Mexico, Germany urges action on climate change

Mexico, Germany urges action on climate change

- By Verena Schmitt-Roschmann (Associated Press)

With the fight against global warming in serious trouble, Germany and Mexico are calling on world leaders to get international negotiations back on track and reach concrete results by the end of the year.

“We need to show the world how serious the threat is,” Mexican President Felipe Calderon said as he opened an international climate change conference in Germany on Sunday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also spoke at the opening of the conference co-hosted by both countries and aimed at laying the groundwork for the next U.N. conference on climate change, asked nations around the world for more ambition in their efforts to cut greenhouse gases.

While scientists believe global temperatures must not rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times, the world is now headed for a 3 to 4 degree increase, Merkel said.

“We have to realize that we have quite a long way to go to reach the 2-degree-goal,” Merkel said. “Therefore we have to ascertain how we can reach our goals nonetheless.”Mexico will host the next U.N. conference on climate change in Cancun in December, the first such high-level summit after the troubled U.N. conference in Copenhagen five months ago.

Germany has long presented itself as a driving force in the international efforts to curb global warming and came up with the idea of a “mid-term” meeting.

Both countries invited ministers and representatives from around 45 countries for informal talks on the Petersberg up above Koenigswinter.

The three-day conference called the Petersberg Dialogue hopes to make some progress on details, but most of all build trust between poor and rich nations, Calderon said.

He said the conference could produce a “clear message, this will be the signal whether it will be possible to reach a uniform agreement.”

Nations around the world agreed in 2007 to negotiate a new international treaty to fight global warming which scientists say has already started to cause some alarming changes such as droughts, flooding or heavier storms.

A treaty was originally hoped for in Copenhagen, but that meeting produced less than expected.

President Barack Obama and a few dozen other major players drafted the so-called Copenhagen Accord, which includes the 2-degree-goal and an immediate $30 billion three-year aid package for poorer nations.

However, the accord failed to gain full support at the summit, as some smaller countries felt left out in the process and were unhappy with the results of closed-door negotiations.

German Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said the Petersberg meeting is designed to work intensely on some sticking points and to build trust among those who eventually have to work with each other on the U.N. level.

To have something to show for even while the negotiating is going on, nations should agree on concrete projects to curb greenhouse gas emissions or to adapt to climate change, he said.

Calderon and Merkel said one of the areas that could see some progress in Cancun was the fight against deforestation.

Mexico’s president stressed that saving forests could help fight poverty at the same time as it would give residents an income.

Since Copenhagen, momentum in the drive to control global warming has slowed in some countries. The U.S. has not tackled its domestic energy bill; and Australia — one of the world’s biggest per capita polluters — put off for as long as two years legislation setting up carbon trading.


Roettgen has said his country and others have not given up on striking a deal at the U.N. climate summit in Cancun Nov. 29-Dec. 10.

What is Global Warming?

What is Global Warming?

The Earth as an ecosystem is changing, attributable in great part to the effects of globalization and man. More carbon dioxide is now in the atmosphere than has been in the past 650,000 years. This carbon stays in the atmosphere, acts like a warm blanket, and holds in the heat — hence the name ‘global warming.’

The reason we exist on this planet is because the earth naturally traps just enough heat in the atmosphere to keep the temperature within a very narrow range – this creates the conditions that give us breathable air, clean water, and the weather we depend on to survive. Human beings have begun to tip that balance. We’ve overloaded the atmosphere with heat-trapping gasses from our cars and factories and power plants. If we don’t start fixing the problem now, we’re in for devastating changes to our environment. We will experience extreme temperatures, rises in sea levels, and storms of unimaginable destructive fury. Recently, alarming events that are consistent with scientific predictions about the effects of climate change have become more and more commonplace.

Environmental Destruction :


The massive ice sheets in the Arctic are melting at alarming rates. This is causing the oceans to rise. That’s how big these ice sheets are! Most of the world’s population lives on or near the coasts. Rising ocean levels, an estimated six feet over the next 100 years or sooner, will cause massive devastation and economic catastrophe to population centers worldwide.


