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! <h2 style="margin:0; background:#d9f7d4; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #7ba06d; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">Welcome to the Climate Portal on Spinprofiles </h2>
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! <h2 style="margin:0; background:#d9f7d4; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #7ba06d; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">Welcome to the Climate Portal on Powerbase </h2>
 
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{{Template:Climate badge}}The Climate Portal is dedicated to exposing and reporting on the spin and lobbying efforts concerning climate change, global warming and other climate-related topics. It is part of [[Powerbase:About|Powerbase]]&mdash;your guide to networks of power, lobbying and deceptive PR.
  
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You can explore pages on [http://www.powerbase.info/index.php?title=Category:Climate_Change_Sceptics Climate Change Sceptics], greenwash, [http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Industry_Lobby_Groups Climate: Industry Lobby Groups], the [http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Energy_Industry Climate: Energy Industry], government and industry links, and more. <br>
Welcome to the Climate Portal, the portal dedicated to exposing and reporting on the spin and lobbying efforts concerning climate change, global warming and other climate-related topics. The Climate Portal is part of [[SpinProfiles:About|Spinprofiles]]&mdash;your guide to networks of power, lobbying and deceptive PR.
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'''[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate See our A-Z index of all Climate Portal articles.]'''[[Category:Climate]]
  
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Powerbase has a policy of [[Powerbase:A Guide to Referencing|strict referencing]]. It is overseen by a [[User:Melissa Jones|managing editor]], a [[User:David|Sysop]] and several associate portal editors.
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=== Climate change: one of the greatest challenges of our time ===
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The global collaboration and action needed to address climate change's causes and avert the worst of its catastrophic effects are unprecedented. As climate scientists demand tougher targets and emissions cuts, political failure to meet the challenges grows more acute.
  
Spinprofiles has a policy of [[SpinProfiles:A Guide to Referencing|strict referencing]] and is overseen by an [[User:Claire Robinson|managing editor]] and a [[User:David|Sysop]] and several associate portal editors.  
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Meanwhile, polluting high carbon industries have adapted to greater environmental awareness by portraying themselves as part of the solution, not the problem. Although some environmental gains have been made, [http://stopgreenwash.org/ 'greenwash'] (unjustified green claims or spin) has become an industry in itself. The complexities of climate science, climate policy and climate change solutions, coupled with confusion over which green claims to believe, have led to misguided programmes and policies, and public disillusionment.
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The Climate Portal aims to provide academics, analysts, campaigners, researchers and others with up-to-date and rigorous information on the main debates, technologies, industries, lobby groups, public bodies and policies on climate change in the UK. We will investigate and demystify corporate or political greenwash and examine the activities and links of key players.
  
 
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The Climate Portal is related to the [[Nuclear_spin|Nuclear Spin]] portal and [[Mining and Metals|Mining and Metals Portal]].
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[[Image:CarbonEmissions2.jpg]]
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<!---------------------------Climate change definition------------------------>
 
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! <h2 style="margin:0; background:#d9f7d4; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #7ba06d; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">What is climate change?</h2>
 
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The term ''climate change'' refers to all forms of climate inconsistency, but because the Earth's climate is never static, “climate change” signifies '''a significant change from one set of climate conditions to another.'''
 
 
In the context of environmental policy, climate change or global warming usually refer to changes on modern climate caused by human made CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. This is still a theory trying to establish two ‘cause and effects’: firstly that CO2 is the cause of global  warming, and secondly, that humans are causing it through the burning of fossil fuels.
 
  
<!---------------------------Facts and figures------------------------>
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<!---------------------------Climate Change and the UK: An Overview------------------------>
 
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! <h2 style="margin:0; background:#d9f7d4; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #7ba06d; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">Some facts and figures</h2>
 
! <h2 style="margin:0; background:#d9f7d4; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #7ba06d; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">Some facts and figures</h2>
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The '''International Panel on Climate Change, IPCC''', is an international body of scientists researching Climate Change. This United Nations study, which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, was the most comprehensive study of peer reviewed climate research ever undertaken, and one of the most comprehensive studies of any scientific question ever.  
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Despite the claims of [http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate Climate Change Sceptics] to the contrary, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10370955.stm 98% of scientists] agree that climate change is anthropogenic and caused largely by emissions of carbon dioxide and other potent greenhouse gases. The [http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_and_data_reports.htm fourth report] of the [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]] (IPCC) gave warnings that unless action is taken to keep warming below 2°C, positive feedbacks (tipping points) that we cannot control are likely to be activated, leading to unstoppable/runaway climate change that will have devastating impacts on the planet and its people.  
  
