Tag: climate change

International conspiracy against climate change action: Frontline

Despite scientific evidence and dire warnings, developed countries are destroying the current controls on global warming, reports Indian magazine Frontline.

‘The “pledge and review” scheme was the handiwork of the U.S., which was against accepting any legally binding commitment on emission reductions,’ writes Frontline’s R. Ramachandran. ‘Acting behind the scenes since mid-2009 and with active help from other developed countries which did not want to commit to a second commitment period such as Australia, Canada, Japan and Russia, the U.S. succeeded in having the scheme formalised as a “political agreement” at Copenhagen.’

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Sea level to rise one metre in 21st century: Prof. Tim Naish

Professor Tim Naish, the lead author of the next international climate change assessment due for release in 2014, is predicting a one metre rise in sea levels over the next 90 years. This will be a doubling of the present rate of sea-level rise, but a slower rate rise than predicted by other researchers.

Prof. Naish has been appointed lead author by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. His forecast is based on rock cores drilled from the Antarctic coastline that provide evidence of the earth’s geological condition 4 million years ago when the climate was similar to the ‘climate we are heading towards in the next century with global warming,’ he says.

During that ancient period, the West Antarctic ice sheet melted and raised seas by a total of five metres, and the Greenland ice sheet melted adding another seven metres, says Prof. Naish, who is director of New Zealand’s Antarctic Research Centre at Victoria University in Wellington.

Prof. Naish’s latest findings will be presented at the Australian Earth Sciences Convention in Canberra 4-8 July 2010.

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‘Climategate’ scientist cleared by US university

American climate change scientist Michael Mann has been cleared of manipulating his research findings, reports ABC Australia.

The allegations caused an international furore and reinforced the stance of climate change deniers, after emails between Dr Mann and other scientists were taken from a computer at the University of East Anglia in Britain and posted anonymously on the internet.

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Geomorphologists meet in Maldives to seek climate change answers

A group of ‘geomorphologists’ are holding a five day meeting in the Maldives to discuss the impact of climate change on the country’s landmasses, and how the marine ecosystem may be affected.

Newspaper Haveeru reported that the scientists meeting  on Paradise Island Resort would devise research policies for the next four years, covering both inhabited and uninhabited islands across the country.

Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam said the research would enable an understanding of how reefs are formed and help determine the impact of climate change on reef structures.

The Maldives is currently suffering from the worst coral bleaching since the 1998 El Nino event, with reports of up to 50 percent bleaching in some areas of North Male’ Atoll as water temperatures rise.

Marine biologists have expressed concern that reefs may be one of the first ecosystems to perish because of climate change.

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President Nasheed meets with Chinese President

As part of his official visit to China for the Shanghai World Expo 2010, President Mohamed Nasheed met with Chinese President Hu Jintao yesterday at the International Convention Centre in Shanghai.

President Jintao said President Nasheed’s visit was a historic one and represented the importance of relations between China and the Maldives.

He thanked the government and people of the Maldives for their support of China and hoped to strengthen bilateral relations to benefit both countries. He said he hoped to increase mutual trust, economic and trade cooperation, and improve communication and coordination between the two governments.

President Jintao continued to say China would assist the Maldives in overcoming economic challenges, and pledged 50 million Chinese Yuan (US$7.3 million) in grant aid for the Maldives.

The Chinese president added climate change was an issue equally important to China as it is to the Maldives and assured support to the Maldives on the issue.

President Nasheed thanked the Chinese government and people for making an important contribution to the social and economic development of the Maldives.

He said the Maldives was facing many developmental challenges due to climate change, with fresh water and housing both in short supply.

President Nasheed encouraged Chinese companies working in renewable energy technologies to invest in the Maldives, thus improving their bid to become carbon-neutral by 2020 and creating an example on green technologies.

President Nasheed also briefed President Jintao on the recent sixteenth South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit that took place in Bhutan last week, as China is an observer country of the SAARC.

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Climate change trust fund money not delayed, says surprised EU

The European Union has claimed that funds allocated to the Maldives by the EU for climate change adaptation earlier this month have not been delayed, following reports in newspaper Miadhu Daily.

Miadhu reported that the Vice President, Dr Mohamed Waheed, requested the €6.5 million from the EU directly without going through the proper channels of communication, slowing the process.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 6 April between the Maldivian government, the EU and the World Bank. The money will be allocated to fund climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes, which are to be proposed by the government and managed by the World Bank.

Vice President Waheed said the allegations are “part of a smear campaign. It’s come after I spoke out the other day. So it has no basis whatsoever.”

