Thailands Pm Abhisit: Climate Summit A Failure

[webfact]

Summit a failure: Abhisit

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Published on December 20, 2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday dubbed the UN climate-change conference in Denmark a failure, saying it was a lost opportunity for world leaders to reach an agreement on how to reduce global warming.

He admitted, however, that it was difficult for the participating leaders to settle too many differences between them, particularly the disagreement between developed and developing countries.

"It was expected that the government leaders would reach an accord and settle the differences. |A number of leaders were pulled into a meeting but the group was |too small and could not get the acceptance on a wider scale. |Some countries indicated they did not accept the process and some leaders began going home," Abhisit said.

"Frankly speaking, people who placed their hope on this meeting, particularly the environmentalists, will be disappointed," he added.

The prime minister, who attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was speaking to Thai media from the Danish capital of Copenhagen through a videoconferencing system known as TelePresence.

Abhisit said he had reaffirmed at the conference Thailand's readiness to take part in the efforts to reduce global warming.

He said the country would move ahead with its own plan to tackle |climate change despite the Copenhagen summit's failure, Thai News Agency reported. The premier said that even though the meeting could not agree on concrete measures, Thailand would follow its plan to fight climate change.

Thailand has detailed the measures in its 11th National Economic and Social Development Plan and its Energy Development Plan, he said.

He earlier told the conference that Thailand had incorporated the issue of climate change in its development and planning process, notably in successive National Economic and Social Development Plans for the periods 2007-2011 and 2012-2016 respectively.

-- The Nation 2009/12/20

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Thailand]

Too many big businesses now have their fingers in lucrative pies and have the means to sway elected officials of all governments to their way of thinking-or look for other supporters/financing come re-election time.

The future is on no concern compared to massive profits now, a sad reflection of this world we live in.

[gotlost]

I guess they thank anything is better than nothing.

U.N. chief: Climate change deal reached

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• U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon says deal reached that could be framework for binding global climate change treaty
  
• Moon says non-binding deal called for all countries to limit global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius
  
• Critics of the U.N. Climate Change Conference say specific commitments needed from world leaders
  

Copenhagen, Denmark (CNN) -- U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said Saturday a "deal has been reached" that could be the framework for a binding global climate change treaty.

"Finally we sealed the deal and it is a real deal. Bringing world leaders to the table paid off," Ban said, according to CNN affiliate TV2 Denmark. "The Copenhagen Accord may not be everything that everyone hoped for but this decision of the conference of parties is a beginning, an essential beginning."

Moon said the non-binding deal called for all countries to limit global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius.

He said the deal was a step toward creating a legally binding treaty.

"The deal is backed by money and the means to deliver it. Up to $30 billion has been pledged for adaptations and mitigation," Ban said.

Critics of the U.N. Climate Change Conference have said that without specific commitments from the leaders to actually cut carbon emissions it would be difficult to reach any target.

Environmental group Greenpeace released a statement criticizing the deal.

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"Don't believe the hype, there is nothing fair, ambitious or legally binding about this deal," Greenpeace said. "The job of world leaders is not done. Today they shamefully failed to save us all from the effects of catastrophic climate change."

U.S. President Barack Obama praised the deal Friday before leaving the conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"For the first time in history, all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change," Obama told reporters.

The president said he met with leaders from India, China, Brazil and South Africa, and "that's where we agreed ... to set a mitigation target to limit warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius."

It's a nonbinding goal, and the emissions targets "will not be by themselves sufficient to get to where we need to get by 2050," Obama said. However, he added that it is a first step, and that for many countries "this is going to be the first time in which even voluntary they offered up mitigation targets."

"I think that it was important to essentially get that shift in orientation moving," Obama said.

The president said he believes it's necessary that the countries get to a legally binding treaty, but said, "If we just waited for that, we would not make any progress."

The deal calls on nations to submit their "concrete commitments" into an appendix attached to the agreement to specifically lay out each country's intentions for climate change, Obama said. Those commitments will be subjected to an international "consultation and analysis" that will help foster accountability among the nations.

"It will not be legally binding, but what it will do is allow for each country to show to the world what they're doing," Obama said, "and there will be a sense on the part of each country that we're in this together, and we'll know who is meeting and who is not meeting, the mutual obligations that have been set forth."

Another senior administration official had said the precise details of the agreement were still in some flux, so it was unclear whether the final version would include language that was in earlier drafts aimed at forcing nations to set legally binding targets for reducing emissions.

The president worked behind the scenes on getting a vote among key nations -- including China and India -- to approve the agreement before taking it to the wider group for a vote, according to the official.

[wimpy]

Health care reform has been watered down to a worthless pile of poop. Not much could be accomplished in Denmark. This is all getting rather depressing.

[colinscarr]

Unless we become more active in cutting carbon (and methane) emissions instead of being waylaid by big corporations' desire to maximise their profits at all costs; we may live to see the day when a multi billion dollar profit will buy absolutely zilch.

Edited for grammar

Edited December 20, 2009 by colinscarr

[onnut]

Yeah, more time to enjoy driving around in gas guzzlers. It's all <deleted> this global warming! The climate will change regardless of what we do. Does anyone think the ice age can be blamed on the population back then? I don't think so! So I am going to carry on driving and farting.

