Press release via Avaaz.

Barcelona, Spain, November 4, 2009: At the halfway point of the UN climate talks in Barcelona this week, the USA was named as ‘Fossil of the Day’, with Canada coming in second, by a vote of the Climate Action Network International (CAN-I) – a global coalition of over 450 leading non-government organisations. The daily award is given to those nations judged to be the ‘best’ at blocking or stalling progress in the global climate negotiation that day.

The first-place ‘Fossil Award’ was given to the USA for delaying passage of domestic climate change legislation.

The US ratified the UN’s ‘Framework Convention on Climate Change’ in 1992, promising to reduce its greenouse gases emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. But it has failed to meet this promise. The US delegation to the international negotiations now says they will follow the lead of the Congress – so the delay in climate legislation hamstrings the US delegation’s negotiating ability.

Earlier this year, when the House of Representatives pushed forward climate legislation, it seemed likely that domestic legislation would be passed before the crucial Copenhagen climate summit this December. Recent delay tactics in the US Senate – boycotts and commissioning redundant economic analysis – leave the world wondering whether the US will get it done.

“Other countries – developed and developing alike – have moved forward, committing to emission reductions and advancing prospects of a global deal,” said Sara Svensson, a youth climate activist from Sweden.

“It is time for the US Administration and for those on Capitol Hill to get the job done. Their lack of action undermines international trust in the UN negotiations and endangers the prospects of reaching a global solution to climate change.”

Rainforest Action Network’s Understory blog has an excellent story explaining the rationale for this action:

Before dawn this morning, a small team of climate activists is rapelling from the US observation deck at Niagara Falls. Dangling hundreds of feet above the ground, they’re sending a special welcome message to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper ahead of his first official visit to the White House.

…

So here’s our welcome to you, Prime Minister Harper. Now, please, go home.

And take your dirty tar sands with you.

Here are a few photos from the action:

More photos at the RAN website.

Solve Climate:

The U.S. State Department issued an international proposal jointly with the governments of Canada and Mexico this week to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) starting as early as 2011.

The move represents a welcome breakthrough for the administration, whose HFC policy has been delayed since May when interagency disagreements stalled U.S. action on the super greenhouse gases.

HFCs, found in small amounts in air-conditioning and refrigeration systems, have a climate warming impact many thousands of times greater than CO2.

Here is the State Department’s Press release:

The U.S. Department of State announces a joint North American proposal between the Governments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This North American proposal represents a significant down payment on efforts to be pursued at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December. The joint effort addresses the mounting threat of global climate change and represents a new resolve by the three governments to address shared environmental problems collectively.

Once adopted, the proposal would make great strides to achieve President Obama’s call to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 as well as contribute to multilateral efforts to reduce global emissions 50% by 2050. Together with our colleagues in Canada and Mexico, the U.S. government endorses phasing down HFCs under the Montreal Protocol as it has proven an effective and efficient instrument for tackling such problems in the past.

This North American proposal builds on the amendment package put forward this spring by Mauritius and the Federated States of Micronesia for consideration by Montreal Protocol Parties. The proposal calls on all countries to take action to reduce their consumption and production of HFCs, although developed countries would take the lead in this effort, as they have consistently under the Montreal Protocol.

The problem of HFCs is closely linked to the accelerated phase out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). As the demand for air conditioning and refrigeration increases globally, and as countries accelerate their efforts to phase out HCFCs to protect the ozone layer, producers of such products will turn increasingly to HFCs unless suitable alternatives can be identified. Although HFCs pose no threat to the stratospheric ozone layer, they risk exacerbating the problem of climate change as potent greenhouse gases. Phasing down consumption and production of HFCs will send an important signal about the need for alternatives that pose no problem either for the ozone layer or for the climate system.

The U.S. government looks forward to working with our partners in the run up to the 21st Meeting of the Montreal Protocol Parties in November in Egypt and in the run up to the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in December in Denmark to make the most effective use possible of the tools available to safeguard the ozone layer and protect the global climate system.

Media Advisory from Avaaz.org via email.

Climate Leadership in Question at Harper-Obama Meeting
‘Carbon Bigfoot’ Harper and President Obama to Sip from Dirty Oil Sands Milkshake

Washington DC — During their meeting this Wednesday, President Obama, and ‘Carbon Bigfoot’ Harper will be sipping from a larger-than-life dirty oil sands milkshake. Harper will appear as a hairy and foolish Bigfoot character who has no qualms about his enormous carbon footprint.

