OMNI UN COP26 Glasgow Countdown, #6, 11-10/ 11-11

 

OMNI UN COP26 Glasgow Countdown, #6, 11-10/  11-11

Compiled by Dick Bennett for a Culture of Peace, Justice, and Ecology

Omnicenter.org/donate/

CONTENTS

Nov. 10

An update from the 26th UN climate talks
Congress must hold Big Oil accountable
Official notes baby steps, not leaps
COP26 participants urged to prioritize gender equity
Fossil fuel goals set; COP26 draft sounds climate alarm
Tell Biden to keep his promise and cancel this Fossil Fuel sale!
COP26 Update

 

Nov. 11
UN-Backed Banker Alliance Announces 'Green' Plan
COP26 Can Learn From West Papua’s Green Resistance
Cop26: Surging Wood Pellet Industry Threatens Climate
COP26: How The World’s Militaries Hide Their Huge Carbon Emissions
COP26: Military pollution is the skeleton in the West’s climate closet
COP26: We have until tomorrow to fix this
A call for help from the climate talks 
'Harrowing' report downplays threat of climate change to national security.   

 

TEXTS

NOVEMBER 10

An update from the 26th UN climate talks

Aneesa Khan, Oil Change International <info@priceofoil.org>
We’re now more than halfway through the UN climate negotiations in Glasgow, Scotland. I’ve been on the ground representing Oil Change and wanted to send you a quick update about what we’ve been up to and some of the exciting developments from the past week. Every day is packed with activity, but four things from last week stand out:  1.    On Monday, November 1st, we organized a demonstration to allow grassroots communities impacted by fossil fuels across the United States and Canada to tell their stories. This came shortly before U.S. President Joe Biden spoke at the conference, and helped shape media coverage of continued U.S. extraction, despite some important progress under Biden. Later in the week, we took out a full-page ad in Scotland’s biggest paper urging Biden to take bold executive action to stop fossil fuel projects and confront oil, gas, and coal. Read more about the action and see photos from the streets here 2.    On Wednesday, November 3rd, we launched Canada’s Big Oil Reality Check, a new report showing that the major oil companies operating in Canada have no interest in taking climate change seriously. Canada’s government loves to present itself as a climate champion at these UN climate talks, but this report is helping to pull the curtain back on the reality of oil & gas development in the country. Read more about Canada’s Big Oil Reality check in Canada’s National Observer This one is particularly big — on Thursday, November 4th, we had a MASSIVE campaign win: more than 20 countries and institutions, including the US, UK, Canada, and Germany, committed to end international public finance for unabated oil, gas, and coal by the end of 2022 and fully prioritize support for the clean energy transition. And new signatories are still coming in as we speak — the number is at least 30 already! Together they are responsible for at least USD 23.6 BILLION in public finance for oil, gas, and coal every year. After a wave of commitments focused on ending coal finance, this is the first international political commitment that also addresses oil and gas. The impact of this is huge and is a sign things are truly beginning to shift in big ways thanks to our relentless pressure over the years. This type of victory would not be possible without our wonderful OCI supporters like you! Read more about this massive step forward in The Washington Post, Reuters, The Guardian 3.    Also on Thursday the 4th, we helped support a brilliant Pikachu action outside the negotiations drawing attention to Japan’s continued support for fossil fuels both at home and abroad. Japan has taken important steps over the past couple years, but there’s still a long way to go – and we’ll be there pushing them every step of the way. Read more about the Pikachu action (and see some video) in the Evening Standard Outside of COP, we launched the second chapter of The Permian Climate Bomb report series, which you can check out here. These annual UN climate talks can often be frustrating — these negotiations have been going on for decades, yet they still aren’t directly addressing the problem: fossil fuels. That’s why I’m so thankful for the work we’ve been able to do this past week and the work of so many others who are making sure the world leaves Glasgow with something meaningful, rather than more empty promises.  We have even more exciting work rolling out over the coming days, including the new Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance made up of countries ready to take real action to end fossil fuel development. We’ll be telling you all about it soon, so keep an eye out.  Thanks again for all you do to support our work and the fight for climate justice.  Aneesa Khan Oil Change International Oil Change International campaigns to expose the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitate the coming transition towards clean energy. We are dedicated to identifying and overcoming barriers to that transition. Want to support our work further? Click here to donate.

