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Post-Copenhagen: What Now?

With all the reports, controversy, and rumors that have been swirling over the past two weeks, it's been a challenge keeping up with and making sense of what really went down in Copenhagen. Various parties involved hold very contrasting views over how negotiations turned out. China, UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon and even the vulnerable country of Bangladesh took a positive outlook, while Sweden, Bolivia, Brazil and others felt the resolution was unacceptable and demanded much stronger regulations and emissions cuts than what the U.S.-brokered "Copenhagen Accord", reached Saturday, calls for. Nonetheless, here is an attempt to break down the accord, in terms of both potential pros and cons:

PROS: During negotiations major countries, including China, the U.S., India and Europe, agreed that the risks of climate change could not be left unchecked. Included in the final Copenhagen Accord was a goal to restrict global temperature rise to no more than 2 degrees Celsius. Another section of the accord covers the commitment to support climate change adaptation projects in developing countries through a collective international fund of $100 billion per year until 2020.

CONS: The non-legally binding Copenhagen Accord, however, was not adopted by the UN -- only "taken note of" -- and it was not supported by all countries represented at negotiations. The accord was labeled by the Sudanese Chairman of the G77, the largest developing country bloc represented at the COP15, as comparable to a "suicide pact" -- which he would not be entering into. Also, the accord's emissions targets do not fall in line with what science says is necessary to actually meet the goal of keeping global temperature rise under 2 degrees Celsius.

While this may be oversimplifying things, all in all it seems that though hopes for a global treaty were high prior to last week's summit (a potential climax of decades of debate), realistic expectations were probably quite a bit lower. Perhaps a more realistic goal for the close of Copenhagen was the laying of groundwork necessary to continue talks of a binding treaty into 2010. This goal may indeed have been realized, as historically speaking no preceding summit has reached such a consensus on the urgency of climate change. As stated by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, "We now have a package to work with and begin immediate action.” Only time will tell.

For more on the summit outcome via a first-hand account from the Mother Nature Network's blogger Karl Burkart, click here.

 
 

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Last Day at Copenhagen: Deal or No Deal?

With the scheduled close of the Copenhagen summit today, world leaders have begun to depart from the now notorious Denmark capital. However, results of the two-week long negotiations are still unknown, with a final agreement -- political, binding, or otherwise -- yet to be released. The UN has asked parties to stay on overnight in a last-ditch effort to reach a deal, an effort some say is a lost cause.

According to the UNFCCC, the latest draft text to be leaked, which latest rumors say may be signed by remaining parties, includes grossly inadequate emissions reductions that would still result in a devastating global temperature rise of over 3 degrees, and an atmospheric CO2 level of 550 parts per million -- at best.

And, while the U.S. has pledged to work towards the goal of mobilizing $100 billion a year by 2020 for adaptation in vulnerable communities, the actual dollar amount the U.S. is pledging to contribute to this goal was left unmentioned. This pledge was also made under the condition that it would be part of a broader accord.

While the outcome of Copenhagen hangs in the balance, Link TV will continue to bring you LIVE coverage of events, and unique content about climate change. Check out the results of last week's News Hunt from our partners at News Trust, which looked at a wide range of topics that helped put the Copenhagen conference in context.

 

 
 

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Copenhagen Heats Up

As the final days of the climate talks in Copenhagen tick by, heads of state begin to arrive at the summit, and the energy in and around the Bella Center has reached an all-time high. Inside the Center, NGOs and possibly some delegates have walked out of talks. Outside, thousands of protestors marching for climate justice for developing countries are attempting to turn negotiations into a "people's assembly", chanting "Reclaim Power" --a term coined by the leaders of Climate Justice Action, a coalition of global climate justice groups. Police have arrested hundreds more today, and have even resorted to physical force, using batons and pepper spray to hold back crowds. Watch a full report on the protest scene from Democracy Now!

 

Accedited activists and NGOs, including Avaaz, Tck Tck Tck, and Friends of the Earth, have now been denied access to the conference center without stated cause, further inflaming protestors in the area, and resulting in a sit-in in the center lobby.

 

In other news, Conference of the Parties (COP 15) President Connie Hedegaard has resigned her position, to be replaced by Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, reportedly because of the unprecedented number of heads of state and government who have begun to arrive at the conference.

Stay tuned for more updates from Copenhagen, and in the meantime, check out this Earth Focus interview with Oxfam's Gawain Kripke who has a firm grasp on the effects of climate change on developing countries, particularly as it pertains to food security:

 
 

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Happy 10th Birthday to Link!

On a cold San Francisco night -- December 15, 1999 at 2AM in the morning, to be exact -- WorldLink TV took to the WorldLink TV Logoairwaves. Help us celebrate Link's 10th anniversary with a look back at our past, and a look forward to our bright future. Now available to watch online is our 5th anniversary gala event, featuring Link board member Harry Belafonte and the ever-awesome Dave Matthews. You can also watch a great mini-documentary on the beginnings of WorldLink TV (now Link TV, of course), an inspiring look at our first night on air.

While our logo (and name!) may have changed, hairs may be a touch more gray, and beloved staff and programs have come and gone, Link TV's mission remains the same -- to be your connection to the world. We've always been supported by you, our viewers, and we need your support now more than ever. So please make a tax-deductible donation to Link TV today, and help keep us on the air and web for decades to come.

 
 

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Global Action Kicks Off Week Two at Copenhagen

The weekend was anything but quiet around Copenhagen's Bella Center and in the world at large, with protestors and activists taking to the streets from Sydney to San Francisco demanding a real deal on climate change. The mass action, which prompted hundreds of arrests, included marches, vigils and church bell ringing by groups like Oxfam and 350.org.

 

At the negotiations, aggressive action took place as well. Tuvalu's negotiator reached out in an emotional plea to the UN, the U.S. Senate and President Obama, asserting that the survival of his country and other small island nations depends on decisions made this week. Meanwhile, Bolivia's UN Ambassador issued a bold response to the U.S. refusal to pay any "climate debt" by saying, "We are not assigning guilt, merely responsibility. As they say in the U.S., if you break it, you buy it."  And today, African countries of the G77 have walked out of negotiations, temporarily suspending talks, in a move to protect gains made through the Kyoto Protocol.

 

All of this and more, as always, is continuously covered on our LIVE page, Copenhagen 24/7, so stay tuned for more up-to-the-minute news straight from the source. I'll leave you with our latest spot from Link TV's Climate Change Hits Home series, which discusses the impending impacts of a warming world on recreation in the U.S. Some of America's favorite (and most prosperous!) pastimes are in danger of disappearing:

 

 
 

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