Bolder climate deal needed to close & emissions gap U.N. says - CNN International

Negotiators will meet in Cancun, Mexico in late November to build on the Copenhagen Accord agreed last December.Governments must set in stone climate pledges made in Copenhagen, Steiner saidComes as UN releases a report saying government must do more to reduce emissionsReport finds that even if all pledges are met, temperatures will still rise above agreed levelsNegotiators meet in Cancun in late November for COP16

London, England (CNN) -- Governments must make bolder and more binding commitments to reduce carbon emissions, according to a new United Nations report.

The "Emission Gap Report" highlights the gap between pledges made and what's needed to avoid a dangerous rise in global temperatures.

Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, said negotiators must set in stone pledges made last year at the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark when they meet in Cancun, Mexico next week.

"This is not a matter of luxury choice that we can defer, but it is a matter of an ever narrower window of time in which action is feasible on a scale and compatible with also economic and technological transition paths," Steiner said.

"That's why we wanted to issue this report just before Cancun to remind the world that despite the struggles of Copenhagen, there is a climate path forward for the international community that it is feasible, but we have to accelerate it and there is a still a gap to meet the minimum objectives agreed in Copenhagen," he added.

"The ability to close that five gigaton gap is simply beyond question. We can do it
--Achim Steiner, U.N. Environment Program

A record 15,000 delegates converged on Copenhagen last December for the 15th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15).

The talks carried high hopes for a binding global agreement to curb carbon emissions but in the end delivered a disappointing and loose set of voluntary actions named the "Copenhagen Accord."

Eighty countries responsible for 80 percent of the world's carbon emissions signed the accord agreeing, among other things, that the global temperature rise should be limited to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Average global surface temperatures have already increased by about 0.74 degrees Celsius over the past hundred years to 2005, according to the Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The IPCC has warned that a failure to reduce carbon emissions could lead to the disappearance of sea ice by the end of the 21st century causing sea levels to rise, water shortages in semi-arid areas and an increasing risk of extinction for up to 30 percent of the world's species.

Next week, negotiators will meet in Cancun, Mexico for COP16, to try to close the political gap between commitments made by developed and developing nations to reduce carbon emissions.

However, the "Emissions Gap Report," released Tuesday, found that even if all nations meet all pledges made in the Copenhagen Accord, the world will be still be only 60 percent of the way towards keeping the global average temperature rise below two degrees Celsius.

The report, compiled by 30 of the world's leading climate researchers, quantified how many gigatons of carbon emissions could be cut if all nations kept pledges made in the Copenhagen Accord, and the corresponding likely rise in global average temperatures.

It started from a base of 48 gigatons produced by the world in 2009. The report found that if nothing is done to cut carbon emissions they will rise to 56 gigatons by 2020. That equates to a likely global average temperature increase of seven degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

To keep the average global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius the report found that carbon emissions must drop to 44 gigatons each year, ideally by 2020.

However, the report found that even if governments meet all the targets set out in the Copenhagen Accord, world carbon emissions would only drop to 49 gigatons.

The corresponding temperature rise would be around 2.5 degrees Celsius, higher than the two degree target.

"The ability to close that five gigaton gap is simply beyond question. We can do it," said Steiner. He added that it could be achieved by phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and by tightening up rules on carbon credits to discourage wasteful energy practices.

The executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has said Cancun can be a success if the parties compromise.

"They have to balance their expectations so that everyone can carry home a positive achievement while allowing others to do the same -- that's how multilateral agreements are made elsewhere and it is how it has to happen in climate, too," said Christiana Figueres.

The Cancun climate talks start on November 29 and end December 10.

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Continued Blasts From Mount Merapi Close Shops, Schools - Voice of America

Sara Schonhardt | Sleman, Indonesia 04 November 2010

An Indonesian man watches as Mount Merapi erupts in Kepuharjo, Yogyakarta, 03 Nov 2010

Ash from Indonesia's Mount Merapi has forced schools and restaurants to shut as eruptions grow more powerful. People say they are used to living with the volcano, but continued blasts are wearing them down.

Thick ash blankets trees and roads far from the summit of Mount Merapi. The volcano has belched hot gas and debris for more than a week, and increasingly forceful eruptions have sent ash raining down on communities up to 25 kilometers away.

Many of those who live on the volcano's slopes are used to sweeping ash from their floors and washing thick, grey soot from their crops and trees. But people who live in Jogjakarta say they have never seen ash this thick come this far.

Budi Utomo runs his family's guesthouse in Slemen. He says some foreign visitors have cancelled reservations, and he worries what will happen if the volcano's remains so active.

He says he sees that now in Jogjakarta it is too dusty and disturbing to people on holiday. For local and foreign tourists, and the people who live here, everyone is uncomfortable.

Utomo says the people of Jogjakarta understand Merapi's history and are not too afraid of its eruptions, which come every three or four years. The people in his neighborhood help each other sweep out the ash, and inquire about the health of friends and family.

But the ash is something they cannot avoid. Daily weather reports refer to ash rain, which hits different sections of the city depending on the wind direction. When a neighborhood gets hit, children get a break from school since the thick dust clouds can lead to eye infections and respiratory problems.

Utomo is not sure how badly the eruptions will hurt businesses, because while some tourists stay away, others have come to see the exploding volcano. He says a few visitors have asked him to help arrange trips up Merapi so they can get a closer look.

At his guesthouse the ash has put pressure on the staff cleaning the pool and dinning area. Everyone wears green surgical masks.

The masks are a staple at the evacuation camps as well. Doctors and relief workers worry that people will start to become sick if they breathe the dusty air for too long.

Children are the most vulnerable, and volunteers have started daily check-ups to make sure those in the camps stay healthy. Dr. Ai Alam, from the Indonesian Red Crescent Society, runs the health post at the Kepuharjo shelter.

The doctor says most people here have been suffering from respiratory infections, coughs, fevers, and eye infections and irritation. Around 100 people a day are getting sick or seeking treatment.

The 2,000 evacuees at Kepuharjo were living closest to the crater. Aside from the physical effects of the eruptions, doctors also worry about whether they suffered longer lasting psychological trauma.

Wednesday's blast, the biggest since eruptions began October 26, spewed out ash that quickly covered shelves in the open-air shops. Vibrant markets open one day are quiet the next. But aside from markets and restaurants most businesses are running as usual.

Government officials say they do not expect the volcano to affect the economy. And airlines that were grounded on Tuesday have resumed regular flight schedules.

The Ministry of Tourism's Web site says it is monitoring the volcano and warns visitors that it remains on high alert. But it also assures them that Jogjakarta is still safe and open for tourists.

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