 

Congress must hold Big Oil accountable for decades of deception

Union of Concerned Scientists	Nov 10, 2021, 10:33 AM (1 day ago)
We can't allow the fossil fuel industry to avoid accountability         Dear Dick, This year’s international climate negotiations are still under way and the message from my colleagues there on the ground has been clear: current plans to cut emissions are still falling short of the kind of investment science tells us we need to limit the worst effects of climate change. Here in the United States, Congress is still working to pass our biggest investment in climate action ever—the Build Back Better Act. Even as we continue to push hard to pass this critical investment, it’s hard not to think about the obstacles that prevented us from acting earlier, at a time when we could have prevented the devastation we’ve seen in recent years. The fossil fuel industry has spent decades—and billions of dollars—to prevent climate action from happening. And while the industry has long been able to avoid accountability for its actions, the tide is beginning to turn. States and municipalities across the country are bringing lawsuits against fossil fuel corporations to make them pay their fair share of the costs of addressing climate change. And just last month, top fossil fuel industry executives were called before Congress to answer for their decades of climate deception. We must continue to hold these corporations accountable and ensure they don’t continue to stand in the way of the further investments we need to close the gap between our current climate commitments  and what’s needed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. —Katy       Science in Action     Congress must expose Big Oil's climate deception For the first time in history, major fossil fuel executives recently appeared before Congress to answer for their companies’ climate disinformation. The more we know about Big Oil’s ongoing climate deception, the better we can hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their harms. That’s why it’s crucial that this hearing be just the first step. Congress must continue to investigate the industry’s history of climate disinformation and ongoing anti-climate campaigns. Tell your US representative to keep the heat on and investigate Big Oil’s climate disinformation                     READ: Science Is Rising: STEM Students Rocked the Vote in 2020 Election         SHARE: Everyone is waiting for Congress to pass historic climate action through reconciliation. But what IS reconciliation?         LISTEN: A Scientific Approach to Fighting Hunger in the US           Ask a Scientist     L. Delta Merner, PhD Lead, Science Hub for Climate Litigation As the climate negotiations continue in Glasgow, Dr. Delta Merner, the lead for our Science Hub for Climate Litigation, talks about the role of climate litigation on the national and international stage. For decades, Big Oil has known that burning fossil fuels would lead to irreversible global climate change. Instead of acting on that knowledge, these companies and their surrogates launched—and continue to design and fund—deceptive greenwashing campaigns to manufacture doubt about the reality and seriousness of climate change. Litigation is one tool that communities are now using to try push the levers of power and help ensure that we can meet standards set by the Paris agreement and limit the worst impacts of climate change. During my 10 days [in Glasgow], I met with dozens of brilliant public officials, lawyers, community activists, and scientists from around the globe who are trying to strategically address climate change through the law. Read More. Follow Delta's blog. Do you have a question for UCS scientists? Submit your question today.       Climate Deception Harms Communities’ Health and Safety We’ve long known that fossil fuel corporations have engaged in a concerted campaign of deception to water down, delay, and block congressional action to slash global warming emissions and advance a transition to clean, renewable energy. But what happens on a more local level? Our analysts took a look at fossil fuel companies’ deceptive tactics—and the massive amount of funding behind them—in a single state to find out. They found that oil and gas companies worked in Colorado to sideline science-based decisions, which not only threatens public health and the environment, but drives intensifying and costly climate impacts. Read More.

 

 

Official notes baby steps, not leaps on emission cuts (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette), Nov 10, 2021

pat snyder	Wed, Nov 10, 2:20 PM (1 day ago)

Official notes baby steps, not leaps on emission cuts
COM­PILED BY DEMO­CRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE RE­PORTS In­for­ma­tion for this ar­ti­cle was con­trib­uted by Seth Boren­stein, Anirud­dha Ghosal, Frank Jor­dans and Ellen Knick­meyer of The As­so­ci­ated Press; and by Lisa Fried­man of The New York Times.

