ClimateBabes

It has been a while since I posted here, we are looking for babes, if you are one, let us know!

The climate action community has been hurt by the demonstration of failure in Copenhagen. Climate action is not easy, and the powers that be do not want to take it, it would cost them their power and money. Don't let anybody use the failure to have a global treaty as a reason no to act. The chances of having such a treaty would have been incredibly small. This incredibly short sighted approach taken by the US would in a smaller social context lead to immediate expulsion and punishment. That is why one can expect more conflict. In the big world we live in however the media facades and distractions of every variety keep people from realizing they are being lied to and endangered by the people they consider their leaders.

Bush and the EPA

Under president W. Bush the US Environmetal Protection Agency managed to avert any action on a court ruling that there should be a plan to deal with CO2 emissions as a threat to human health in the US. In incredible callous testiminy the then head of the EPA could not name how many people where working on this in the EPA but yet maintained he was on it. We now have Lisa Jackson that takes a more active approach. The EPA will start to control carbon emissions in the US and new regulations are being prepared.

Another Lisa

Republican senator from Alaska Lisa Murkowski is now gathering opposition to regulation.

"Congress must be given time to develop an
appropriate and more responsible solution" than (that of the) EPA to climate change
problems. She warned that looming EPA regulation would
lead to job losses and broader economic problems.

How in the hell will anything ever change if it could not affect jobs? How in the hell can someone take measures to reduce emissions (replace them with something else) without reducing cost (fuel) and creating jobs (where are the alternatives coming from? they need to be created)?

Buttons

It is the same old buttons that republicans push every time. Every time it is the tax, jobs, economy, security buttons that are being evoked. It is baseless and a general health hazard. It is an opinion to protect business as usual, particularly the oil business that makes Alaska good money (thanks to Sarah Palin some say). It is however a policy that is multiplied across the planet because other countries hate being dominated economically by the US. The result is that climate change is allowed to continue its disastrous course. Don't let that mentality settle in.  

Our minister of economics calls for proposals for small entrepeneurs to develop viable seaweed farming techniques for open sea or ocean connected rivers. This because the expertise is not developed yet while Holland does have great expertise regarding offshore technology and land is expensive compared to space in the north sea. Holland also has a developed biorefining industry. This ties in with the currenly implemented ?bio-based economy? and ?climate change? policies.

There are three phases, total budget 1,32 mln Euro. Phase I is 200,000 Euro for a maximum of four feasibility studies. Phase II R&D for these projects. Phase III for their commercialization.

The project is aimed at creating and implementing viable commercial models based on seaweed farming.

The ministry of economics estimates a fossil fuel savings potential from seaweed of 100 petajoule (3% of total energy consumption). It can take the lead in building expertise in the still
undeveloped field.

Questions to be answered:

1. How does a seaweed farming system look
2. How is it made profitable
3. What new products does farming yield
4. Who can use the produced biomass
5. Can production be connected to existing offshore infrastructure
6. How does it tie into existing industrial infrastructure

Score of applications (enter before jan 21 2010 17:00)

1.    (20 points)
a.    Usefullness in farming seaweed, prefering concepts that cover all necessary aspects.
b.    How often can the concept be repeated in the dutch North Sea (expressed in PetJoule, Dry Tons or Euro value).
c. How viable is the proposing organization (the cooperation
between entrepeneurs, scientists other necessary pertners)
2.    (10 points)
a.    Is the proposed method applicable in the widest possible variety of locations.
b.    It the approach technologically up to date or even innovative. Can it mean a breakthrough.
3.    (10 points)
a.    Assesment of the economic potential, export potential, long term fit of the proposing company (will it continue to work on this longer, is it in line with company?s main focus).
4.    (10 points)
a.    Consequences for the maritime environment
b.    Consequences for the participating companies
c.    Consequences for dutch society, climat policy and biobased
economy policy.


Schedule

1. Invitation of proposals Nov 16th 2009 until Jan 21th 2010
2. Review of proposals until March 18th
3. Start execution of Phase I April 1st
4. Completion of projects Okt 1st
5. End project report Okt 22nd 2010
6. Deadline proposals phase 2 December 31st
7. Review of proposals until Feb 1st
8. Start execution phase II March 1st
9. End of Phase II Februari 2013 (two years)
10. End project report March 2013
11. Start execution phase III May 2013

Adress of SenterNovem/Agentschap.nl (who execute this tender)

SenterNovem, afdeling SBIR
t.a.v. SBIR Zeewieren
Postbus 8242
3503 RE Utrecht.