Dr Waheed said the time schedule for the utilisation of the funds, which states that all projects must be submitted by 15 January 2011, shows “we are perfectly on schedule.”

He said he doesn’t “really understand where this is coming from, but I believe it’s a political stunt, played by someone in this country to basically discredit me. You can ask the EU representative in Sri Lanka.”

The Delegation of the EU to Sri Lanka and the Maldives stated today that “the delegation is pleased to confirm that the EU has contributed EUR 6.5 million (approximately US$8.8 million) to the multi-donor Maldives Climate Change Trust Fund.”

They noted arrangements for the programme include a Climate Change Advisory Council, of which Vice President Waheed is the chair, which will “provide strategic direction to the climate change activities under the Trust Fund ensuring that activities are aligned with the government’s Strategic Action Plan and climate change priorities.”

There will also be a Technical Committee composed of technical experts of the government, private sector and leading civil society organisations. This second committee will be responsible for “reviewing and recommending technically well-sound project proposals for financing and monitoring the overall progress of the programme.”

Programme Manager for the trust fund at the EU’s High Commission to the Maldives and Sri Lanka in Colombo, Harshini Halangote, told Minivan News “we have already committed this money” and assured the trust fund has been made available to the government.

“The government is solely responsible for proposing to the World Bank on the government’s priorities,” she said, noting the money is “solely for climate change purposes.”

She said the government’s proposals will then be looked into by the World Bank and the EU for approval.

Halangote added the Vice President would “not request for it personally,” noting there is a governance structure which has been passed and looked at by the government which outlines the proper channels of communication.

“Minister of Finance Ali Hashim, who signed the MoU, is aware they do have the money,” she said.

Halangote added “the project can run as fast as they want it to,” and said there was no truth in the allegations that the funds had been delayed.

Delhi-based Environmental Specialist for the trust fund, Priti Kumar, said “there has been no delay. When the World Bank starts a long-term project like this, you can’t expect a trust fund to be allocated within 21 days [since the signing of the MoU].”

She said the EU and World Bank “want the money to be utilised in a very useful manner” which is not influenced by politics.

She noted the Climate Change Advisory Council “is working quite well” and projects are being developed already.

She added although “everything is on track,” it will take “a few months for everything to be streamlined” as the trust fund involves a large sum of money.

Deputy Minister for Environment, Dr Mohamed Shareef, said the money “is available” and the ministry has “proposed several projects.”

He said the money “had been delayed for a bit, but international bureaucracy also takes its time.”

Dr Shareef said the ministry hopes there will be some projects starting by the end of this year and said he had been told “there will be more funds available” in addition to the original €6.5 million.

Deputy Minister of Finance, Ahmed Assad, said he is “not aware of any [delays]” and has not been “informed of any issues” regarding the trust fund.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Naseem, told Minivan News yesterday that the funds had been “delayed for too long,” but today said he no longer wished to give details on the matter.

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President Nasheed meets with Chinese delegation

President Mohamed Nasheed has met with the visiting Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) delegation at the President’s Office, reports Miadhu.

President Nasheed noted the Maldives and China enjoyed close and cordial relations, and said China was making important contributions to the social and economic growth of the Maldives.

He added that both countries share concerns such as climate change, and the two governments should collaborate more on the issue.

Vice Chairman of the CPPCC, Sun Jiazheng, assured the president that China would continue to cooperate with the Maldives, and added climate change is a great concern to his country.

Jiazheng briefed President Nasheed on China’s political system and the government’s efforts to further develop the country and bring prosperity to its people.

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President Nasheed speaks at South Korean university

President Mohamed Nasheed spoke at the Hanseo University of South Korea last Friday, where he said no attempt by climate deniers had altered the evidence that climate change is real.

The president called for climate deniers to visit the Maldives and see the effects of climate change, noting that in the Maldives, climate change was not an abstract or distant phenomenon.

President Nasheed noted the importance of bridging the divide between developed and developing countries in order to assure a stronger commitment to fight climate change at the next UN summit due to take place in Mexico later this year.

He also spoke of the Maldives efforts to become carbon neutral by 2020.

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President and First Lady depart for South Korea

President Mohamed Nasheed and First Lady Laila Ali departed for South Korea last night.

They will be participating in the Business for Environment Global Summit (B4E Summit) which will take place in Seoul from 21-23 April.

The summit allows for dialogue and business-driven action for the environment, with some of the topics on the agenda being resource efficiency, renewable energy and climate change policies and strategies.

During their visit, President Nasheed will also meet with the President of South Korea, Lee Myung-Bak, to discuss ways of strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries.

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