Climate Change: More political will needed

London newspaper, the Daily Telegraph environmental correspondent, Louise Gray reported that scientists agreed that if the emission of greenhouse gases could be halved by 2050, then the world temperature rises would be below the dangerous level of two degrees C (3.6 degrees F).


 A WWF report found that this will require a "green industrial revolution" by 2014, with heavy investment in green technology involving low carbon emissions and away from the use of fossil fuels. Green technology would include the utilization of  wind, solar, nuclear and clean coal.

It will also mean switching to electric cars and improving energy efficiency by insulating our homes and wasting less electricity.


The above warning comes as ministers and officials from around the world meet in London this week for the Major Economies Forum. The MEF was set up by President Obama to give ministers an opportunity to solve difficult issues before the world meets in Copenhagen in December to agree a new deal on climate change.

More pressure will be put on rich countries, including the US, to sign up to legally-binding targets to cut carbon emissions. Innovative new measures are to be formulated to reduce deforestation, including plans to pay poorer countries not to chop down trees.

The WWF said both rich and poor countries need to start investing in renewable energy and encouraging behaviour change among citizens in order to meet the targets.


Downing Street is also concerned that there is no agreement on how to finance a climate change package in developing countries.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quoted in the Guardian today warning that floods and droughts would be a normal occurence unless governments speed up negotiations on climate change before vital talks in Copenhagen in December.The prime minister will deliver his warning to a meeting of environment ministers brought together under the umbrella of the Major Economies Forum. The 17 countries in the forum are responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.
It was pointed out that India was ready to set itself non-binding targets for cutting carbon emissions, while China said it would curb the growth of its emissions by a "notable margin" by 2020, without much specified figures.

The US special envoy for climate change, Todd Stern, said developing economies must boost their efforts to curb emissions, warning it was "certainly possible" that no deal would be agreed in Copenhagen."What we need to have happen is for China and India and Brazil and South Africa and others to be willing to take what they're doing, boost it up some, and then be willing to put it into an international agreement," he said.

(Note that efforts to be made by the US is not mentioned. It is the US that had not ratified the previous protocols to reduce carbon emissions).Developing countries on the other hand place the blame on the developed countries for failure to reduce carbon emissions and the blame game continues at the expense of Mother Earth.If these situation persists, then not much progress is expected in Copenhagen.

In Malaysia, as in many other developing countries, generally the average man in the street is not very concerned about climatic change. Attitudes have to be changed if we were to save the earth from further destruction. Although there is already a Green Technology Ministry, a Ministry to deal with climate change has not been formed.Apart from the small tremors felt when there is an earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia and heavy rain when Manila is hit by typhoons; Malaysians do not connect these events as consequences of climate change.

Human Activities, Technology and Global Warming

Come to think of it, no human activity is devoid of creating greenhouse gas emissions.
From the seminar I attended in January,this much I learned:

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon chlorofluoroethane (from aerosols) methane and nitrous gases. These gases are trapped in the upper earth atmosphere and act a blanket resulting in a warmer Earth. This in turn leads to climate changes with the polar ices melting, leading to a rise in sea levels, flooding, shifts in weather and seasonal patterns, depletion and contamination of freshwater resources, creation of new deserts, crop failures, habitat destruction causing extinction of certain animal species, and so on.

Aerosol gases react with the ozone in the stratosphere, depleting it. This sets a chain reaction much like the free radicals that attacks your cells, causing irreparable damage.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the pace of destruction of the Earth by mankind has not stopped.

All human activities evolve around the carbon cycle:

• The burning of fossil fuels by the transport and manufacturing sectors releases the energy trapped in it together with carbon dioxide.
• Agricultural activities such as growing of rice, wheat, maize and grains contribute to methane emissions
• Humans and animals release carbon dioxide as part of the respiration process.Grazing animals also contribute to methane emissions

Trees are created as saviours because they act as carbon sinks by assimilating the carbon dioxide. Thus cutting down trees and deforestation are not encouraged as they reduce the assimilation of carbon dioxide. Hence, for every tree that is cut, you have to replace with another tree.

The Kyoto Protocol (KP) sets among others, the following target:

5.2% reduction of 1990 emission by 2008 - 2012.
A scheme of tradeable Discharge Permits to minimize cost of compliance through the Clean Development Mechanism or Trade of Carbon Credits.

Malaysia ratified the KP in 2005. EU and 38 developing nations are also bound by the KP. The US contends that the KP is unfair and ineffective as 80% of the world population (China and India) are exempted. (Talk about being the leader!). US suggested improved technology as a means of combating climate change.

Every country is looking forward to the date in Copenhagen in December, 2009 when they have to present their environmental progress status report in relation to the Kyoto Protocol. New carbon targets will be set. For countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia, Japan and Western Europe, that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol or fail to commit to the agreement, it is about time they do so. For anything to work, cooperation is vital. It does not pay to point your fingers to other countries when you are not doing the same as what you want others to do.

How Technology can be employed to reduce global gas emissions:

High mitigation costs to reduce global emissions and create green sustainable technology may be offset by benefits to better health.

Key mitigation technologies to be employed according to the sector concerned.

• The energy sector should improve its supply and distribution efficiency, use renewable energy sources, capture and store carbon dioxide, and generate energy from biomass.
• The transport sector should encourage hybrid vehicles and the use of biofuels
• The building sector must use be efficient in lighting, use energy saving appliances, evolve green and intelligent buildings and employ integrated design of commercial buildings.
• The industry sector must employ electrical equipment more efficiently and reduce the burning of fossil fuel by using biofuels.
• The forestry sector must reduce deforestation and adopt reforestation. Replanting of fast growing species is encouraged. Timber and paper should come from replanted trees.
• The agricultural sector must improve crop and grazing land management to include soil carbon storage. This would include organic waste composting and controlled waste water treatment. Wastes can be minimized by the use of biocovers and biofilters.

Other strategies to address global warming will be posted at a later date.