The 4th [http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_and_data_reports.htm IPCC Climate Change Report] published in 2007 states:
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The graph below shows the path of current Kyoto strategy which takes us over the red tipping point (using IPCC's most recent reports) and into 'runaway' or unstoppable climate change (caused by a number of natural knock on effects or 'positive feedbacks' which kick in once a certain carbon concentration is reached). The action needed to address this devastating threat is rapid carbon descent, translating into deep cuts in the activities of carbon heavy industries and energy production, and a matching decrease in consumption.
  
*Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level<ref> IPCC, [http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report], accessed 11th September 2009</ref>.
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[[Image:2246714022 dea81182df.jpg|centre|Tipping points and climate policy trajectory: A case for rapid carbon descent.]]
 
 
*Global GHG emissions due to human activities have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between 1970 and 2004.<ref> IPCC, [http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report], accessed 11th September 2009</ref>.
 
 
 
*Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely (confidence level >90%) due to the  observed increase in human greenhouse gas concentrations.
 
 
 
The IPCC report conclusions are that climate change is an empirical fact. The only question worth asking is how fast we can act to create real reductions in atmospheric CO2.
 
 
 
<center> C02 levels over the past 60,000 years.</center>
 
[[Image:co2levels.jpg|center|800px|438px]]
 
Source: Training for Transition, TTT, 2007.
 
 
 
Carbon dioxide is not, however, the only greenhouse gas affecting climate. Experts also warm that other greenhouse gases, such as methane, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons, are also directly involved in most of the increases in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century".<ref> IPCC, [http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf  Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report], accessed 11th September 2009</ref>.
 
 
 
<!---------------------------Copenhagen 2009------------------------>
 
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! <h2 style="margin:0; background:#d9f7d4; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #7ba06d; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">The road to Copenhagen </h2>
 
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COP15 is the popular name for a conference that took place under the general framework of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009, 7–18 December at the Bella Center, Copenhagen, Denmark. This conference represents the 15th Conference of the Parties – hence the name – to the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change. Copenhagen 2009 included the 5th Meeting of the Parties (COP/MOP5) to the Kyoto Protocol.
 
  
The conference was significant as it was scheduled to come up with the next binding agreement after the first stage of the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. In the largest climate demonstrations to date over 100,000 people protested in Copenhagen, putting pressure on governments to achieve tough and legally binding carbon descent targets, highlighting the ineffectiveness of the Kyoto targets, which are far from being met by most states. Meanwhile the conference was slammed for turning away even mainstream NGOs such as [[Friends of the Earth]] and [[Avaaz]] as many registered civil society [http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/UK_Participants_and_Observers_at_COP15 participants and observers] were prevented from attending, leading to accusations of elitism and a denial of democracy <ref>John Vidal and Jonathan Watts [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/16/friends-of-the-earth-barred-bella-centre
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The [http://www.copenhagendiagnosis.org/default.html Copenhagen Diagnosis], a scientific document prepared for the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009 concluded 'that several important aspects of climate change are already occurring at the high end, or even beyond, the expectations of just a few years ago'. It asserted that:
'Friends of the Earth among activists barred from Copenhagen conference centre'] The Guardian, Wednesday 16 December 2009. Accessed 16/01/10</ref>.  
 
  
The ultimate failure of the conference to reach any effective agreement is is also being hailed as historically important as it is seen by some to signify the end of hope in top-down government and business led climate change strategy. Lumumba Di-Aping, chief negotiator for the G77 group of 130 developing countries, called the conference outcome 'nothing short of climate change scepticism in action', adding 'It locks countries into a cycle of poverty for ever'. <ref>John Vidal, Allegra Stratton and Suzanne Goldenberg [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/copenhagen-deal 'Low targets, goals dropped: Copenhagen ends in failure'] Saturday 19 December 2009.</ref>
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:"by 2020 industrial nations must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by around 40% below 1990 levels to secure a decent chance of avoiding dangerous human interference with the climate system."
  
