Take climate warnings seriously
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Each of the past three decades has been the hottest on record, they pointed out.
This year is shaping up to be even warmer, with the combined land and oceanic temperatures recorded in the first six months of 2010 being the hottest ever, the scientists said.
Europe, after experiencing some warmer than usual days in July, is now enjoying some cool weather. The climate change negotiators must bear in mind that the phenomenon may have global impact, but it is the poor who bear the brunt of it.
This must drive them to come up with a consensual roadmap that can help deal with the issue.
Over the weekend, I carefully read the negotiation text prepared by the secretariat of the United Nations' Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The 45-page document does show a strong commitment by the new UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, who replaced Yvo de Boer last month.
Figueres has made many notes to push the negotiators to clinch a positive deal at the talks.
The wording of negotiation principles is concise and should be acceptable to all. But when I read the paragraphs pertaining to concrete goals and numbers, these were very optional in nature.
For instance, on targets to control increases in global temperatures, it says: "Reducing global emissions so as to maintain the increase in global temperatures below 1, 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels."
This contrasts clearly with what the Copenhagen Accord spells out: "We shall, recognizing the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius, on the basis of equity and in the context of sustainable development, enhance our long-term cooperative action to combat climate change."
The current text also says that the relevant parties should collectively reduce global emissions by 50, 85 or 95 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 and should ensure that global emissions continue to decline thereafter.