UN

COP26 participants urged to prioritize gender equity Women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change and air pollution, experts told participants at the United Nations climate summit in Scotland this week. "Without equal rights and the ability to exercise decision-making over their own bodies, women and girls are simply not on an equal footing when it comes to navigating the devastating consequences of the climate crisis," UN Population Fund Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem says.  Full Story: The Guardian (London) (11/9),  The Jerusalem Post (free registration) (11/10)

 

Fossil fuel goals set; COP26 draft sounds climate alarm BYD Co., Daimler AG, Ford and General Motors were among the automakers that joined with national, state and municipal authorities to pledge to end reliance on fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2040 as part of the United Nations climate talks in Scotland. A draft of the final document the summit will yield calls for the elimination of coal power and voices "alarm and concern" at the current global warming trend.  Full Story: Reuters (11/10),  The Associated Press (11/10)

 

Tell Biden to keep his promise and cancel this Fossil Fuel sale!

Drew Hudson drew@198methods.org via sendgrid.net	Nov 10, 2021, 4:21 PM (1 day ago)
Climate leaders don't sell our Gulf to Fossil Fuels!   Despite promising climate action, Biden’s Department of Interior is scheduled to sell more than 80 million acres of the Gulf for oil and gas drilling. Tell President Biden to direct his Interior Department to immediately cancel next week’s Lease Sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico.   Start your letter  >>   Dick, President Biden and his Interior Department need to act fast to cancel next week’s Gulf lease sale – known as sale 257. Despite promising climate action, Biden’s Department of Interior is scheduled to sell more than 80 million acres of the Gulf for oil and gas drilling and fracking. To add insult to this grave injury to our people and planet, the sale will occur just days after the end of the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow. In addition to breaking his own campaign promise to ban new oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters, Biden’s plan to sell the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas may also be illegal. This unprecedented megasale is being challenged in court by a range of national environmental groups over outdated and insufficient environmental analysis. Tell President Biden and his Interior Department to immediately cancel next week’s Lease Sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico.       The Biden administration has the gall to claim that this sale of drilling rights will not contribute to climate change or “adversely impact” frontline communities. In fact, this megasale will result in the production of up to 1.12 billion barrels of oil and 4.4 trillion cubic feet of gas over the next 50 years. And frontline communities along the Gulf have suffered a long and fraught history as a sacrificial zone. But it’s not too late for President Biden and his team to stop this. The President has existing authority to defer the megasale. Tell President Biden that reversing course on the climate crisis starts with keeping his promise to end new leases on public lands and waters, including next week in the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks, Drew and the 198 methods Stop the megasale crew    Sources: 1.     https://joebiden.com/9-key-elements-of-joe-bidens-plan-for-a-clean-energy-revolution/ 2.     https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/1_complaint_for_declaratory_and_injunctive_relief_8.31.21.pdf 3.     https://twitter.com/wealsoherdcats/status/1458536236306604032 4.     https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/577037-gulf-communities-live-californias-oil-spill-every-day

 

COP26 Update

Anusha, Greenpeace

Wed, Nov 10, 2:34 PM (1 day ago)

 