The increase in public denial and disillusionment about climate change in Britain may also be seen as a manifestation of hopelessness and apathy about finding solutions to the issue, perpetuated by ineffective government strategies, which have historically targeted individual behaviour over polluting industry. Only 41% of those surveyed by a recent Times newspaper poll believed climate change was anthropogenic (man made) despite established science to the contrary. <ref>Ben Webster and Peter Liddell, The Times, November 14,2009. 'Global warming is not our fault, say most voters in Times poll'</ref>
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The report also found that global ice sheets are melting at an increased rate; Arctic sea ice is thinning and melting much faster than recently projected, and future sea-level rise is now expected to be much higher than previously forecast. Without significant mitigation, the report concluded that global mean warming could reach as high as 7 degrees Celsius by 2100.
  
The graph below shows the path of current Kyoto strategy which takes us over the red tipping point (using IPCC's most recent reports) and into 'runaway' or unstoppable climate change (caused by a number of natural knock on effects or 'positive feedbacks' which kick in once a certain carbon concentration is reached). The action needed to address this devastating threat is rapid carbon descent, translating into deep cuts in the activities of carbon heavy industries and energy production, and a matching decrease in consumption. Despite this, in mid November 2009 President Obama and other world leaders announced their plan to delay any agreement until after the Copenhagen summit, pushing urgent issues into the future.<ref>Helene Cooper, The New York Times, 14th Nov 2009. 'Leaders Will Delay Deal on Climate Change'</ref>
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Despite these predictions, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the [http://unfccc.int/2860.php United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change], or [[COP15]], in Copenhagen 2009, failed to agree to any binding emissions reduction targets to take the place of the Kyoto protocol. The Kyoto protocol itself has been criticised as unambitious and ineffective, and has certainly failed to achieve any meaningful cuts worldwide. Lumumba Di-Aping, chief negotiator for the G77 group of 130 developing countries, called the conference outcome 'nothing short of climate change scepticism in action', adding 'It locks countries into a cycle of poverty for ever'<ref>John Vidal, Allegra Stratton and Suzanne Goldenberg [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/copenhagen-deal 'Low targets, goals dropped: Copenhagen ends in failure'] Saturday 19 December 2009.</ref>.
  
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The UK has been congratulated for having the most ambitious emissions reduction targets in the world, aiming for [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/16/greenpolitics-edmiliband 80% cuts from 1990 levels by 2050] (which will give us a 50:50 chance of avoiding the worst predications <ref>Alice Bows, quoted by Severin Carrell in The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/23/uk-emission-cuts-airport-protest-trial 'UK emission cuts 'not radical enough', airport protest trial told'] 23rd June 2010</ref>). However, over the last 10 years British emissions have actually increased, and there is little sign that the drastic changes needed to meet this target are being made, leading to accusations that the targets are [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/audio/2008/oct/17/climate-change-edmiliband 'all politics'] and no substance.
  
[[Image:2246714022 dea81182df.jpg|centre|Tipping points and climate policy trajectory: A case for rapid carbon descent.]]
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International agreements, and Britain's policies, rely on market based solutions to reduce emissions. Central to this is the notion of [[Carbon Trading]], which allows polluting industries to continue emitting, as long as they pay for someone else to curb emissions elsewhere. This method has been encouraged by many industries who see this as the cheapest and easiest option, especially as many have received exemptions from payment. Market based solutions such as the 'cap and trade' scheme have been heavily criticised by a range of commentators (see recommended reading), and have so far failed to deliver any reductions.
  
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Meanwhile public denial and disillusionment about climate change in Britain is on the increase, a manifestation of hopelessness and apathy about finding solutions to the issue, perpetuated by ineffective government strategies, which have historically targeted individual behaviour over polluting industry. Only 41% of those surveyed by a recent Times newspaper poll believed climate change was anthropogenic (man made) despite established science to the contrary<ref>Ben Webster and Peter Liddell, The Times, November 14,2009. 'Global warming is not our fault, say most voters in Times poll'</ref>.
  
