News Roundup
‘The Chinese government is putting the finishing touches to a $440bn (£272bn) incentive package designed to boost use of solar and wind power in the country.
According to various reports, new incentives for solar farms and rooftop panels are to be introduced, possibly as early as next month, while government funding will also be made available for large-scale wind farm projects.’
via China ready to roll with $440bn green energy plan – 29 May 2009 – BusinessGreen.com.
‘BONN, Germany, June 2 Reuters – China promised on Tuesday to step up actions to fight climate change and cautioned that “unfair” new demands by rich nations could sabotage a new U.N. treaty due to be agreed in December.’
via INTERVIEW-China to act on climate, warns of “unfair” demands | Reuters.
There is a new agricultural report from the University of Stellenbosch Center for Chinese Studies, “The Relevance of Chinese Agricultural Technologies for African Smallholder Farmers: Agricultural Technology Research in China”
Excerpt: ‘The study team considers that water and soil related technologies offer the best Chinese examples for transfer to Africa. Africa is generally a water-challenged land, and soil degradation is a problem. Here China offers packages that can be applied, especially when focusing on small-scale farmers. This includes water saving and augmenting techniques, tillage and planting methods, soil enhancing methods such as mulching, and the maximisation of fertilizer usage by soil testing and application techniques. For the purposes of this research we have not studied mechanisation techniques, and only touched upon rural energy sources, but consider there are some lessons here to be learned. Similarly, we feel that Chinese aquaculture has much to offer Africa.’
The Global Humanitarian Forum of Geneva has issued a new Human Impact Report, “Climate Change: The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis”, available as a 135 page download, which discusses existing impacts of climate change on human populations.
Time magazine reports on this report:
‘1. The scale of the problem: “Climate change is already seriously affecting hundreds of millions of people today and in the next twenty years those affected will likely more than double — making it the greatest emerging humanitarian challenge of our time…. The number of those severely affected by climate change is more than ten times greater than for instance those injured in traffic accidents each year, and more than the global annual number of new malaria cases. Within the next 20 years, one in ten of the world’s present population could be directly and seriously affected.’
‘On July 7-8, 2009, China Entrepreneurs will present, “The China Cleantech Business Forum” at the world’s famous Shangri-La Kerry Centre in Beijing, China. This forum will gather executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and international business professionals from various sectors of the cleantech industry to listen to cleantech experts discuss key topics for succeeding, investing, and understanding the cleantech industry.’
‘BONN, Germany — The United States may miss a December deadline for committing to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, but that should not block an international agreement on global warming, the chief U.S. negotiator said Wednesday.’
However…
‘Other countries have said they will make no firm commitments until they know what the U.S. will do. The European Union has pledged to cut its emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, but said it could increase that figure to 30 percent depending on U.S. plans.’
‘COLUMBUS, Ohio — Federal regulators have not done enough to ensure that shareholders are aware of material risks to companies from greenhouse gas emissions, according to a pair of studies released Wednesday by environmental and investor groups.’
The government has completed a draft of mandatory environmental measures for the increasing number of Chinese companies involved in overseas projects, officials have said.
‘A promise that the Maldives will go carbon-neutral in 10 years is not just good for PR, says the country’s president Mohamed Nasheed. In this week’s Green Room, he argues that the goal sets an example for the developed world proving that a green country is not only practical, it is profitable.’
via BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Leading by an achievable example.