analysis, links to important websites, articles and resources, and audio reports. 

Over the long run, for Sustenance, we hope to help build a new politics of sustainability.  To that end, we will be sharing with you the new practical experiments and innovative thinking emerging in:

• local and organic agriculture,
• alternative energy and energy efficiency,
• sustainable economics, oriented towards the satisfaction of real human need, not the exponential expansion of desire and consumption,
• energy efficient housing,
• healthcare for all, with a focus on ideas like “single payer” healthcare that are not getting an adequate hearing,
• manufacturing, with a focus on green industry, a restoration of the American manufacturing economy, and the production of durable and recyclable goods,
• transportation, with a focus on public transit and low carbon-footprint vehicles, and
• water, keeping it a clean and publicly shared resource protected for generations to come.

But most of all we will be discussing what it might take to link these innovations in a new culture and politics of sustainability that can transform our communities, our regions and our country.

Sustenance is based in the Pioneer Valley region of western Massachusetts -- the towns of the Connecticut River valley in our state. We have a particular interest in the practice and politics of sustainability in this region, and in the Connecticut River valley to our north and south. But we won't confine our interest and reporting to this region or even to this country. If all politics is local, all politics is now global as well. Wherever you are, we'd like to hear from you.

To send a comment, or to subscribe to our email updates, email us at:  publisher@sustenancetoday.org.

-- Rudy Perkins, publisher

 

 

© 2009, 2010 by Rudy Perkins • Site first published 7/5/09 • Photo credits and copyright unless otherwise noted: Rudy Perkins. Sustenance opening percussion theme composed and performed by Hollie Marron and Deb Reed.

Site last modified 1/2/10

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