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Nearly 200 Nations Adopt Climate Agreement At COP21 Talks In Paris

Updated December 12, 20159:19 PM ET 

BILL CHAPPELL

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French President Francois Hollande, right, French Foreign Minister and president of the COP21 meetings Laurent Fabius, second right, UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, left, and UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon join hands after the final adoption of an agreement at the COP21 United Nations conference on climate change.

Francois Mori/AP

In what supporters are calling a historic achievement, 196 nations attending the COP21 climate meetings outside Paris voted to adopt an agreement Saturday that covers both developed and developing countries. Their respective governments will now need to adopt the deal.

Presenting the plan aimed at curbing global warming ahead of Saturday's vote, France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told the delegations, "You go into this room to decide a historic agreement. The world holds its breath and it counts on you."

The agreement, which was publicly released Saturday morning (ET), sets the goal of limiting the world's rise in average temperature to "well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius."

Reporting on details of the deal, NPR's Christopher Joyce says, "To help developing countries switch from fossil fuels to greener sources of energy and adapt to the effects of climate change, the developed world will provide $100 billion a year."

He adds that the 1.5-degree cap was sought by island nations.

Under the agreement, the Obama administration says that for the first time, all countries will be required to report on "national inventories of emissions by source" and also to report on their mitigation efforts.

President Obama spoke on the agreement late Saturday afternoon, saying the agreement was a strong one, showing what is possible when the world stands as one.

"We met the moment," Obama said.

White House YouTube

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: "With these elements in place, markets now have the clear signal they need to unleash the full force of human ingenuity and scale up investments that will generate low-emissions, resilient growth," adding that "what was once unthinkable has now become unstoppable."

Update at 3:05 p.m. ET: Hollande Gives Al Gore A Shout-Out

"You've done it," French President Francois Hollande told the delegates in the hall, setting off a new round of applause. "You have succeeded where six years ago there was failure."

Turning philosophical during his remarks, Hollande said that for everyone in the room today, they'll someday face questions such as "What was the meaning of our lives, what did we achieve."

And he answered, "one thing will come up time and again: you will be able to say that on the twelfth of December you were in Paris for the agreement on the climate. And you will be able to be proud to stand before your children and your grandchildren."

Hollande went on to acknowledge the work on climate change by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore — who's in attendance, and who rises and bows as people in the chamber yell and applaud.

We are entering a low-carbon age, Hollande said, adding later that the climate agreement represents the "most beautiful, most peaceful revolution" in the world.

Update at 2:27 p.m. ET: A 'Tremendous Victory,' Kerry Says

"This a tremendous victory for all our citizens," Secretary of State John Kerry says. "It's a victory for all the planet, and for future generations."

Kerry said the deal "will help the world prepare" for impacts of climate change that are either already here or are on the way, adding that it could prevent the worst environmental effects from coming to pass. He went on to say that American enterprise and businesses would play vital roles in that process.

Kerry also praised the summit's French hosts for their work on the agreement, particularly in light of the recent terrorist attacks.

"We've taken a critical step forward," Kerry says, adding that the next actions will be equally important.

Update at 1:43 p.m. ET: 'Single Most Important Collective Action'

Conservation International Chairman and CEO Peter Seligmann says the COP21 agreement "is a transformative diplomatic victory," but he adds, "The hard work of delivery begins now. The security of nations and humanity depends upon the reduction of emissions and the protection of nature."

The group calls the agreement "the single most important collective action for addressing climate change ever agreed upon."

Update at 1:30 p.m. ET: Deal Is Adopted

The hall erupts into applause after no one objects to a final adoption of the deal to combat global warming and rein in greenhouse gases.

After the excitement dies down, Fabius is reminded he must use his gavel to make the results official.

"It's a small gavel, but I think it can do a great job," he says as he raps it on the table.

Update at 1:18 p.m. ET: The Session Has Begun

After hours of delays, Fabius begins the evening's proceedings in France. The event quickly turns to correcting errors in the documents, such as differences between translations of the deal (it's in six languages).

Update at 12:50 p.m. ET: U.S. Supports Deal; Meeting Still Pending

With delays slowing the start of the meeting, we're hearing word that U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern says the United States will agree to the deal. Stern spoke to reporters as delegates entered the main gathering hall.

The Like Minded Group of Developing Countries — China, India, Saudi Arabia, and others — has said through a spokesman that they're "happy" with the deal, the BBC reports.

Our original post continues:

"The end is in sight. Let us now finish the job," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told delegates at the two-week meetings. "The whole world is watching. Billions of people are relying on your wisdom."