[Credo]

And Thailand is doing what about global warming?

[Thailand]

And Thailand is doing what about global warming?

I have it on good authority that Thailand is going to become the hub of global warming.

[sensei]

Wow! This could have been a major crackdown on global warming!

[solent01]

Yeah, more time to enjoy driving around in gas guzzlers. It's all <deleted> this global warming! The climate will change regardless of what we do. Does anyone think the ice age can be blamed on the population back then? I don't think so! So I am going to carry on driving and farting.

Wise words, the whole concept that climate change is man made is the biggest fraud ever......

The climate will change in its regular pattern, as it has done for billions of years, this is just another con on the masses to steal more of our hard earnt £$

This is just one more power game being played by the "illuminati"

[wasabi]

I am not convinced global warming is real but I am convinced pollution is nasty and Bangkok is a prime example of that. Many of the same changes that would limit so-called global warming will also reduce pollution and thus I am all for climate change measures and am very disappointed in this summit. Though I didn't expect Obama to woe the whole world I felt he took a very half-assed and distracted view on this summit given what it represents also represents a core position he took during his campaign. I would love for the air we breathe, water we drink and land we live on to be cleaner and want something done.

[Phil Conners]

When the ice caps have gone and with that the Gulf stream you can say hello to some very interesting climate changes. Why is that so difficult to understand? Don't spend so much time gobbling up the goo spewed by Fox News.

The summit failed largely for two reasons:

1) China agreed to the regulations but refused to have anyone check them. What's the point of a law without enforcement? Just look how many there are in Thailand...

2) The 3rd world countries wanted the 1st world countries to pay them more money, most of which would probably have found their way into their leaders pockets anyway.

[Jingthing]

The global warming denial is a very interesting psychological phenomena. Imagine how few global warming skeptics there would be if the vast majority of global scientists and world leaders determined that eating a peanut everyday increased penis or breast size. They deny because it is bad news and asks them to give up stuff for vague future results, not because they really believe the vast majority of scientists and world leaders are wrong. This time China is the biggest spoiler. Note that the Chinese officials are NOT denying man made global warming. They have much more immediate concerns, the poverty of most of their people which can be helped with dirty coal energy, and the potential revolutions against their government if they can't produce more results. Therefore, they just won't go for the current deal.

Edited December 20, 2009 by Jingthing

[johnsjourney]

Good on Abhisit for telling it how it is.

Obama is of course completely contradicting himself with effectively 'success' and 'if we waited for success it would never happen' - a master of vocal obfuscation, so a dangerous politician (to those not on his side, i.e. not the banks)!

[grrr]

And Thailand is doing what about global warming?

Burning a million rai of rice fields to speed up the process!

[tartempion]

Yeah, more time to enjoy driving around in gas guzzlers. It's all <deleted> this global warming! The climate will change regardless of what we do. Does anyone think the ice age can be blamed on the population back then? I don't think so! So I am going to carry on driving and farting.

If you think mankind in its superior dealing with nature is not harming the planet (cutting the branch we are sitting on) then be assured that the next ice age will rid the planet of that stupid little species who believe they were created to the image of God.

Bunch of idiots.

OK, when the next ice age?, not too far away I hope

[Jingthing]

Is there a stock I can buy on the stock market that profits from mankind NOT effectively dealing with man made global warming? If so, BUY BUY BUY!

[neverdie]

Sorry, I meant to say this is 'part' of an email I received about global warming, carbon emissions and taxes, I tried to delete the parts of it that didnt relate directly to Thailand or that of the global warming issues. Indeed there is some accurate information provided in the email. Im sure some of you will jump on your high horses now, ride away

Imagine 1 kilometre of atmosphere and we want to get rid of the carbon

pollution in it created by human activity.

Let's go for a walk along it.

The first 770 metres are Nitrogen.

The next 210 metres are Oxygen.

That's 980 metres of the 1 kilometre. 20 metres to go.

The next 10 metres are water vapour. 10 metres left.

9 metres are argon. Just 1 more metre.

A few gases make up the first bit of that last metre.

The last 38 centimetres of the kilometre - that's carbon dioxide. A bit

over one foot.

97% of that is produced by Mother Nature. It's natural.

Out of our journey of one kilometre, there are just 12 millimetres left.

Just over a centimetre - about half an inch. That's the amount of carbon dioxide that global human activity puts into the atmosphere.

And of those 12 millimetres Australia puts in .18 of a millimetre.

Less than the thickness of a hair. Out of a kilometre!

As a hair is to a kilometre - so is Australia's contribution to what Mr.

Rudd calls Carbon Pollution.

Imagine Brisbane's new Gateway Bridge, ready to be opened by Mr. Rudd.

It's been polished, painted and scrubbed by an army of workers till its

1 kilometre length is surgically clean. Except that Mr. Rudd says we

have a huge problem, the bridge is polluted - there's a human hair on

the roadway. We'd laugh ourselves silly.

There are plenty of real pollution problems to worry about.

