Tiempo Climate Newswatch

The European Union (EU) has committed to a carbon emissions reduction target of at least 20 per cent by the year 2020, covering the period immediately after the end of the Kyoto agreement. "You get a deadlock in international negotiations when there's the attitude that, 'We're not going to do anything until someone goes first,' so it's good that the ministers committed to 20 per cent," commented Kirsty Hamilton from the United Kingdom Business Council for Sustainable Energy. The EU will adopt a 30 per cent target for 2020, but only if high polluting nations outside the EU agree. "We happily welcome the 30 per cent emission cut proposed for the EU and for developed countries for 2020," said Mahi Sideridou of Greenpeace. "Ministers have listened to the science and made a leap forward in addressing the climate crisis. But to then suggest a meagre 20 per cent unilateral EU emissions cut, while admitting this is inadequate and that a 30 per cent cut will be necessary, is a bizarre discrepancy," she continued.

"I'm... very encouraged by the fact that all member states strongly supported our proposal and the need for the European Union to continue its leadership in fighting climate change," said environment commissioner Stavros Dimas. The 20 per cent target is an EU-average, with individual targets allocated to each member nation following a differentiated approach. Finland has argued that its allocation should take account of its particular circumstances. "The climate in Finland is cold, distances are long and the share of energy-intensive industries is relatively high," said Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. The baseline year from which the reductions are measured is also permitted to vary by country. But "there will be some countries like Germany that will see a steeper reduction in greenhouse gases," said German environment minister Sigmar Gabriel. The German parliament has already agreed to a 40 per cent reduction.

Australia is to phase out the sale of incandescent light bulbs by the year 2010, to accelerate the switch to low-energy fluorescents. "It's a little thing but it's a massive change," said environment minister Malcolm Turnbull. "If the whole world switches to these bulbs today we would reduce our consumption of electricity by an amount equal to five times Australia's annual consumption of electricity." By 2015, the cut in emissions should amount to four million tonnes per year. The Australian government is following a lead set by Cuba two years ago. New Zealand is also likely to adopt the policy.

"It's all well and good to replace light globes but the government continues to avoid adopting measures that will help make the deep greenhouse gas reduction targets needed at the same time as it supports activities that increase emissions, including an expansion of the coal industry and injecting billions into roads," commented Green senator Christine Milne. The Australian government has been lukewarm on the climate issue, but Prime Minister John Howard has now accepted that there is undeniable evidence that the climate is changing. "Market mechanisms, including carbon pricing, will be integral to any long-term response to climate change," he has said." But the answer is not knee-jerk responses that harm the national interest."

North American populations of male loggerhead turtles could be decimated by global warming, according to recent research. Temperature influences the health and sex of baby turtles, with higher temperatures during the incubation period favouring females. "We are stunned by these results and what they could mean for the species in the future," said study author Brendan Godley of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. "In particular, we are concerned that populations that are already predominantly female could become 100 percent female if temperatures increase by just one degree. This is a major issue for nesting populations further south, in Florida, for example, where males are already in short supply."

The researchers recommend prioritizing the protection of colder, northern breeding grounds as some northern males travel south bolstering southern populations, which are predominantly female. "We take this [study] as an important step in identifying essential thermal habitat for marine turtles," said co-author Matthew Godfrey of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. "It highlights the need to establish measures to specifically protect male-producing beaches." According to Godley, "In the face of climate change, it's essential that we prioritize the protection of sites that produce males not only for local breeding success, but to help support potentially vulnerable populations further south."