The document includes two essential recognitions:

• "that climate change represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies and the planet and thus requires the widest possible cooperation by all countries"
• "that deep reductions in global emissions will be required in order to achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention and emphasizing the need for urgency in addressing climate change."

The deal also calls for five-year updates on how the plan is being instituted.

For it to take effect, all 196 individual governments in the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change will need to adopt the final document. Working out terms of the deal required adding an extra day to the conference.

"Major hurdles included how much wealthy countries would spend to help developing countries adapt to climate change," NPR's Christopher Joyce reports from Paris. Chris adds, "donor countries will retain the right to monitor how that money is spent.

Urging negotiators to seize a chance to change the world, French President Francois Hollande said Saturday morning, "History is here. All the conditions are met. The decisive agreement for the planet is now."

• cop21
• paris
• climate change

Fire Damages Mosque In Sou

As global warming continues and creates drought around the world more unrest will ensue and more refugees will need help!

 

Opening our arms to refugees 

Dear Joseph,

My heart burst when I saw the picture of the drowned body of 3 year old Alan Kurdi in his red shirt and blue pants, face downward in the sand on a Turkish beach. I won’t be able to forget that picture, ever.

Today, I’m filled with a different kind of emotion. It’s joy, renewed hope, and a sense of pride as I watch Canadians open their arms to welcome refugees from Syria. Thank you. You played a part in turning human tragedy to joy.

Since the start of the brutal civil war in Syria, Amnesty International has been sounding the alarm bell about the rapidly mounting Syrian refugee crisis, and the need for Canada to respond.

With your help, Amnesty International sent researchers into the heart of the trouble spots in Syria, to document the gravity of the crisis, to call on neighbouring countries to protect fleeing refugees, and to move the world to bring resources, attention and understanding to help ease the frightening vulnerability of refugees.  

And in recent weeks there has been such important progress in Canada. We have – as a nation and as individuals – generously and spontaneously opened our arms in a warm and heartfelt “welcome”. We have enthusiastically shared our time, money, commitment, and even our homes. We have shown that we are open to being changed and enriched by those who join our communities.

Joseph, this is work that needs our attention. Can we count on you to help those still in need and to urge governments to respond and uphold laws that help prevent the next crisis?

I don’t know the name of the child sleeping in his mother’s arms in this picture. It's a photo of refugees from last week's Amnesty news release about the 12,000 refugees who are stranded in “no man’s land” on the border of Jordan and Syria, unable to turn back but unable to move forward. But I want this boy and his family to be safe! I stood in refugee camps in South Sudan earlier this year, and witnessed firsthand the desperate protection needs of refugees. I could feel how painful it is for a parent not to be able to protect their children, or for loved ones to be fearful about the fate of the people left behind. This vulnerability and fear robs you of your dignity.

With a donation to Amnesty International you can help us bring safety and dignity to vulnerable refugees. 

The global refugee crisis has forced us at Amnesty International to dig a little deeper and find new resources to ensure we respond where the need is greatest, and to have the capacity to investigate human rights violations wherever they occur. The Syrian refugee crisis is alarming by its sheer magnitude – 4 million who fled the country – the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. That does not even take account of the more than 8 million Syrians who have been forced to flee their homes but remain internally displaced in Syria.

It took the loss of little Alan Kurdi to move the world to respond. But it is still nowhere near adequate. While many countries have responded generously, others have turned their backs on fleeing refugees, and others struggle to cope. There is such a pressing need for a generous, coordinated global response to the Syrian refugee crisis, that will both protect refugees and enrich communities around the world. 

As the Syrian refugee crisis continues to unfold, we are witnessing the immense cost of not holding governments like Syria to account for the atrocities committed against their own citizens, of ignoring the principles of human rights protection. 

Amnesty International’s respected, independent voice in the defence human rights needs to be louder. Please make a financial contribution today using our secure online donation form, or call us at 1-800-AMNESTY (1-800-266-3789) to make your gift.

Thank you for your compassion and your commitment to human rights. 

Sincerely,

Alex Neve
Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada

P.S. Canadians are demonstrating the best of humanity as they raise funds to sponsor individual refugee families and welcome them into their communities. With your support to Amnesty International's work to protect refugees, you'll honour those who are finding a home in Canada and help bring hope and dignity to other refugees who have yet to find safety. Thank you!

Waleed Abu al-Khair, Saudi Arabian human rights activist and lawyer for blogger, Raif Badawi, is in prison for his work.

Today is the big day!