Edited December 20, 2009 by neverdie

[neverdie]

The global warming denial is a very interesting psychological phenomena. Imagine how few global warming skeptics there would be if the vast majority of global scientists and world leaders determined that eating a peanut everyday increased penis or breast size. They deny because it is bad news and asks them to give up stuff for vague future results, not because they really believe the vast majority of scientists and world leaders are wrong. This time China is the biggest spoiler. Note that the Chinese officials are NOT denying man made global warming. They have much more immediate concerns, the poverty of most of their people which can be helped with dirty coal energy, and the potential revolutions against their government if they can't produce more results. Therefore, they just won't go for the current deal.

From what I have seen JT, theres no denial that the world is heating up, most people agree the globe is warming, its just what is causing it that people don't agree on.

This planet of ours has been heating up and cooling down, long before we started pumping polution into the atmosphere.

[hhgz]

Now, maybe the PM can get back to BKK, and get the BRT finished.

[Jingthing]

The global warming denial is a very interesting psychological phenomena. Imagine how few global warming skeptics there would be if the vast majority of global scientists and world leaders determined that eating a peanut everyday increased penis or breast size. They deny because it is bad news and asks them to give up stuff for vague future results, not because they really believe the vast majority of scientists and world leaders are wrong. This time China is the biggest spoiler. Note that the Chinese officials are NOT denying man made global warming. They have much more immediate concerns, the poverty of most of their people which can be helped with dirty coal energy, and the potential revolutions against their government if they can't produce more results. Therefore, they just won't go for the current deal.

From what I have seen JT, theres no denial that the world is heating up, most people agree the globe is warming, its just what is causing it that people don't agree on.

This planet of ours has been heating up and cooling down, long before we started pumping polution into the atmosphere.

You've got this all wrong.

There is skepticism about the warming.

There is skepticism that man is causing the warming.

Both are going on.

[Credo]

I see Thailand doing very little about global warming. Very little encouragement to conserve fuel, burning of fields and forests. And then there is Ma Tah Phut.

[Jingthing]

I see Thailand doing very little about global warming. Very little encouragement to conserve fuel, burning of fields and forests. And then there is Ma Tah Phut.

What you see is what you get. If the major countries aren't doing their share, why should Thailand? All countries need to do their fair share or those that do help put themselves at a competitive disadvantage. There lies the rub, due to the vast differences in nation's economies. I have never been optimistic that we will be able to overcome this political problem, and Copenhagen reinforces my pessimism.

[Credo]

It's called leadership and if Abhisit wants to be critical, he might want to step up to the plate.

[Jingthing]

It's called leadership and if Abhisit wants to be critical, he might want to step up to the plate.

Perhaps, but nobody really expects international leadership from a country like Thailand. They do expect it from the major powers. Also, it would be political suicide for Abhisit to go too far without the major countries also agreeing to proportionally sacrifice at the same level. How there can ever be any real agreement on enforceable proportional responsibilities of all the countries in the world is beyond me, and apparently beyond the world leaders as well.

Edited December 20, 2009 by Jingthing

[JimsKnight]

The whole thing was a waste of time and perhaps for the best that the worlds nations couldn't come to an agreement. The differences between the 3rd, 2nd and 1st world aren't solvable with a magic wand...

[Jingthing]

The whole thing was a waste of time and perhaps for the best that the worlds nations couldn't come to an agreement. The differences between the 3rd, 2nd and 1st world aren't solvable with a magic wand...

Yeah, its looking more and more like eliminating poverty has to happen before meaningful work can be done to stop global warming. Then all those newly non-poor people will want motorized vehicles (and why shouldn't they?). Good luck with that one.

Edited December 20, 2009 by Jingthing

[salone]

And Thailand is doing what about global warming?

+1

[sunsamourai]

The global warming denial is a very interesting psychological phenomena. Imagine how few global warming skeptics there would be if the vast majority of global scientists and world leaders determined that eating a peanut everyday increased penis or breast size. They deny because it is bad news and asks them to give up stuff for vague future results, not because they really believe the vast majority of scientists and world leaders are wrong. This time China is the biggest spoiler. Note that the Chinese officials are NOT denying man made global warming. They have much more immediate concerns, the poverty of most of their people which can be helped with dirty coal energy, and the potential revolutions against their government if they can't produce more results. Therefore, they just won't go for the current deal.

From what I have seen JT, theres no denial that the world is heating up, most people agree the globe is warming, its just what is causing it that people don't agree on.

This planet of ours has been heating up and cooling down, long before we started pumping polution into the atmosphere.

how dumb are people not to understand that when you light a fire it actually heats its environment ? Why has man made fires throughout winters since the dawn of times ?

When the fire gets bigger, let's say like in a factory, it heats more. Doesn't it ?

When you multiply people, you increase the number of plants and factories. When you multiply factories and plants, it brings the scale further in the heating process.

What cooling does man bring in exchange ? Fridges and coolers produce even more heat with their mechanisms.

is that really so hard to understand ?

should we suggest people to leave their fingers on the stove and check whether it's heating or not ?

stupids.

[airplane]

It's a lot cooler today than yesterday; let's hope it continues.