Cap and Trade officially dead for US

David Roberts at Grist, sadly calls it like it is. The prospects for US Cap and Trade legislation have diminished to very-close-to absolute zero, 0 kelvin, not celsius.

What this means, given that Obama just went in front of 115 Heads of State to suggest a target of 17% below 2005, is going to be answered very soon. The first soft deadline for countries to put their pledges to the Copenhagen Accord appendixes is fast approaching.

Fiery battle in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest

On the Arapiuns River, barges of illegally taken timber smolder after being set aflame to protest logging in Gleba Nova Olinda, Amazon Rainforest.
Photo Credit: Brenda Baletti



Brenda Baletti has a very interesting story in Grist on struggles over rainforests in Renascer and Gleba Nova Olinda in Brazil.

Good Grist.org article on Copenhagen (100 things...)

This article has lots of good tidbits for anyone planning to go to Copenhagen or just following the talks.

In the article you'll find some good policy links (to good critical coverage of the politics behind the scenes) and absurdities (it is OK for women to swim topless in pools in Copenhagen, there is no plan yet to deal with a swine flu outbreak at the talks). Perhaps most frightening....? #19 according to the list says there will only be about one hour of sunlight per day during the talks.

TFG will be sending a COP15 delegation of about 25 people, mostly volunteer scientists and policy advocates. At latest count, our team will be coming from 8 countries, speaking probably 15 languages.

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