Will you help us make sure everyone knows December 10th is 
International Human Rights Day? 

Dear Joseph,

Your right to freedom of speech, equal treatment, and freedom from torture and a whole range of violations were enshrined on December 10th, 1948, when almost every nation signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Today, on International Human Rights Day, we’re celebrating our rights and speaking out on some of the most pressing issues – globally and here in Canada – where we believe public action can make a difference.

Here’s how you can get involved and spread the word:


Write a letter on your own or at an event

Big and small "write-a-thons" are taking place in 80 countries around the world. Here in Canada, 1,500 public and private Write for Rights events are happening in schools, living rooms, cafes and places of worship from coast to coast to coast!

For each action, you can send a message to a government official and directly, in solidarity, to the individual or community at risk. The basics: 

>>  Sign up to be a part of Write for Rights

>>  Find events near you

>> See our tips for writing and organizing

	>> See all letter-writing actions and petitions

Take a minute to sign and share our 3 priority e-actions

1. Welcome refugees
Canadians have opened their hearts and communities to sponsor Syrians who are seeking escape from the worst refugee crisis since WWII. Canada needs a long-term plan to welcome refugees from Syria and other crisis spots in the world.

2. Protect the Peace: Halt Site C  
The rights and livelihoods of Indigenous people are at risk as British Columbia pursues plans to flood the Peace River Valley. 

3. Free Waleed
One million people have signed Amnesty’s petitions to protect blogger Raif Badawi from flogging in Saudi Arabia. Now his lawyer is in jail and needs our help.

Prefer to send a letter? All of our e-actions have letter-writing options and vice versa! 

	>> See how you can promote all our cases on social media

Spread the word 
#Write4Rights

And here in Canada, 

Premier Clark believes that he and his government can step on the rights of

Aboriginal people.

--------------------------------------------

Dear Premier Clark,

I urge your government to withdraw all permits related to the construction of the Site C dam and publicly commit to ensuring that the rights of Indigenous peoples will be respected and upheld.

The environmental assessment of the Site C dam concluded that flooding the Peace Valley would “severely undermine” rights of Indigenous peoples - rights that are protected by Treaty, the Canadian Constitution and international human rights law.

I am shocked that your government would issue construction permits for the dam while these important concerns remain unresolved.

There are directly affected First Nations that remain opposed to the project. And important legal challenges are still before the courts.

Please don’t rush ahead with a project that will violate human rights.

Sincerely, 

Joseph Raglione: 

World Ideas worth considering

Gentle People:
 The Liberals have won the federal election in Canada and the new young prime minister, Justin Trudeau, will need some economic ideas to help bolster his new government.
 Now let's see, what can we imagine that will boost the Canadian economy in 2016?

 How about:
1. An electric computer regulated small, not long, city bus equipped to help an aging population of elderly people who will need help getting in and out of buses. I can see a city full of small Buses quickly picking up passengers and when full, the driver presses a button to notify a central computer to send another small Bus. The empty small bus quickly replaces the full bus at the stop where the button was pushed. Small Buses can be stationed and waiting  periodically along city Bus routes.
2. How about helping Quebec city finance a new Hockey team to help fill Quebec's new Videotron Arena? Owning a percentage of a Hockey team is not bad business for the federal government.
3. How about helping Canadian farmers establish pesticide and  Monsanto free crops? Federal grants will help farmers hire and train Canadian high school and college and even university students during the summer months. If the pay is good, the students will accept the jobs.
4. How about paying students and unemployed people to plant and care for fruit Trees in every city and small town in Canada? Specifically, fruit trees such as Apple and Pear and Plum trees. You then invite tourists visiting Canada to help themselves to the fruit. Our national Parks also need Tree planting projects and so does the Tar Sands project. Plant several million Evergreen Trees in the Tar Sands and send the Bill to the people who created the ecological disaster in the first place.
5. How about creating community gardens all across Canada and paying unemployed people to work the         gardens? The fresh vegetables can then be sold to local restaurants.
6. How about asking the car companies such as Ford and Toyota and General Motors to create all Electric       vehicles to help stop global warming? They can also create Hydrogen / Electric hybrids. A small amount of Hydrogen is created on board the car and immediately used. It is not stored in a tank like Gasolene.
7. How about creating thousands of water filtration and purification plants to clean our drinking water and remove raw sewage from our lakes and rivers? How about creating a company to clean up the Tar Sands in Alberta? Plant millions of Fir Trees in the Tar Sands and send the bill to Harper.
8. How about helping the Maritime Provinces build offshore wind or under water Turbine Farms?
9. How about helping millions of homeowners place Solar Panels on their roofs? Ask Elon Musk for information and push him to bring out cheap but fast long distance Electric cars. Tell him Mars can wait!
10. How about taxing the high tech computer and telephone industries? These companies are making billions of Dollars and could well afford to pay higher taxes especially Bell Canada who just raised my phone Bill.
11. How about creating small town music festivals across Canada? 
12.How about creating new School buildings that seem less like prisons and more like Geodesic Domes filled with computers and small animals and flower gardens? 