Website http://www.agentschapnl.nl/

Oxfam has had some real attractive supporters



The date was sold for 20,000 GBP..

If you are to young to influence political decisions, either because you can't choose the option you would like to have or because the older generations are too involved in money making to listen, you should realize it is you that will inherit the mess the current leaders are creating. Never think you can't be an influence, after all you are the prime focus of commerce. Make sure you have the mindset for survival: don't hope, demand.

The US is to blame
As editor of this blog I travelled to Copenhagen last week (14-17 december). I spend some time outside Bella Center and talked to many people there during the last week of negotiations. I was amazed at how badly the event was organized, but even more amazed how uniformly negative people where about the position of the US. It is no accident the conference ended in failure, the US made sure that was the outcome by not negotiating, only dictating their terms. Thos terms where independent of the Kyoto Treaty or the UN, and the pledges included where an affront to people that know US history of dealing with Climate Change. Ronald Reagan knowlingly ignored the problem thirty years ago, so the problem as it exists now would not have had to exist if it had not been for the corporate takeover of the US.

 
Vegans protesting on monday

Tuesday
As the week progressed I leaned that the negotiation process had basically desintegrated. There where several drafts and the african parties wanted to walk out. at least contries pertended they where negotiating something binding, something meaningfull. The urgency felt by responsible parties (those not overcome by either hubris or greed) did not wane, only the group demonstrating this insight was run over by the US. The reality is that the meeting puts us on a trajectory of 5 degrees temperature increase. This is the most important parameter, because once it is set it will not be possible to change it. On tueasday night a draft was expected by India, but it did not come. It never came.

Media protests
Wednesday saw protests. They where meant ot highlight the derrailed negotiations but only added to the mahem. In the end there is no use for demonstrations in politics. If you want something and you are a majority, you should claim the rights going with that position. Demonstrating in such a case is only strengthening a perversion of democracy and supplying your opponent with an opportunity to discredit your position. If you wathc the below video of the protest you understand my choice of title.

Locked into failure
Thursday saw the culmination of the US strategy. There would be money for third world countries! THat is not the desired outcome, because it meant the US and other countries are asked to bribe the poor countries into accepting no effective framework. Hillary Clinton showed her true colors. Yvo de Boer expected a Danish draft on thursday evening, but it did not come. It could not be found. The US had essentially locked in failure by ignoring any other position. Then it accused China of not being flexible on some specific language. A trick to distract.

NGOs had to make room for heads of state.

Finale
As friday arrived there was no solution in sight. The BRIC countries did not want to be in a deal with the US initially, or the other way around. In the end an Accord was made up that did much less than was hoped, no legal framwork, no new targets. The process was drawn out to januari, and  a new meeting in Bonn 6 months later. The process has failed. The US intended it to fail.

YMCA Climate action (babes)

Getting shot by a deaf and blind cripple
My post cop15 dip will last only a week. The facts on the ground have not changed. What has changed is the position of the US. It is quicly running out of steam economically, strategically and in terms of its access to oil. How much better would it be if the US used its power to coerce moving to energy independence than keeping its grip on oil and power. There is no reason why the states of North America should be on top of the world. The can't handle it. The country is a false trophy. It should fall apart and loose its status.

Climate Actions Future
The weight put on this conference resulted in a huge disapointment. It has gotten a push and perhaps it was the wish of some to push the problem aside, onto the next generation. Nothing has changed and action is still as urgent as before. One way to look at COP15 imho is as a failed peace negotiation. Soon enough countries will start recognizing the danger their population is in and begin to treat the threat of large emitters as a direct attack on their citizen. Sadly the strategic advantage is with the countires with access to oil. This is the ugly side of the possible scenario's. The best outcome of a future treaty will be a concerted rapid adaption scheme invloving forced mitigation and possibly mass migrations to places where life needs to be less carbon intensive. If countries are not ready or able to cooperate in each others benefit let's hope nobody still has fuel to go to war. 

Here an example of typical republican stance. Present profits are the only thing on their minds, not the future generations. Blatant genocidal intentions (people die from unregulated carbon emissions, climate change etc.) protection of the existing businesses, fearmongeing all in a smiling package.

Demonstrations are cute and ineffective. They can be abused to paint opposition black by infiltrating violent elements. Still here's a report.

As we are at COP15 in Copenhagen I invite any babe to submit an editorial for Climatbabes. Just post to this email adress and we'll review it ant perhaps post it.