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Showing Original Post only (View all)BREAKING: The US and China Just Announced a Huge Deal on Climate—and it's a Gamechanger [View all]
Last edited Wed Nov 12, 2014, 04:26 AM - Edit history (1)
President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met today in Beijing. Ju Peng/Xinhua/ZUMA
The surprise agreement aims to double the pace of carbon pollution reduction in the United States.
By Tim McDonnell and James West
In a surprise announcement Tuesday night, the world's two biggest economies and greenhouse gas emitters, United States and China, said they will partner closely on a broad-ranging package of plans to fight climate change, including new targets to reduce carbon pollution, according to a statement from the White House.
The announcement comes after President Obama met in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and includes headline-grabbing undertakings from both countries which are sure to breathe new life into negotiations to reach a new climate treaty in Paris next year.
According to the plan, the United States will reduce carbon emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, nearly twice the existing targetwithout imposing new restrictions on power plants or vehicles
Tuesday's announcement is equally remarkable for China's commitment. For the first time, China has set a date at which it expects its emissions will "peak," or finally begin to taper downwards: around 2030. China is currently the world's biggest emitter of carbon pollution, largely because of its coal-dependent economy, and reining in emissions while continuing to grow has been the paramount challenge for China's leaders.
MOre..
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/11/obama-just-announced-historic-climate-deal-china
China, America and Our Warming Planet
John Kerry: Our Historic Agreement With China on Climate Change
snip//
BEIJING The United States and China are the worlds two largest economies, two largest consumers of energy, and two largest emitters of greenhouse gases: Together we account for about 40 percent of the worlds emissions.
We need to solve this problem together because neither one of us can solve it alone. Even if the United States somehow eliminated all of our domestic greenhouse gas emissions, it still wouldnt be enough to counteract the carbon pollution coming from China and the rest of the world. Likewise, even if China went down to zero emissions, it wouldnt make enough of a difference if the United States and the rest of the world didnt change direction.
MOre..
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/opinion/john-kerry-our-historic-agreement-with-china-on-climate-change.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0
Suck on that, Kocksters.
And, I'll leave on this note.. from SOS John Kerry's OP in the NYT~from the link..
"There is no question that all of us will need to do more to push toward the de-carbonization of the global economy. But in climate diplomacy, as in life, you have to start at the beginning, and this breakthrough marks a fresh beginning: Two countries regarded for 20 years as the leaders of opposing camps in climate negotiations have come together to find common ground, determined to make lasting progress on an unprecedented global challenge. Lets ensure that this is the first step towards a world that is more prosperous and more secure."
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BREAKING: The US and China Just Announced a Huge Deal on Climate—and it's a Gamechanger [View all]
Cha
Nov 2014
OP
Good! Now if they could just stop all the toxic air coming from Russia, we just might get a handle
William769
Nov 2014
#2
In int'l news the last couple of weeks, there has been uneasiness about the pollution popping up
Hestia
Nov 2014
#166
With all the grumbling from the populace about the air pollution that is out of control
Hestia
Nov 2014
#170
Not even that, it gave a number on US reduction that comes with magic beans as the answer to how.
TheKentuckian
Nov 2014
#87
I'm thinking they'll be fuming like the billionaire Kocksters who fund Anti-Climate Change will
Cha
Nov 2014
#24
So the voters who stayed home can have this as their first sign of what they could have had
treestar
Nov 2014
#116
Not bad for a so-called lame duck who doesn't love the planet as much as Nixon.
Ykcutnek
Nov 2014
#19
But he couldn't bring back to life the half million people he killed in Laos and Cambodia...
freshwest
Nov 2014
#31
The only real hope is that we work with states to get this done. But then that is also bad news. Rs
jwirr
Nov 2014
#43
Mahalo for that enlightment on how it can and is being done, karyn Executive Orders already issued
Cha
Nov 2014
#49
Call me crazy, drm.. I'm thinking EO like these Executive Orders on our Climate Change..
