Explore Our Planet

G20 is officially referred to as “The 4th Ministerial Meeting of G8 Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development”, and was set up as a result of an agreement at the Gleneagles G8 Summit held in the United Kingdom in 2005.

At G20, issues such as global warming and climate change will be discussed by environment and energy ministers of the world’s 20 major greenhouse gas emitting nations as well as representatives from relevant international organizations, industries, NGOs and NPOs.

Chart Credit: Ministry of the Environment based on the Handbook of Energy & Economic Statistics in Japan (partially supplemented by UNFCCC data)

7 min 38 sec, uploaded November 06, 2007, Transcript

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon invited California’s Governor Schwarzenegger to speak at the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

This high level event “The Future in our Hands: Addressing the Leadership Challenge of Climate Change” on 24 September 2007 was supposed to galvanize political will for the Bali Conference.

More: Dissident Voice / Dan Bacher

Davis Guggenheim (left center) wins the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature during the 79th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, February 25, 2007.

‘I Need to Wake Up’ written and performed by Melissa Etheridge got the Oscar for the best original song written for motion pictures.

Pictured from left to right: former Vice President Al Gore, Producer Laurie David, Davis Guggenheim, Executive Producer Jeff Skoll, Producer Lawrence Bender, and Co-Producer Lesley Chilcott.

More: nominees and winners of 79th Annual Academy Award

Picture credit: idealterna at flickr using CC

The international exhibition planned from 05 April 2007 to 09 April 2007 in Locarno, Switzerland, was canceled due to concerns regarding the quality of the event. Most camellias around Lago Maggiore are already bloomy and there is only little chance having an exhibtion with these flowers in a decent state.

Generally, camellias grow best in the temperate regions of both south and north hemispheres. Some species grow in more tropic regions at higher altitudes. The genus Camellia comprises more than 250 species. Economically, the genus is important because of Camellia sinensis (Black and green tea).

news.ch: Zu warm: Kamelienfest muss abgesagt werden
ticino.ch: 11ème Exposition internationale de Camélias renvoyée au printemps 2008
Camellias FAQ

An art science collaboration starts today on the Ross Ice Shelf. 99 blue spheres varying in size from ten inches to four feet across represent the stars as of 2006-12-22.

This temporary monument with about 800 feet in diameter is conducted by internationally renowned artist Lita Albuquerque of Los Angeles and funded by the National Science Foundation and US Antarctic Programme.

This ephemeral artwork will be a major extension of her commitment to develop a visual language that addresses the realities of time and space.
Pre-launch video, web site

Not far away near Mt. Erebus an international science team managed to drill through 100m of ice shelf, 900m of water and more than 1000m into the seabed. The deepest hole ever drilled in Antarctica tells the story of a dynamic Antarctic ice sheet advancing and retreating more than 50 times during the last five million years.

By Christmas at 1200m depth, the researchers will be able to review seven million years of climate and geological history. First analyses shows some evidence of collapses in shelf’s past. As known from the Larsen A + B shelfs a full collapse may happen within a few days.

The Ross Ice Shelf, big as France, performs an important function by slowing down the flow of glacial ice. If the ice sheets go away, many scientists believe that glaciers will flow more swiftly, adding their ice to the oceans, and that could cause sea level rise. nzherald.co.nz: Antarctic drilling record

Picture credit: stellaraxis.com, Mc Murdo (andrill.org)

Being asked: “What effort must the country’s government exert to stop global warming?”,
Hil responds: “We have to educate the people on global warming. We should help them control pollution, create global consciousness. Bigger industries are involved here. You run the economy, now it is your turn to take care of Mother Earth,…’’.

In a contest similar to ‘Miss World’ and ‘Miss Universum’, 22-year-old student, Hil Yesenia Hernandez Escobar from Chile got the crown in Manila, Philippines, 26th November 2006.

24 November 2006, Sir Nicholas Stern, the Head of the Government Economic Service and adviser to the British Government on the economics of climate change and development, spoke at the British Embassy on “The Economics of Climate Change”.

His presentation concludes “Unless emissions are curbed, climate change will bring high costs for human development, economies and the environment” and “Decisive and strong international action is urgent: delay means greater risks and higher costs.” (more…)

Asking 5,800 adults in 20 countries: “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? - Damage to the environment must be reduced, even if it means slower economic growth.” Angus Reid Strategies and Maclean’s got following results:

via:
Angus Reid Global Monitor - U.S. Out of Step With World on Environment
Methodology details

The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition organized a protest on November 4th as part of the International Climate Protest Day in Ottawa on Parliament Hill. Protestors here are marching backwards - same as Harper on the environment.

more photos at Flickr

Yesterday night climate activists carried out a daring night time art attack. Using powerful projection equipment the activists displayed their message onto leading London landmarks: St Pancras, Battersea power station and the Houses of Parliament.

The two pieces of projected text read “How ironic to live in fear of terrorism and die of climate change” and “The ultimate terror threat is climate change”.

The Prophets of Hope were formed to inspire people into making individual changes and to apply political pressure for the radical actions needed. (more…)