Climate Headlines Other News Climate UNFCCC Updates |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
| By N2H | |||
Africa Climate is a portal where news about Africa, that affect Africa and are linked to development in general are posted. You can join the list of followers, contributors using the various social networking tools. The focus is in general climate change. But then.. what is climate change? Climate Change is about everything! It is about YOU! 
The Swedish government has notified the African Forest Research Network Afornet of its intention to freeze its 20-year old support over what Sweden's ambassador Ann Dismorr described as “administrative problems in recent years.”Mrs Dismorr announced the decision at a conference organised by the network in Nairobi, but explained that the governance problems in the Nairobi-based organisation arose from its huge area of coverage.”To establish and run a programme like this in approximately 30 countries is not an easy task,” she argued but remained firm that the funding would be stopped.
via allAfrica.com: Africa: Fears Over Planned Cut in Research Funding.
“More meetings does not mean success,” de Boer, who steps down from his UN post on July 1, said today at the Carbon Market Insights conference in Amsterdam. “We need to get down to business.”
The Copenhagen summit in December 2009 was a failure even though it was preceded by many meetings, de Boer said. While about 150 nations agreed to submit plans or targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the meeting failed to produce a global treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which lapses in 2012.
“Going back from Copenhagen, I was extremely disappointed,” de Boer said. “My first feeling was it had been an absolute disaster.”
via UN Climate Process ‘Needs a Good Spanking,’ Yvo de Boer Says – BusinessWeek.
Once used, the bag can be knotted and buried, and a layer of urea crystals breaks down the waste into fertilizer, killing off disease-producing pathogens found in feces.
BIODEGRADABLE Children in Kenya with the Peepoo, a single-use bag designed to convert waste into fertilizer while destroying disease-producing pathogens.
via For Pennies, a Disposable Toilet That Could Help Grow Crops – NYTimes.com.
The massive Lake Turkana Wind Power Project will involve construction of 365 giant wind turbines. Photo/REUTERS
Lake Turkana Wind Power Ltd — the largest wind power project in Africa and Kenya’s most ambitious green energy venture yet — has just achieved a major breakthrough with the Spanish government stepping in with a $150 million (€110 million) offer to finance construction of the transmission line.
The entry of the Spaniards has come at a time when anxiety was beginning to grow over whether the massive project would achieve financial closure.
African Development Bank, the financial arrangers of the project, had warned the government that reaching financial closure on the 300MW wind farm would be difficult without a firm commitment that financing of the transmission line was fully funded.
via The East African - Spain gives giant Turkana Wind Power Project $150m funding.
Scientists in Eastern Washington are at the forefront of research into an ancient practice that shows promise as a clean fuel source, a way to improve soil condition and to capture carbon that otherwise would be released into the atmosphere.
Researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the federal Department of Agriculture's research station in Prosser and Washington State University have been integral figures in studies of biochar and its potential uses.
Biochar, a charcoal-like material, is produced when biomass — including wood, plant and animal waste — is burned in the absence of or under low oxygen conditions so the material doesn’t combust.
via Scientists see biochar as promising fuel source | Northwest News – The News Tribune.
In his submission before retiring to the private sector, Yvo de Boer sent a warning short, it is impossible to change the climate change architecture from inside the UN.
Does he know something we dont know? What is wrong with the current architecture? Is it at the Kyoto Protocol level or is it at the “Financing mechanism level”, or is the current framework not able to deliver any depictable positive change?
Several countries made clear at the meeting in Bali that they would prefer that the review panel be appointed by an independent group of scientists rather than the climate panel. The plans for assembling the panel would be announced next week.
According to Mr Nuttall, this will bringing some level of closure to the issue of “Climate Gate and Himalaya Galcier Melting prediction.
One area to be examined is whether the panel should incorporate so-called gray literature, a term to describe nonpeer-reviewed science, in its reports.
Many scientists say that such material, ranging from reports by government agencies to respected research not published in scientific journals, is crucial to seeking a complete picture of the state of climate science.
The IPCC, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Gore for a report that called climate change “unequivocal” and “very likely” caused by human activity, announced Saturday that it will seek independent review of its major reports.
Click to continue reading “Independent Board to Review Work of Top Climate Panel – NYTimes.com”
Sphere: Related ContentChanging the system
Most of the movements mentioned can broadly be described as working to change the system from within, mainly through online collaboration and advocacy to pressure world leaders for action. More adversarial groups like Climate Justice Action are organising traditional street protests in Copenhagen against world leaders, for which they provide a Protestors Guide.
Dr Neal Young, a glaciologist at the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Research Centre in Tasmania, told the BBC that any disruption to the production of the super cold water – known as bottom water – in the region would affect ocean currents, and consequently weather patterns, for years to come.”This area accounts for about 25% of the production of bottom water in Antarctica, and therefore it will reduce the overturning circulation rate,” he said.
South Africa Cash-strapped Eskom wants to hike electricity prices by 35 percent a year for three years, to help it raise 385 billion rand ($50.38 billion) to build more plants and avoid the blackouts that crippled the vital mining industry in 2008.
Eskom, which provides 95 percent of the country’s power, has been battling an electricity shortage since January 2008, due to a lack of investment in new capacity and ageing power stations.
South Africa’s government bonds gained after the announcement
via UPDATE 1-S.Africa Eskom gets price hike, inflation fears rise | Reuters.