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As Leaders Meet New Study Suggests Earth Can Absorb More Carbon
Bristol, England (UPI) Nov 16, 2009 A British study suggests Earth's ecosystems and oceans have a much greater capacity to absorb carbon dioxide than has been previously estimated. The study, led by researcher Wolfgang Knorr at the University of Bristol, found the balance between the airborne and the absorbed fraction of carbon dioxide has stayed approximately constant since 1850, despite emissions of carbon dioxide having risen from about 2 billion tons a year in 1850 to the current 35 billion tons a year. Knorr said his results run contrary to a significant body of recent research that suggests the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems and the oceans to absorb CO2 should start to diminish as CO2 emissions increase, allowing greenhouse gas levels to skyrocket. He said the strength of his research is that it rests solely on measurements and statistical data, and does not rely on computations with complex climate models. However, Knorr urges caution. "Like all studies of this kind, there are uncertainties in the data, so rather than relying on nature to provide a free service, soaking up our waste carbon, we need to ascertain why the proportion being absorbed has not changed." The study appears in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
earlier related report U.S. President Barack Obama and other leaders, gathered for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, backed a two-step approach proposed by Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, who is leading the group overseeing the U.N.-sponsored Copenhagen talks. Under Rasmussen's strategy, leaders would aim to produce in Copenhagen a "politically binding" agreement that would cover mitigation, adaption, finance and technology. This agreement would be a prelude to a later, legally binding accord. "Given the time factor and the situation of individual countries, we must in the coming weeks focus on what is possible and not let ourselves be distracted by what is not possible," Rasmussen said. He flew to Singapore for a hastily convened breakfast meeting Sunday during the APEC forum. The outcome in Copenhagen, Rasmussen said, should be a five- to eight-page document with "precise language of a comprehensive political agreement." "Even if we may not hammer out the last dots of a legally binding instrument, I do believe a politically binding agreement with specific commitment to mitigation and finance provides a strong basis for immediate action in the years to come," Rasmussen said. "We are not aiming to let anyone off the hook." U.S. deputy national security adviser Mike Froman told reporters Sunday that the leaders had reached the conclusion that "it was unrealistic to expect a full, internationally legally binding agreement to be negotiated between now and when Copenhagen starts in 22 days." The aim of the Copenhagen summit, scheduled to begin Dec. 7, is to draw up a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions, which expires in 2012. APEC members -- which include the United States and China, the world's largest two emitters of carbon emissions -- account for almost two-thirds of the world's total emissions. "We ... reaffirm our commitment to tackle the threat of climate change and work towards an ambitious outcome in Copenhagen," the APEC leaders said in their final declaration. The APEC leaders, however, failed to set any specific targets for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. "Global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will need to be accompanied by measures, including financial assistance and technology transfer to developing economies for their adaptation to the adverse impact of climate change," the declaration states. Diane McFadzien, a spokeswoman for environmental group WWF, said APEC leaders had "missed a great opportunity to move the world closer to a fair, ambitious and binding agreement." She added that the leaders had to "take the bull by the horns, and finally tackle the difficult questions, instead of constantly avoiding them."
earlier related report Delegations included major greenhouse gas-emitters, including China, the United States, India and Brazil, as well as several island nations and African states that are among the poorest in the world and most vulnerable to climate change. The December 7-18 talks aim at reaching a post-2012 deal for slashing greenhouse-gas emissions and easing the impact of likely droughts, floods, storms and rising seas unleashed by disrupted weather systems. But after two years of haggling, the 192 members of the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) remain badly deadlocked. "We are going to discuss the difficult subjects that remain, such as financing and the goals to be reached," Danish Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard told AFP last week. The meeting is "the chance to really get to the heart of the discussions, including the really difficult issues because we don't have much time left," she added in a statement. Developing nations have called for wealthy economies to cut their emissions by at least 40 percent by 2020 compared with 1990 levels, and to provide around one percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) per year, or around 400 billion dollars, in finance. So far, no rich country has come anywhere close to meeting such a demand. They, in turn, are pressing emerging giants such as China, India and Brazil to strengthen promises to tackle their own greenhouse-gas output. According to a diplomatic source, Hedegaard will present a proposal for a "binding political agreement" next month. The "five-to-eight-page" draft document establishes pledges that would be fleshed out in 2010, the source said. It would notably spell out ways of sharing curbs on greenhouse gases. Rich countries would identify their commitments for reductions "over the medium term," a timeframe usually meaning 2020. Developing countries would also be urged to spell out their own intended roster of actions to tackle greenhouse gases. Brazil on Friday became the first emerging giant to make a nonbinding promise of this kind, saying it would make a voluntary pledge to reduce its emissions by between 36 and 39 percent by 2020 as compared to anticipated trends. Underpinning all commitments would be agreement that actions have to be transparent, measurable and verifiable. The deal would give the green light to "fast-start" funding to help poor countries switch to a low-carbon economy and fight the impacts of climate change. This would be the first step to a much larger inflow of funds. Hedegaard met Sunday with her Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua and said the two held "constructive" talks. China, she said, was "very interested in obtaining results in Copenhagen on all the important issues." Forty heads of state and government have indicated their intention to attend the end of the Copenhagen showdown. They will include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, her spokesman said in Berlin on Monday. "I think there's a lot of pressure on world leaders... (especially) key countries, which know they can't come empty-handed to Copenhagen," Hedegaard said. Facing green groups' criticism over the postponement of a legally binding deal, Hedegaard insisted the political agreement would be "substantial." A legally binding accord would be in place in time for the expiry of the current roster of pledges under the Kyoto Protocol, she said. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Global warming a growing threat to Arctic reindeerJarfjord, Norway (AFP) Nov 13, 2009 On Norway's border with Russia, the consequences of climate change are affecting the reindeer population as rising temperatures hit food stocks and industry growth eats into vital grazing land. "Over the past three years, I've had to give some hay to my 800 reindeer during the coldest months. It's more expensive and it gives me more work," said Jan Egil Trasti, a reindeer herder from the ... read more |
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