The United States, with only four percent of the world’s population, is responsible for 22% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. A rapid transition to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources will combat global warming, protect human health, create new jobs, protect habitat and wildlife, and ensure a secure, affordable energy future.

Health Risks :


Malaria. Dengue Fever. Encephalitis. These names are not usually heard in emergency rooms and doctors’ offices in the United States. But if we don’t act to curb global warming, they will be. As temperatures rise, disease-carrying mosquitoes and rodents spread, infecting people in their wake. Doctors at the Harvard Medical School have linked recent U.S. outbreaks of dengue fever, malaria, hantavirus and other diseases directly to climate change.

Catastrophic Weather :


Super powerful hurricanes, fueled by warmer ocean temperatures are the “smoking gun” of global warming. Since 1970, the number of category 4 and 5 events has jumped sharply. Human activities are adding an alarming amount of pollution to the earth’s atmosphere causing catastrophic shifts in weather patterns. These shifts are causing severe heat, floods and worse.

Take Action for Stop Global Warming

Take Action!

The Stop Global Warming calculator shows you how much carbon dioxide you can prevent from being released into the atmosphere and how much money you can save by making some small changes in your daily life. It’s our hope that the calculator will promote action, awareness and empowerment by showing you that one person can make a difference and help stop global warming.

There are many simple things you can do in your daily life — what you eat, what you drive, how you build your home — that can have an effect on your immediate surrounding, and on places as far away as Antactica. Here is a list of few things that you can do to make a difference.


Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs :

Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year. Take the Energy Star pledge.


Inflate Your Tires :

Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.


Change Your Air Filter:

Check your car’s air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.


Fill The Dishwasher :

Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.


Use Recycled Paper :

Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.


Adjust Your Thermostat :

Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.


Check Your Waterheater :

Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.


Change the AC Filter :

Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.


Take Shorter Showers :

Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $99 per year.


Install a Low-Flow Showerhead :

Using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150.



Buy Products Locally :

Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store.


Buy Energy Certificates :

Help spur the renewable energy market and cut global warming pollution by buying wind certificates and green tags.


Buy Minimally Packaged Goods :

Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.


Buy A Hybrid Car :

The average driver could save 16,000 lbs. of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a hybrid


Buy a Fuel Efficient Car :

Getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs. of CO2 and a lot of money per year.


Carpool When You Can :

Own a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.


Don’t Idle in Your Car :

Idling wastes money and gas, and generates pollution and global warming causing emissions. Except when in traffic, turn your engine off if you must wait for more than 30 seconds.


Reduce Garbage :

Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.


Plant a Tree :

Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.


Insulate Your Water Heater :

Keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.


Replace Old Appliances :

Inefficient appliances waste energy. Save hundreds of lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.


Weatherize Your Home :

Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $274 per year.


Use a Push Mower :

Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of carbon dioxide per year.


Unplug Un-Used Electronics :

Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.


Put on a Sweater :

Instead of turning up the heat in your home, wear more clothes Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.


Insulate Your Home :

Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $245 per year.


Air Dry Your Clothes :

Line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer. Save 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $75 per year.


Switch to a Tankless Water Heater :

Your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $390 per year.

Switch to Double Pane Windows :

Double pane windows keep more heat inside your home so you use less energy. Save 10,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $436 per year.


Buy Organic Food :

The chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce.


Bring Cloth Bags to the Market :

Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires no additional energy.


Buy the Bracelet :

Made from 100% scrap leather by Roots — 100% of net proceeds go the Stop Global Warming Fund.


Turn off Your Computer :

Shut off your computer when not in use, and save 200 lbs of C02. Conserve energy by using your computer’s “sleep mode” instead of a screensaver.


Be a Meat Reducer :

The average American diet contributes an extra 1.5 tons of greenhouse gases per year compared with a vegetarian diet. Eliminating meat and dairy intake one day a week can make a big difference.


Ditch the Plastic :

2.5 million individual plastic water bottles are thrown away every hour in the US. Start using a reusable water bottle and just say no to plastic!