Dick- State leaders and climate justice advocates from around the world have flocked to Glasgow to negotiate our climate future at the UNFCCC COP26, the annual international climate negotiations happening right now. The past two years since the last COP have been plagued by climate disasters, from dangerous wildfire infernos to mass flooding events that destroy entire communities. One thing is clear to us in this moment: We need stronger climate action emerging from the international climate negotiations.   The U.S. has failed to show climate leadership and has been noticeably absent from the COP stage over recent years — but now, President Biden has a chance to make meaningful climate commitments at the COP. Tell President Biden and the U.S. delegation to champion the global phase out of fossil fuels in the COP26 final agreement! However, while over 47 nations at COP26 have pledged to divest from both domestic and international coal production — several major users of coal, including the U.S., were not parties to the agreement, signaling their intentions to continue extracting and exploiting the polluting energy source. As our world burns, floodwaters rise, heatwaves scorch, and other climate disasters intensify — the refusal of the U.S. to commit to phasing out fossil fuels is inexcusable.  President Biden has signaled his commitment to domestic climate action by cancelling the Keystone XL on his first day in office and rejoining the Paris Agreement. Now, it’s up to him to bring that same energy and fervor to the international climate negotiations. It’s up to us to make him. Right now, small island nation populations in the South Pacific are being forced to migrate due to rising sea levels. These small island nations have a “disproportionately important role” in global climate negotiations because they are the most vulnerable to the existential threat of climate change while being some of the least responsible for the crisis. The U.S. and other developed nations of the Global North are responsible for emitting the largest portion of emissions that have subsequently led to the climate crisis, and therefore have a historical responsibility to pay their fair share and commit to a global transition off fossil fuels. We need real climate commitments that involve massive amounts of funding for the just transition to renewable energy, not market-based schemes that can be exploited by the biggest corporate polluters. Thus far, the U.S. has failed to make any major announcements pertaining to climate commitments at COP26.  There are less than 48 hours left of COP26 — which is more than enough time for the U.S. delegation and President to commit to meaningful climate action.  The U.S. delegation must champion a COP26 final agreement that calls for an immediate phase out of fossil fuels. Send your message to President Biden now! Time is running out! COP26 is just one of the many venues where a clear plan for climate justice — policies and solutions that address climate change as well as the systems that cause it, perpetuate discrimination, and place the disproportionate burden of disaster and pollution on those who are least responsible for the crisis — can come into fruition. But we need Global North nations like the U.S. to shoulder the financial undertaking this will require. We must strive for a world in which the nations and corporations responsible for the climate crisis step up to the plate to finance the pathway towards a just transition.  People and the planet cannot wait. The IPCC says we only have 8 years left to curb the worst effects of climate change. We have the opportunity for a world without corporate polluters crafting our climate policy, where people come before fossil fuel profits.  It’s up to President Biden, the U.S. delegation, and Global North nations to rise to the occasion as the climate crisis is the biggest existential threat we’ve ever faced. The time is now. In solidarity, Anusha Narayanan Climate Campaign Manager, Greenpeace USA P.S. There are less than 48 hours of COP26 left, we urgently need to tell President Biden and the U.S. delegation to champion a Glasgow Deal that calls for a fossil fuel phase out in the COP26 final agreement!peace never takes a dime from corporations or governments. Everything we do is thanks to the generous support of people like you! DONATE NOW     Greenpeace 702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 | 1-800-722-6995

 

 

NOVEMBER 11

Be the people's resistance media! Forward this email to a friend and share the articles on social media. Popular Resistance (11-11-21)   UN-Backed Banker Alliance Announces 'Green' Plan By Whitney Webb, Mintpress News. On Wednesday, an “industry-led and UN-convened” alliance of private banking and financial institutions announced plans at the COP26 conference to overhaul the role of global and regional financial institutions, including the World Bank and IMF, as part of a broader plan to “transform” the global financial system. The officially stated purpose of this proposed overhaul, per alliance members, is to promote the transition to a “net zero” economy. However, the group’s proposed “reimagining” of international financial institutions, according to their recently published “progress report,” would also... -more-   COP26 Can Learn From West Papua’s Green Resistance By Chris Saltmarsh, Tribune Magazine. The Indonesian state has dominated West Papua with military force since 1962. West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea, situated immediately north of Australia. The Netherlands colonized the territory during the nineteenth century. As the Dutch began to decolonize during the 1950s, they prepared West Papua for independence. This came, briefly, at the end of 1961. Shortly after, Indonesia invaded in 1962. This began an enduring occupation predicated on political repression, cultural destruction, and colonial genocide.  -more-   Cop26: Surging Wood Pellet Industry Threatens Climate By Sharon Guynup, Mongabay. Representatives From 192 Nations Continue Meeting In Glasgow, Scotland, At COP26 This Week In Hopes Of Making Deals To Save Humanity, Cool The Planet, And Salvage Their Nations’ Reputations. However, Absent From The Conference Agenda Are Discussions Of Carbon Accounting Loopholes That Scientists Say Are Dangerously Underreporting Emissions And Speeding Climate Change. An Overlooked Issue Is Forest Biomass: Burning Wood To Produce Energy. Despite Research Proving Otherwise, The Practice Continues To Be Called Carbon Neutral By Nations And The Forestry Industry... -more-

COP26: How The World’s Militaries Hide Their Huge Carbon Emissions.  Popular Resistance (11-11-21).