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Copenhagen_2009:_Who%27s_Who Copenhagen 2009: Who's Who]
 
 
   
 
   
 
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There are a list of categories associated with this page:
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Categories associated with the climate portal:
  
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate Climate]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate Climate]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate_Change Climate Change]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate_Change Climate Change]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate_Change_Sceptics Climate Change Sceptics]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate_Change_Sceptics Climate Change Sceptics]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate_Energy Climate: Energy]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate_Energy Climate: Energy]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate:_Energy_Industry Climate: Energy Industry]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Energy_Industry Climate: Energy Industry]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate:_Industry_Lobby_Groups Climate: Industry Lobby Groups]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Industry_Lobby_Groups Climate: Industry Lobby Groups]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate:_Industry_People Climate: Industry People]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Industry_People Climate: Industry People]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate:_NGOs_and_Consumer_Groups Climate: NGOs and Consumer Groups]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_NGOs_and_Consumer_Groups Climate: NGOs and Consumer Groups]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate:_Lobbyists_and_PR_Consultants Climate: Lobbyists and PR Consultants]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Lobbyists_and_PR_Consultants Climate: Lobbyists and PR Consultants]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate:_Front_Groups Climate: Front Groups]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Front_Groups Climate: Front Groups]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate:_Government_and_International_Agencies Climate: Government and International Agencies]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Government_and_International_Agencies Climate: Government and International Agencies]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate_Policy_Groups Climate Policy Groups]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate_Policy_Groups Climate Policy Groups]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate_Scientists Climate Scientists]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate_Scientists Climate Scientists]
*[http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Category:Climate_Science Climate Science]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate_Science Climate Science]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Carbon_Trading Carbon Trading]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Government_People Government People]
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*[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Category:Climate:_Government_Policy Government Policy]
  
<!---------------------------News and articles------------------------>
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<!---------------------------Key Readings------------------------>
 
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! <h2 style="margin:0; background:#c9d7f0; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #7ba06d; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">News and articles</h2>
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[http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/09/4degrees-20090928.html The Hadley Centre Warns that Average 4°C Warming Could Happen Within a Human Lifetime, With Even Greater Warming in Many Regions]
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*David JC MacKay [http://www.withouthotair.com/download.html 'Sustainable Energy- Without the Hot Air'] - an up to date scientific analysis of the potential of various types of alternative energy.
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*Larry Lohmann [http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/resource/carbon-trading-0 'Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation on Climate Change, Privatisation and Power'], Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, 2009.
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*[http://www.copenhagendiagnosis.org/default.html The Copenhagen Diagnosis]- Latest summary of climate science and predictions from the IPCC reports.
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*[http://www.storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/ The Story of Cap and Trade]- A short film explaining the limitations of the 'Cap and Trade' carbon trading scheme.
 
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===References===
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[[Category:Climate Change]]
 
[[Category:Climate Change]]

Latest revision as of 07:07, 23 August 2013

Welcome to the Climate Portal on Powerbase

Global warming.jpg This article is part of the Climate project of Spinwatch.
The Climate Portal is dedicated to exposing and reporting on the spin and lobbying efforts concerning climate change, global warming and other climate-related topics. It is part of Powerbase—your guide to networks of power, lobbying and deceptive PR.

You can explore pages on Climate Change Sceptics, greenwash, Climate: Industry Lobby Groups, the Climate: Energy Industry, government and industry links, and more.
See our A-Z index of all Climate Portal articles.

Powerbase has a policy of strict referencing. It is overseen by a managing editor, a Sysop and several associate portal editors.

Climate change: one of the greatest challenges of our time

The global collaboration and action needed to address climate change's causes and avert the worst of its catastrophic effects are unprecedented. As climate scientists demand tougher targets and emissions cuts, political failure to meet the challenges grows more acute.

Meanwhile, polluting high carbon industries have adapted to greater environmental awareness by portraying themselves as part of the solution, not the problem. Although some environmental gains have been made, 'greenwash' (unjustified green claims or spin) has become an industry in itself. The complexities of climate science, climate policy and climate change solutions, coupled with confusion over which green claims to believe, have led to misguided programmes and policies, and public disillusionment.

