Carbon Markets Violate Indigenous Peoples' Rights and Threaten Cultural Survival

Indigenous leader kidnapped and forced at gunpoint to surrender carbon rights for REDD in Papua New Guinea

The concentration of methane in the atmosphere is rising, according to measurements made by the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) at its Baring Head Station near Wellington.

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas whose affect on climate is 21 times stronger than Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and is the second most important contributor to global warming behind carbon dioxide. It is produced naturally mainly by biological breakdown of organic substances in oxygen-deficient conditions, such as the digestive system of ruminant animals and the decay of plant material in swamps or landfills. It is also prevalent in fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas (which is mainly methane).

Wellington New Zealand. 21 Dec 2009. About 150 people took to the streets early this morning in Wellington as two banners were hung overnight in prominent locations. First stop was the Stock Exchange, to disrupt business as usual and tell the profiteers of climate change that our climate is not their business.

24 year old Leah from Tuvalu addressed the Melbourne Walk Against Warming Climate Rally detailing some of the effects of climate change being felt now and calling for an ambitious, fair and legally binding climate treaty from the Copenhagen Climate Conference. According to news reports an estimated 40,000 people took part in the Melbourne march and 90,000 around Australia. See report on Australia Indymedia | Photos Melbourne Rally

Video : Engagemedia (5:58) or Youtube (4:15), Tuvalu at Copenhagen: 'The Fate Of My Country Rests In Your Hands'| Tuvalu makes a Stand | Tuvalu Climate Adaption Issues

A Marine Climate Change report card released by Australian Scientists has warned that: ocean temperatures have warmed; the flow of the East Australian Current has strengthened, and will likely increase a further 20% by 2100; Marine biodiversity is changing in south-east Australia in response; and declines of over 10% in growth rates of massive corals on the Great Barrier Reef are likely due to ocean acidification and thermal stress.

Marine and climate scientists have called for at least a 25% cut in carbon emissions from developed countries like Australia to save the Great Barrier Reef. A 25% cut in emissions would amount to peaking at less than 450ppm atmospheric CO2 and a 50/50 chance of staying below 2 degrees Centigrade. And by 2050, emissions would have to decline by up to 90 percent below 2000 levels. Even with this scenario tropical reefs may be substantially degraded.

Related: Marine Scientists report: Ocean Acidification Accelerating; Severe Damages Imminent | Coral Reefs and Ocean Biodiversity threatened by Climate Change | Climate Change: Marine Scientists Demand Action on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Climate Vulnerable Countries' Forum over 9 -10 November has just concluded  meeting in the Maldives and released a statement calling for "ambitious emission reduction targets consistent with limiting global average surface warming to well below 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels and long-term stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at well below below  350 p.p.m."

The forum is composed of countries from the Caribbean, Africa, South and South-east Asia, and the Pacific - many being vulnerable to sea level rise. The low lying Maldives announced in March plans to become the world's first carbon neutral nation, and
 embracing 100% renewable energy instead of oil.
 

click on the image above for a bigger version

Camp for Climate Action Aotearoa
Thursday, 27 August 2009, 10:33 am
Press Release: Camp For Climate Action Aotearoa

For Immediate Release:
Organisation: Camp for Climate Action Aotearoa
Climate Camp Aotearoa sets 'climate
targets' on real causes of climate change.