By Doug Weir, Benjamin Neimark and Oliver Belcher, The Conversation. Climate change leadership requires more than stirring speeches. It means facing up to hard truths. One truth that governments around the world are struggling with is the immense contribution their militaries are making to the climate crisis. For example, the US Department of Defense is the largest institutional consumer of fossil fuels in the world – and the largest institutional emitter. Two of us worked on a 2019 study which showed that if the US military were a country, its fuel usage alone would make it the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, sitting between... -more-

 

COP26: Military pollution is the skeleton in the West’s climate closet.  Jonathan Cook.   mronline.org (11-11-21)

Leaders at the COP26 summit have no intention of tackling the growing environmental impacts caused by their 'defence' spending.   

 

COP26: We have until tomorrow to fix this

Cansın Leylim - 350.org    11-11-21	8:12 AM (10 hours ago)

Hi Dick,

Finally, some signs of progress at the UN climate conference. The UN has shared a draft of the final COP26 decision. The text finally openly names the problem - fossil fuels.

It might be the bare minimum, but it’s a vital step in the right direction because the text urges countries to phase out coal and end fossil fuel subsidies. And, crucially, this text is legally binding for all signatories. [1]

But there are climate laggards, like Australia, who are lobbying hard to weaken the draft text, so they can carry on as before. They want to continue risking people’s lives by extracting dirty, deadly fossil fuels.

We need to show Australia that the world is watching and that we’ll know whom to blame if COP26 fails. We must keep the phasing out of fossil fuels in the text.

Australia's ministers care about their image. If we pile on the pressure publicly, and make sure media reporting from COP26 is focused on countries threatening to remove even this incomplete call for fossil fuel phase-out, we could get them to back down. But we only have until Friday, when COP26 is set to end.

Will you share a message on social media to demand the Australian Government keep fossil fuels in the text to keep it in the ground?

Tweet the Australian Government

If you don’t use Twitter, you can also leave a comment on this Facebook post by Mr. Angus Taylor, Australia’s Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, and ask him not to stand in the way of real action against fossil fuels at COP26.

 

Australia and its fossil fuel allies, like Russia and Saudi Arabia, have a long history of blocking action. They have financial interests and deep ties to the coal, oil and gas industries. That’s why they’re so opposed to this text and want to carry on digging and burning fossil fuels. [2]

We’ve known all along that these fuels will destroy our homes. Because of our movement, decision-makers have finally begun to admit that fossil fuels are the problem. We can’t let climate laggards like Australia block this important step forward.

There is a long way to go, and this text isn’t perfect, but if we can get this through it’s a jumping-off point that will help us push them for more things - from defunding fossil fuels to investing in a just transition.

COP26 is a compass for climate action across the world. Together, we can get it pointing in the right direction.

Tweet the Australian Prime Minister and Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction or post a comment on Facebook.

In solidarity and hope,
Cansin Leylim, for the 350.org team
P.S. Wondered what else is in the text? Check out our blog for everything you need to know
References:  [1] A result for climate at COP26? What we can expect.   [2] CNN: Young people call for fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty as delegates spar over coal, oil and gas

350.org is building a global climate movement. You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and become a sustaining donor to keep this movement strong and growing.

