On Sunday, I was on Al Jazeera English’s “Inside Story” to discuss whether the agreements at the Copenhagen summit on climate change offered any grounds for optimism. The other panellists were Daniela Vincenti-Mitchener, the managing editor of EurActiv, the European Union’s information website, and Vandana Shiva, an ecologist and environmental activist.
Our colleague Anna Hartnell writes with an important message regarding the 10:10 climate pledge. While this post is primarily concerned with events here in Birmingham, readers elsewhere should read to the bottom to find out what you can do where you are:
10:10 is one of the most promising and dynamic climate change campaigns to have appeared in the UK. The initiative is asking individuals, businesses and organizations to pledge to cut their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010, a figure that is in line with what scientists say is needed to put the world on the path to avert runaway climate change. The organizers of 10:10 have launched their campaign three months prior to the climate talks in Copenhagen, and aim to build national momentum that puts pressure on British politicians to take a leading role in the negotiations, with the hope of inspiring similar actions in other countries.
So far, over 10,000 people in the UK have signed up to 10:10, including the front benches of all three major political parties. The government have yet to get on board, though Prime Minister Gordon Brown has given the campaign his ‘full support.’ The University of Birmingham’s Student Guild has signed up to the 10:10 initiative, and a broad coalition of students and staff at Birmingham are now launching a campaign that asks the University to pledge to do the same. We are asking all University of Birmingham staff and students to join our call. You can find a link to our petition here.
In France and Germany after the NATO Summit, President Obama held a “Town Hall Meeting” with young people. He did the same in Turkey yesterday after his speech to the Parliament. Here’s the full video:
I come to Europe on behalf of a new administration, and an administration that’s determined to set a new tone not only in Washington, but in America’s relations around the world. That new tone is rooted in a strong bipartisanship to meet these common challenges. And we recognize that these challenges, the need to meet them, is not an opportunity — not a luxury, but it’s an absolute necessity. While every new beginning is a moment of hope, this moment — for America and the countries represented in this room — it is fraught with some considerable concern and peril.
5 p.m. We’re off for some downtime. Back in the morning with overnight updates, including the latest of Obama envoy George Mitchell’s first trip to the Middle East.
3:30 p.m. Barack, We Have a Problem. Our news this morning (2:45 a.m. and 6 a.m.) was on the emerging “third country” solution for Guantanamo ex-detainees. The meeting of the 27 European Union foreign ministers, however, has failed to agree a unified approach. The French-led proposal to take up to 60 detainees has been blocked or undermined by Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.
The cheekiest excuse of all came from British Foreign Minister David Miliban who said that, as Britain had taken back nine of its citizens and three of its permanent residents, it had already made its “significant contribution”.
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