The Climate Portal aims to provide academics, analysts, campaigners, researchers and others with up-to-date and rigorous information on the main debates, technologies, industries, lobby groups, public bodies and policies on climate change in the UK. We will investigate and demystify corporate or political greenwash and examine the activities and links of key players.

The Climate Portal is related to the Nuclear Spin portal and Mining and Metals Portal.

CarbonEmissions2.jpg

Some facts and figures

Despite the claims of Climate Change Sceptics to the contrary, 98% of scientists agree that climate change is anthropogenic and caused largely by emissions of carbon dioxide and other potent greenhouse gases. The fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gave warnings that unless action is taken to keep warming below 2°C, positive feedbacks (tipping points) that we cannot control are likely to be activated, leading to unstoppable/runaway climate change that will have devastating impacts on the planet and its people.

The graph below shows the path of current Kyoto strategy which takes us over the red tipping point (using IPCC's most recent reports) and into 'runaway' or unstoppable climate change (caused by a number of natural knock on effects or 'positive feedbacks' which kick in once a certain carbon concentration is reached). The action needed to address this devastating threat is rapid carbon descent, translating into deep cuts in the activities of carbon heavy industries and energy production, and a matching decrease in consumption.

Tipping points and climate policy trajectory: A case for rapid carbon descent.

The Copenhagen Diagnosis, a scientific document prepared for the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009 concluded 'that several important aspects of climate change are already occurring at the high end, or even beyond, the expectations of just a few years ago'. It asserted that:

"by 2020 industrial nations must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by around 40% below 1990 levels to secure a decent chance of avoiding dangerous human interference with the climate system."

The report also found that global ice sheets are melting at an increased rate; Arctic sea ice is thinning and melting much faster than recently projected, and future sea-level rise is now expected to be much higher than previously forecast. Without significant mitigation, the report concluded that global mean warming could reach as high as 7 degrees Celsius by 2100.

Despite these predictions, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change, or COP15, in Copenhagen 2009, failed to agree to any binding emissions reduction targets to take the place of the Kyoto protocol. The Kyoto protocol itself has been criticised as unambitious and ineffective, and has certainly failed to achieve any meaningful cuts worldwide. Lumumba Di-Aping, chief negotiator for the G77 group of 130 developing countries, called the conference outcome 'nothing short of climate change scepticism in action', adding 'It locks countries into a cycle of poverty for ever'[1].

The UK has been congratulated for having the most ambitious emissions reduction targets in the world, aiming for 80% cuts from 1990 levels by 2050 (which will give us a 50:50 chance of avoiding the worst predications [2]). However, over the last 10 years British emissions have actually increased, and there is little sign that the drastic changes needed to meet this target are being made, leading to accusations that the targets are 'all politics' and no substance.

International agreements, and Britain's policies, rely on market based solutions to reduce emissions. Central to this is the notion of Carbon Trading, which allows polluting industries to continue emitting, as long as they pay for someone else to curb emissions elsewhere. This method has been encouraged by many industries who see this as the cheapest and easiest option, especially as many have received exemptions from payment. Market based solutions such as the 'cap and trade' scheme have been heavily criticised by a range of commentators (see recommended reading), and have so far failed to deliver any reductions.

Meanwhile public denial and disillusionment about climate change in Britain is on the increase, a manifestation of hopelessness and apathy about finding solutions to the issue, perpetuated by ineffective government strategies, which have historically targeted individual behaviour over polluting industry. Only 41% of those surveyed by a recent Times newspaper poll believed climate change was anthropogenic (man made) despite established science to the contrary[3].


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References

  1. John Vidal, Allegra Stratton and Suzanne Goldenberg 'Low targets, goals dropped: Copenhagen ends in failure' Saturday 19 December 2009.
  2. Alice Bows, quoted by Severin Carrell in The Guardian 'UK emission cuts 'not radical enough', airport protest trial told' 23rd June 2010
  3. Ben Webster and Peter Liddell, The Times, November 14,2009. 'Global warming is not our fault, say most voters in Times poll'