La falta de información del pueblo estadounidense

Fuente: Reuters
Comentario: La gran mayoría de la gente en realidad ha escuchado hablar algo de Global Warming. Pero piensan que no es algo serio porque todavía hace frío durante los inviernos. Es una mala asociación que existe en muchos lugares del mundo, pero en Estados Unidos especialmente preocupante. Es más, piensan que esto podría ser un problema en 100 años, nunca ahora. Desde EEUU hemos podido detectar como se desinformaba sobre cambio climático. También es cierto que recientemente los medios de comunicación han comenzado a hablar de este tema. Pero parece que se está utilizando más como un arma frente a la administración Bush que como un problema real.

Por qué es tan difícil convencer a un escéptico medioambiental sobre cambio climático

Fuente: Press Esc (http://pressesc.com/node/284)
Comentario: es imposible una mejor representación de la realidad.

Why it is impossible to convince a climate sceptic

Submitted by Vidura Panditaratne on Fri, 2007-02-02 17:33.

Scientific consensus: We believe Earth's climate is changing due to human activities that cause greenhouse gas emissions.

Paid sceptic: Earth goes through cycles of warming and cooling.

10 years later...

Scientific consensus: We have proven Earth's climate is changing.

Paid sceptic: We have no proof that greenhouse gasses are responsible.

10 years later...

Scientific consensus: We have proven greenhouse gasses are responsible.

Paid sceptic: We have no proof it is man-made.

10 years later...

Scientific consensus: We believe Earth's climate is changing due to human activities that cause greenhouse gas emissions.

Paid sceptic: It's too late and too costly to do anything now. We just have to adapt.

10 years later...

Scientific consensus: Humanity will be wiped out soon, and there's nothing we can do about it.

Paid sceptic: Why didn't you figure this out earlier?

La clave: los países pobres se llevarán la peor parte

Fuente: Envirolink: http://www.envirolink.org/external.html?itemid=200702062313080.0359314
Comentario: sin duda alguna, esta es una de las claves que hacen que los países responsables del cambio climático (los ricos) se lo tomen con calma.


Global Warming to Hit Poor Worst, Says U.N.'s Ban

February 06, 2007 — By Daniel Wallis, Reuters

NAIROBI -- The world's poor, who are the least responsible for global warming, will suffer the most from climate change, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told environment ministers from around the world on Monday.

"The degradation of the global environment continues unabated ... and the effects of climate change are being felt across the globe," Ban said in a statement after last week's toughest warning yet mankind is to blame for global warming.

In comments read on his behalf at the start of a major week-long gathering in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Ban said all countries would feel the adverse impact of climate change.

"But it is the poor, in Africa and developing small island states and elsewhere, who will suffer the most, even though they are the least responsible for global warming."

Experts say Africa is the lowest emitter of the greenhouse gases blamed for rising temperatures, but due to its poverty, under-development and geography, has the most to lose under dire predictions of wrenching change in weather patterns.

Desertification round the Sahara and the shrinking of Mount Kilimanjaro's snow-cap have become potent symbols in Africa of the global environment crisis.

U.N. environment agencies have been lobbying Ban to play a leading role in the hunt for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on cutting greenhouse gases, which expires in 2012.

Ringing in the ears of delegates at Monday's start of talks attended by nearly 100 nations was last week's warning by a U.N. panel that there was a more than 90 percent chance humans were behind most of the warming in the past five decades.

"CREATIVE" SOLUTIONS

Governments are under huge pressure to act on the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which forecast more storms, droughts, heatwaves and rising seas.

U.N. officials hope the report will spur nations -- particularly the United States, the top emitter -- and companies to do more to cut greenhouse gases, released mainly by cars, factories and power plants fuelling modern lifestyles.

Kenyan Vice President Moody Awori told delegates it was now clear Africa would face the "most severe impacts" of climate change, and he called on the United Nations to devise special initiatives and action plans for the continent.

Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) hosting the talks, said globalisation was eating world resources while not delivering the benefits expected of it.

But there were many examples of sustainable management from the certification of resources like timber and fish to avoid illegal exploitation, to "creative" financial mechanisms such as the rapidly-expanding carbon market, Steiner added.

"We need to harness the power of the consumer, match calls for international regulation from the private sector and set realistic standards ... for the globalised markets," he said.

As well as globalisation, this week's UNEP Governing Council talks will focus on the growing threat from mercury pollution, the rising demand for biofuels and U.N. reforms.

And for the first time, it drew officials from other agencies, including World Trade Organisation boss Pascal Lamy.

"Sustainable development is no longer an option, it is a must," Lamy said. "The WTO stands ready to do its part."