The ‘Brutal’ Truth is Carbon Emissions Are Rising Again
China should be proud of how it has reduced its reliance on coal, although it should be aware that there is still more it can do.
Dec 10, 2018
China Offers Optimism After IPCC “Wake Up Call” on Climate Change
“Blue Monday” is the name given to the most depressing day of the year, when a miserable concoction of holiday blues and freezing cold weather makes for a grim and dreary day. Typically, this day occurs on the third Monday in January, however after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its downcast report last Monday, October 8th seems a more suitable option. The report, referred to as an “ear-splitting wake-up call” by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, offered an honest yet sobering account on the state of our planet, warning that if in the next 12 years we are unable to keep global warming at 1.5C, then climate-related poverty, heat-related deaths and the destruction of our coral reefs and ice-caps will dramatically increase. More worryingly, the report comes at a time when the world is still not united in dealing with this problem. From a potential Brazilian president who threatens to cut down more of the Amazon Rainforest, to a new Australian Prime Minister who thinks reports like this are “nonsense” and not forgetting an American President who pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement and referred to climate change as “bullshit”, the current situation is enough to make anyone dive back to bed, put their head under the covers and wish for happier times. In China, thankfully, […]
Oct 16, 2018
Exclusive: Interview with French President Emmanuel Macron
China.org.cn had an exclusive interview with the French president right before his visit. Macron spoke on a host of topics, including the two countries’ diplomatic ties, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, global anti-terrorism operations, international cooperation and solutions for climate change.
Jan 9, 2018
Climate Change: The Greatest Challenge for Our Generation
Global warming is an undeniable reality. Its adverse effects threaten both humanity and nature. Indeed, mounting evidence makes clear that climate change may very well be the greatest challenge that our generation will have to face. As a result, the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (also known as the COP21) is one of the most significant events of 2015, not only for the 195 nations who have sent their teams to negotiate at the Paris summit, but also for ordinary citizens. The agreements reached at the summit will have a long-term impact on the lives of people throughout the globe. As The Guardian notes “the decisions […] will affect everything from which power plants provide you energy to what food you eat and how likely your home is to flood or be hit by extreme weather in the future.” Over the next two weeks, countries will endeavor to work out a deal for beyond 2020 ( the year the Kyoto Protocol expires) in order to maintain global warming to a 2c increase. In particular, countries will need to agree on commitments to limit their greenhouse emissions as well as usage of polluting fossil fuels. Needless to say, the outcome of the convention will also be greatly influenced by the endeavors of […]
Dec 1, 2015