May God otherwise known as Allah bless you for keeping the peace.

A Message from Barack Obama, president of the United States.

The White House

 

 

12/07/15

 

 Newsletters

To: human4us@bell.net

THE WHITE HOUSE    Last night President Obama addressed the nation from the Oval Office. "Let’s not forget that freedom is more powerful than fear; that we have always met challenges -- whether war or depression; natural disasters or terrorist attacks -- by coming together around our common ideals as one nation and one people. So long as we stay true to that tradition, I have no doubt that America will prevail." Watch the full remarks now. Read the address: Good evening. On Wednesday, 14 Americans were killed as they came together to celebrate the holidays. They were taken from family and friends who loved them deeply. They were white and black; Latino and Asian; immigrants and American-born; moms and dads; daughters and sons. Each of them served their fellow citizens and all of them were part of our American family. Tonight, I want to talk with you about this tragedy, the broader threat of terrorism, and how we can keep our country safe. The FBI is still gathering the facts about what happened in San Bernardino, but here is what we know. The victims were brutally murdered and injured by one of their coworkers and his wife. So far, we have no evidence that the killers were directed by a terrorist organization overseas, or that they were part of a broader conspiracy here at home. But it is clear that the two of them had gone down the dark path of radicalization, embracing a perverted interpretation of Islam that calls for war against America and the West. They had stockpiled assault weapons, ammunition, and pipe bombs. So this was an act of terrorism, designed to kill innocent people. Our nation has been at war with terrorists since al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans on 9/11. In the process, we’ve hardened our defenses -- from airports to financial centers, to other critical infrastructure. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies have disrupted countless plots here and overseas, and worked around the clock to keep us safe. Our military and counterterrorism professionals have relentlessly pursued terrorist networks overseas -- disrupting safe havens in several different countries, killing Osama bin Laden, and decimating al Qaeda’s leadership. Over the last few years, however, the terrorist threat has evolved into a new phase. As we’ve become better at preventing complex, multifaceted attacks like 9/11, terrorists turned to less complicated acts of violence like the mass shootings that are all too common in our society. It is this type of attack that we saw at Fort Hood in 2009, in Chattanooga earlier this year, and now in San Bernardino. And as groups like ISIL grew stronger amidst the chaos of war in Iraq and then Syria, and as the Internet erases the distance between countries, we see growing efforts by terrorists to poison the minds of people like the Boston Marathon bombers and the San Bernardino killers. For seven years, I’ve confronted this evolving threat each morning in my intelligence briefing. And since the day I took this office, I’ve authorized U.S. forces to take out terrorists abroad precisely because I know how real the danger is. As Commander-in-Chief, I have no greater responsibility than the security of the American people. As a father to two young daughters who are the most precious part of my life, I know that we see ourselves with friends and coworkers at a holiday party like the one in San Bernardino. I know we see our kids in the faces of the young people killed in Paris. And I know that after so much war, many Americans are asking whether we are confronted by a cancer that has no immediate cure. Well, here’s what I want you to know: The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us. Our success won’t depend on tough talk, or abandoning our values, or giving into fear. That’s what groups like ISIL are hoping for. Instead, we will prevail by being strong and smart, resilient and relentless, and by drawing upon every aspect of American power. Here’s how. First, our military will continue to hunt down terrorist plotters in any country where it is necessary. In Iraq and Syria, airstrikes are taking out ISIL leaders, heavy weapons, oil tankers, infrastructure. And since the attacks in Paris, our closest allies -- including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom -- have ramped up their contributions to our military campaign, which will help us accelerate our effort to destroy ISIL. Second, we will continue to provide training and equipment to tens of thousands of Iraqi and Syrian forces fighting ISIL on the ground so that we take away their safe havens. In both countries, we’re deploying Special Operations Forces who can accelerate that offensive. We’ve stepped up this effort since the attacks in Paris, and we’ll continue to invest more in approaches that are working on the ground. Third, we’re working with friends and allies to stop ISIL’s operations -- to disrupt plots, cut off their financing, and prevent them from recruiting more fighters. Since the attacks in Paris, we’ve surged intelligence-sharing with our European allies. We’re working with Turkey to seal its border with Syria. And we are cooperating with Muslim-majority countries -- and with our Muslim communities here at home -- to counter the vicious ideology that ISIL promotes online. Fourth, with American leadership, the international community has begun to establish a process -- and timeline -- to pursue ceasefires and a political resolution to the Syrian war. Doing so will allow the Syrian people and every country, including our