The leaders plan to discuss commitments to climate change solutions ahead of the G20 Summit later this month. However, Harper’s climate policies make Canada one of the countries most impeding progress on the global climate treaty that countries will supposedly agree on this December. Carbon Bigfoot Harper is also a strong supporter of dirty oil sands, which contribute to global warming pollution and cause major local damage on indigenous lands in the borreal forest of Canada, where they are extracted. The US imports dirty oil sands from Canada, and recently approved the Alberta-Minnesota Clipper pipeline, which will promote more destruction and pollution in both the US and Canada.

On Wednesday, Harper, the climate offender, and his enormous carbon footprint will be exposed, making it clear that Canada is right now weak and irresponsible when it comes to international leadership on climate change.

EXCELLENT PHOTO OP: Climate Activists posing as ‘Carbon Bigfoot’ Harper and President Obama with Larger-than-Life Oil Sands Milkshake and calling for a fair, ambitious, and binding global climate treaty in Copenhagen this December

WHERE: Outside the White House northwest gate

WHEN: Wednesday, September 16th, 2009, during Obama and Harper’s meeting


WHO: Youth Climate Activists working with Avaaz.org to secure a fair, ambitious and binding global climate treaty this year

Action Factory DC:

The decision sat on Clinton’s desk for months, and with a stroke of the pen, she could have denied this expansion of dirty energy infrastructure. But today, the State Department issued the permit, committing the US to more CO2 emissions from oil, and committing Canada to more destruction of indigenous lands and Boreal forest. We brought the Tar Sands Monster to Clinton’s doorstep, generated thousands of phone calls and emails, but Clinton failed to make the right decision.

Press release via State Department below the fold.

Read the rest of this entry »

Associated Press:

North American leaders say they will work together to fight swine flu and climate change.

In a joint statement, U.S. President Barack Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper say they will work to promote global competitiveness in the region.

Whitehouse.gov:

We, the leaders of North American reaffirm the urgency and necessity of taking aggressive action on climate change. We stress that the experience developed during the last 15 years in the North American region on environmental cooperation, sustainable development, and clean energy research, development, and deployment constitutes a valuable platform for climate change action, and we resolve to make use of the opportunities offered by existing bilateral and trilateral institutions.

We recognize the broad scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2 degrees C, we support a global goal of reducing global emissions by at least 50% compared to 1990 or more recent years by 2050, with developed countries reducing emissions by at least 80% compared to 1990 or more recent years by 2050.

We share a vision for a low-carbon North America, which we believe will strengthen the political momentum behind a successful outcome at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC meeting this December, and support our national and global efforts to combat climate change. To achieve our low-carbon development goals, and consistent with our respective circumstances and capacities, we agree to the following:

• We will work together as we set and implement our own ambitious mid-term and long-term goals to reduce national and North American emissions;
• We will work together to develop our respective low-carbon growth plans;
• We underscore the importance of developing and strengthening financial instruments to support mitigation and adaptation actions and welcome in this regard the proposal by Mexico of a Green Fund. We will conduct further work on the proposal and will consider other views presented for scaling-up financing from both public and private sources;
• We will cooperate and exchange experiences in climate change adaptation in order to better integrate adaptation into national, sub-national, and sectoral planning to reduce vulnerabilities to climate change;
• We will develop comparable approaches to measuring, reporting, and verifying emissions reductions, including cooperating in implementing facility-level greenhouse gas reporting throughout the region;
• We will build capacity and infrastructure with a view to facilitate future cooperation in emissions trading systems, building on our current respective work in this area; and
• We will collaborate on climate friendly and low-carbon technologies, including building a smart grid in North America for more efficient and reliable electricity inter-connections, as well as regional cooperation on carbon capture and storage.
• Working in key sectors can help accomplish our emission reduction goals. With this in mind, we will:
  • Work together under the Montreal Protocol to phase down the use of HFCs and bring about significant reductions of this potent greenhouse gas;
  • Cooperate in sustainably managing our landscapes for GHG benefits, including protecting and enhancing our forests, wetlands, croplands and other carbon sinks, as well as developing appropriate methodologies to quantify, manage and implement programs for emission reductions in this sector;
  • Reduce transportation emissions, including by striving to achieve carbon-neutral growth in the North American aviation sector in the context of global action;
  • Pursue a framework to align energy efficiency standards in the three countries in support of improved national energy efficiency and environmental objectives; and
  • Work to reduce GHG emissions in the oil and gas sector, and promote best practices in reducing fugitive emissions and the venting and flaring of natural gas.

In order to facilitate these actions, we will work cooperatively to develop and follow up on a Trilateral Working Plan and submit a report of results at our next North American Leaders Summit in 2010.