Cha
Nov 2014
#47
Me thinks the Pentagon reports declaring climate change a threat to natl. security
Ykcutnek
Nov 2014
#48
This is great but I do not see how we are going to accomplish this with the crazies in the Senate
jwirr
Nov 2014
#42
That is good. I thought about the state levels. Even in Iowa the fields are full of wind machines
jwirr
Nov 2014
#106
Oh, they'll try.. Kochsters want a dirty Planet.. but, I'm thinking there's ways around it noted in
Cha
Nov 2014
#74
President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met today in Beijing. Ju Peng/Xinhua/ZUMA TY!
Cha
Nov 2014
#75
Mahalo malaise.. it's a great start for the US and China to work together on Global Climate Change!
Cha
Nov 2014
#80
"Media: How does it feel to be a lame duck?".. strutting their pressitute feathers..
Cha
Nov 2014
#91
I sure do hope all goes swimmingly with the Global Climate pact between the United States
Cha
Nov 2014
#95
Reducing emissions "below 2005 levels" doesn't impress me. Not going to save the planet.
Orsino
Nov 2014
#103
"without imposing new restrictions on power plants or vehicles"??? What does that mean?
grahamhgreen
Nov 2014
#110
"We can't do anything with the environment when we have a black President." WTF!? We already have.
Cha
Nov 2014
#161
Sorry, Android! I didn't recognize you as someone who was being sarcastic.. and that is my BAD!
Cha
Nov 2014
#164
To phrase it another way, China agrees to only continue to make their own polution problem worse
hughee99
Nov 2014
#120
These are promises from a lame-duck Democratic President that has zero pull with Congress.
rhett o rick
Nov 2014
#122
Of course not, how absurd. I am not going to get my hopes up over empty rhetoric. He fooled me once
rhett o rick
Nov 2014
#138
Please, please don't put words into my mouth. I appreciate it when he speaks out for
rhett o rick
Nov 2014
#141
But if he spoke out about fracking, wouldn't you just have the same attitude?
True Blue Door
Nov 2014
#143
If he spoke out about fracking it would be quite a turnaround because he has
rhett o rick
Nov 2014
#167
It's not an exaggeration to say this is the Greenest US administration in history.
True Blue Door
Nov 2014
#168
If you are saying that I am not easily satisfied, I will agree. While some here wallow in the
rhett o rick
Nov 2014
#172
You make a good point. This will put pressure on the Republicans. Now I'd like to see
rhett o rick
Nov 2014
#194
Oh how freaking predicable.. wahwahwah.. all you can do whine about good news with China on board?
Cha
Nov 2014
#147
Predictable isn't even the word. This is being hailed as HUGE news througout Asia and the Pacific
Number23
Nov 2014
#176
And while the naysayers -- "left" and right -- wail and gnash, the praise keeps on coming
Number23
Nov 2014
#191
"UN praises China, US for ‘highly significant’ announcement on emissions cuts" Excellent addition
Cha
Nov 2014
#192
Brilliant lovemydog! Naomi Klein lays it all out.. talk about "good timing".. I do know that the
Cha
Nov 2014
#155
Personal observation: most people are sadly addicted to stupid and shitty news.
lovemydog
Nov 2014
#136
Bump for huge news - by far the most important story of the day, week, month and maybe year.
lovemydog
Nov 2014
#142
Well Done, lmd! It would have been HUGE in the USmedia if Nixon would have clinched it!!!!!!
Cha
Nov 2014
#160
Interesting! Mahalo for your perspective, hifiguy! The repubs were always saying it won't do any
Cha
Nov 2014
#165
NOW, CAN THE CHINESE AND US SURVIVE UNTIL THE BEFITS OF THE CLIMATE TREATY START?
drynberg
Nov 2014
#154
Sweet. More retiring coal plants for gas plants, which means more fracking.
TransitJohn
Nov 2014
#158
A damn good start, SunSeeker! China could still be ignoring it like the US gopolluters.
Cha
Nov 2014
#174
Worse, U.S. gopolluters are spending millions trying convince everyone it doesn't exist.
SunSeeker
Nov 2014
#181
He tried to get a deal at Copenhagen, back in 2009, but Climategate scotched that plan.
ucrdem
Nov 2014
#171
So, China says shit won't decrease until maybe 2030 and that is a gamechanger?
joeglow3
Nov 2014
#195