allies, but also countries like Russia, to focus on the common goal of destroying ISIL -- a group that threatens us all. This is our strategy to destroy ISIL. It is designed and supported by our military commanders and counterterrorism experts, together with 65 countries that have joined an American-led coalition. And we constantly examine our strategy to determine when additional steps are needed to get the job done. That’s why I’ve ordered the Departments of State and Homeland Security to review the visa program under which the female terrorist in San Bernardino originally came to this country. And that’s why I will urge high-tech and law enforcement leaders to make it harder for terrorists to use technology to escape from justice. Now, here at home, we have to work together to address the challenge. There are several steps that Congress should take right away. To begin with, Congress should act to make sure no one on a no-fly list is able to buy a gun. What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semi-automatic weapon? This is a matter of national security. We also need to make it harder for people to buy powerful assault weapons like the ones that were used in San Bernardino. I know there are some who reject any gun safety measures. But the fact is that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies -- no matter how effective they are -- cannot identify every would-be mass shooter, whether that individual is motivated by ISIL or some other hateful ideology. What we can do -- and must do -- is make it harder for them to kill. Next, we should put in place stronger screening for those who come to America without a visa so that we can take a hard look at whether they’ve traveled to warzones. And we’re working with members of both parties in Congress to do exactly that. Finally, if Congress believes, as I do, that we are at war with ISIL, it should go ahead and vote to authorize the continued use of military force against these terrorists. For over a year, I have ordered our military to take thousands of airstrikes against ISIL targets. I think it’s time for Congress to vote to demonstrate that the American people are united, and committed, to this fight. My fellow Americans, these are the steps that we can take together to defeat the terrorist threat. Let me now say a word about what we should not do. We should not be drawn once more into a long and costly ground war in Iraq or Syria. That’s what groups like ISIL want. They know they can’t defeat us on the battlefield. ISIL fighters were part of the insurgency that we faced in Iraq. But they also know that if we occupy foreign lands, they can maintain insurgencies for years, killing thousands of our troops, draining our resources, and using our presence to draw new recruits. The strategy that we are using now -- airstrikes, Special Forces, and working with local forces who are fighting to regain control of their own country -- that is how we’ll achieve a more sustainable victory. And it won’t require us sending a new generation of Americans overseas to fight and die for another decade on foreign soil. Here’s what else we cannot do. We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That, too, is what groups like ISIL want. ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of more than a billion Muslims around the world -- including millions of patriotic Muslim Americans who reject their hateful ideology. Moreover, the vast majority of terrorist victims around the world are Muslim. If we’re to succeed in defeating terrorism we must enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate. That does not mean denying the fact that an extremist ideology has spread within some Muslim communities. This is a real problem that Muslims must confront, without excuse. Muslim leaders here and around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and al Qaeda promote; to speak out against not just acts of violence, but also those interpretations of Islam that are incompatible with the values of religious tolerance, mutual respect, and human dignity. But just as it is the responsibility of Muslims around the world to root out misguided ideas that lead to radicalization, it is the responsibility of all Americans -- of every faith -- to reject discrimination. It is our responsibility to reject religious tests on who we admit into this country. It’s our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim Americans should somehow be treated differently. Because when we travel down that road, we lose. That kind of divisiveness, that betrayal of our values plays into the hands of groups like ISIL. Muslim Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our co-workers, our sports heroes -- and, yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to die in defense of our country. We have to remember that. My fellow Americans, I am confident we will succeed in this mission because we are on the right side of history. We were founded upon a belief in human dignity -- that no matter who you are, or where you come from, or what you look like, or what religion you practice, you are equal in the eyes of God and equal in the eyes of the law. Even in this political season, even as we properly debate what steps I and future Presidents must take to keep our country safe, let’s make sure we never forget what makes us exceptional. Let’s not forget that freedom is more powerful than fear; that we have always met challenges -- whether war or depression, natural disasters or terrorist attacks -- by coming together around our common ideals as one nation, as one people. So long as we stay true to that tradition, I have no doubt America will prevail. Thank you. God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.