GMW: G8 compromise on African aid, global warming

[Guest guest]

GMW: G8 compromise on African aid, global warming

" GM WATCH " <info

Fri, 8 Jul 2005 14:17:09 +0100

 

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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all items shortened:

1.G8 compromise on African aid, global warming

2.Republicans probe global-warming scientists

3.Scientists told to turn over data

4.Stop Climate Change & the G8: demonstrate!

 

COMMENT

 

While the leader of the world's most powerful country is happy to use

the G8 to promote a " pro-poor " science and technology strategy, as a

silver bullet for social injustice (red U.S. corporate interests),

when it

comes to climate change, guess what?

 

Science goes out of the window with Bush watering down the G8's

position while US political leaders join oil-industry-funded lobbyists in

attacking the science and scientists they view as problematic.

 

Note also how the attacks on the climate change scientists detailed

below echo " questions raised by U.S. President George W. Bush. "

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1.G8 summit reaches compromises on African aid, global warming

Globe and Mail (Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050708.wsummit0708/BNStory/\

International/

 

They've agreed not to set any specific goals

The leaders were expected to pledge to double assistance by 2012 to

reduce poverty and fight disease in Africa, the world's poorest continent.

 

That meets a key Blair objective, though the pledge doesn't mention the

British leader's hope of increasing aid from the current $25-billion

(U.S.)

to $50-billion. Also left out of the pledge of support for Africa will

be Mr. Blair's other goal of getting all summit countries to commit to

raising foreign aid to an amount equivalent to 0.7 per cent of each

country's economy by 2015.

 

The United States, which is now giving an amount equal to 0.16 per cent

of its economy, objected to the setting a numerical target.

 

Even less progress was made on Mr. Blair's other summit goal -- getting

the United States on board with the other countries to make major

reductions in emissions of the gases that some have blamed for global

warming.

 

According to a draft communique on climate change obtained by the

Associated Press on Friday, the United States, the only G8 country

that has

not ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on global warming, was successful

in rejecting Mr. Blair's call for setting specific targets and a

timetable for reducing greenhouse emissions.

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2.Republicans probe global-warming scientists

By Alexandra Mayer-Hohdahl

Jul 2, 2005

[url at end]

 

Washington - Congressional Republicans are investigating the work and

funding sources of scientists who have sounded the alarm about global

warming, requesting reams of documentation about their work.

 

Democrats and some scientists Friday questioned their motivation,

saying it could be politically motivated and even suggesting it's a smear

campaign.

 

With their demands for information, Congressional Republicans are

echoing questions raised by U.S. President George W. Bush, a fellow

Republican, about scientific evidence on global warming and its causes.

 

Bush withdrew the United States from the Kyoto Protocol on Global

Warming that requires members to lower their emissions of carbon

dioxide and

other

greenhouse gases linked to global warming.

 

Last week, Congressman Joe Barton, the Republican Chairman of the House

of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee, sent letters to

seven

scientists in the United States and Switzerland who study global

warming or are affiliated with organizations that do.

 

Most of the scientists being probed receive some federal funds for

their work.

 

He asked them to provide the committee with a massive amount of

information, including a curriculum vitae, lists of donations and grants

received, locations of data archives for any published studies and

detailed

descriptions of the work they did during their careers.

 

Citing scientific peers and The Wall Street Journal, Barton suggested

that their work has " methodological flaws and data errors " .

 

http://science.monstersandcritics.com/features/article_1028303.php/Republicans_p\

robe_global-warming_scientists

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3.Scientists told to turn over data behind global-warming theory

COX NEWS SERVICE

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/news/82407.php

 

WASHINGTON - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton,

R-Texas, has told scientists who authored studies indicating global

warming to turn over data supporting their work.

 

Targets of Barton's letters were researchers Malcolm Hughes of the

University of Arizona, Michael Mann of the University of Virginia and

Raymond Bradley of the University of Massachusetts.

 

Barton, an opponent of government action on global warming, said his

committee was beginning an investigation of the quality of science

underlying climate change policy.

 

But Rep. Henry Waxman, a Democrat on the committee, suggested Friday

that Barton was making " a transparent effort to bully and harass

climate-change experts who have reached conclusions " with which Barton

disagrees.

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4.Stop Climate Change & the G8: demonstrate!

Friday, 8 July 2005,

Press Release: Wellington Anti-G8

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0507/S00085.htm

 

Protesters will be demonstrating in the streets of Wellington today in

solidarity with anti G8

protesters in Scotland.

 

Today the leaders of the world's eight most powerful states meet in

Gleneagles, Scotland.

Protests have been organised outside the G8 summit and around the

world, including Wellington. Spokesperson Toni Heke says, " Protesters in

Scotland are aiming to stop the G8 and highlight the injustices fed by

their influence on third world debt, international trade and climate

change,

amongst other things. We are demonstrating to show our solidarity with

these protesters and to

make the link between the G8 summit and issues affecting Aotearoa. "

 

Marian Hobbs [NZ's environment minister] has proved herself incompetent

as Minister for the Environment. She has failed to prevent genetically

engineered crops being allowed into the country, or the long fought

motorway 'Bypass' through Wellington. Now Hobbs is standing by while a

new

coalmine in a rare kiwi habitat in Happy Valley is given approval. She

is also refusing to take responsibility for the first major coal-fired

power station proposal in the country for over 25 years - Marsden B,

which will dump 2 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, further

adding to the climate chaos. She has no environmental background and

isn't

doing her job. We will encourage people not to vote her back in this

year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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