 

A call for help from the climate talks   11-11-21

Mike Baillie - Avaaz via uark.onmicrosoft.com	8:48 AM (9 hours ago)
to James

Dear friends across the US, We're in the final days of the critical climate talks -- and shocking new analysis shows that the world is racing towards catastrophic warming of at least 2.4°C.  It could mean a world where over a billion people are forced to flee unliveable heat. The natural world would be devastated as floods, flames, and famine batter the planet. We can't be silent at this critical moment. Our leaders have a duty to protect citizens, but their words aren't enough, we need real action! US President Biden has a key role to play. The US promised to pay its fair share of life-saving funds for vulnerable nations -- but that promise has been broken, causing a major wound at the heart of the climate talks. And it's costing real human lives.  So Avaaz is running a powerful ad in the Financial Times, read by negotiators and leaders at the talks. Now let's amplify the message and ramp up pressure on President Biden to show real leadership, pay their fair share, and unlock the climate talks.   RETWEET THE ADSEND YOUR OWN TWEETCOMMENT + SHARE ON FACEBOOK Tips for your message: · It's best to write in your own words, and use the hashtag #ShowUsTheMoney so leaders can see all our tweets. · For Facebook, mention President Biden and John Kerry to make sure their teams see how far the ad is spreading -- just add "@" in front of their names in your comment. Every comment and share helps the ad spread even further! · Ideas for what to say in your message: The US must urgently deliver its fair share of life-saving funds for countries on the front line of the crisis. #ShowUsTheMoney #Cop26. · Current plans put us on track for catastrophic warming of 2.4°C. We need urgent action to limit heating to 1.5°C. #Cop26 · As a climate champion, and earth's biggest economy, the US must lead by example, supporting vulnerable nations, and by ending all new fossil fuel projects and subsidies. #ShowUsTheMoney #Cop26 Twelve years ago rich nations, led by the US, promised the world’s most vulnerable countries $100bn a year in climate funding by 2020. That promise has been broken. The United States, the richest and most powerful nation on earth, is still yet to deliver its fair share, and developing nations are being told to wait for this life-saving support. But the climate crisis is here, now -- and vulnerable countries are being forced to weather a vicious storm without the support they deserve. The COP26 talks are in the final stretch, and one thing is clear: securing life-saving funds for the vulnerable is central to accelerating the world towards a healthy, liveable planet. This affects every single one of us, and the US must step up. We live in the age of social media. When something goes viral, our leaders notice. Our movement is powerful because we have the power of millions. Let’s use it -- click to help amplify the call on Biden to show real leadership and unlock the climate talks: RETWEET THE AD Thank you for being an Avaaz member -- it's an honour to be a part of this incredible community in the greatest battle of our lifetimes. Consider sharing this email and inviting a friend or a few to write a message too. With endless hope and determination, Mike, and the rest of the Avaaz team in Glasgow and around the world More information: · With COP26 credibility at stake, some urge ratcheting up schedule (Reuters) · COP26: World headed for 2.4C warming despite climate summit (BBC) · The impacts of climate change at 1.5C, 2C and beyond (Carbon Brief) · A $100 billion promise holds the Paris Agreement together. Now, it's coming apart (Grist) · Cop26 draft calls for tougher emissions pledges by next year (The Guardian)

 

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CLIMATE CHANGE

'Harrowing' report downplays threat of climate change to national security.  Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (11-11-21).A first-of-its-kind report by 18 US intelligence agencies explains how the climate crisis could increase geopolitical tensions around the globe—but will government heed the warning? Read more.

 

 

CONTENTS OMNI UN COP26 Glasgow Countdown, #5, 11-5 TO 11-9

https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2021/11/united-nations-cop26-unclimate-change.html

UN News Wire: Investment In Resilience  11-5

UUSC, Global Day for Climate Justice, UUSC’s Partners  11-6

Roberts, What is and is not on the agenda  11-7

Sara Bennett, et al., workers’ struggle for climate  11-7

Climate Resource, Pledges could hold warming under 2 degrees  11-7

Agri emissions not on agenda  11-8

BBC News, FF lobbyists crowd the Conference  11-8

EcoWatch, 4 billion pledged for sustainable agri  11-9

Covering Climate Now (CCN), grim temperature projection from Climate Action Tracker  11-9

Extinction Rebellion (XR), world protest but COP 26 not the hoped for, promised game-changer  11-9

 

END OMNI UN COP26 Glasgow Countdown, #6, 11-10/ 11-11