Comments on: 71 arrested in Copenhagen resisting World Business Summit on Climate Change http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/ Dispatches from the Youth Climate Movement Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:58:17 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Rene http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/#comment-79151 Rene Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:30:03 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=11124#comment-79151 Last news on the report of global humanitarian forum Geneva: The reports calculates more than 300 million people are seriously affected by climate change at a total economic cost of $125 billion per year Report projects that by 2030, worldwide deaths will reach almost 500,000 per year; people affected by climate change annually expected to rise to over 600 million and the total annual economic cost increase to around $300 billion. http://www.ghf-geneva.org Last news on the report of global humanitarian forum Geneva: The reports calculates more than 300 million people are seriously affected by climate change at a total economic cost of $125 billion per year
Report projects that by 2030, worldwide deaths will reach almost 500,000 per year; people affected by climate change annually expected to rise to over 600 million and the total annual economic cost increase to around $300 billion.
http://www.ghf-geneva.org

]]> By: Rene http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/#comment-79150 Rene Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:18:14 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=11124#comment-79150 Nobody hearded of your action in France or in Switzerland, but it's very fine. Next step: Bonn? Best regards René Nobody hearded of your action in France or in Switzerland, but it’s very fine.
Next step: Bonn?
Best regards
René

]]> By: Matt Dernoga http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/#comment-79116 Matt Dernoga Sun, 31 May 2009 20:06:40 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=11124#comment-79116 Thanks for responding Matt W, I completely understand your points regarding energy companies, and in my comment above I exempted my defense of oil and energy companies in the 1st sentence. We should be extremely wary of their inevitable involvement, and oppose their efforts to weaken a treaty at every available turn. For example Chevron and Shell can go to hell. However there were also non-energy corporations there as well. To give one example of a much maligned corporation to some on this blog, Nike has been pushing for a very strong US climate change bill and a strong global treaty. The targets they've been lobbying for have been as strong if not stronger than most of the targets environmental groups have been asking for. They also formed their own coalition called BICEP, and other major companies such as Starbucks and GAP have signed on: http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/?s=BICEP Last I would encourage you to look at the UN Chief's speech which is hardly bending backwards for the corporations http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/ban-ki-moons-speech/ and what came of the conference http://www.montereyherald.com/news/ci_12450229?nclick_check=1&forced=true Now a 50% cut below 1990 levels isn't what we need, but I would take 500 corporations demanding a price on carbon and a 50% cut than opposing action at every turn any day, and especially this year. In my state of Maryland we fought labor and the polluters over passing a global warming bill for 2 years and got close to winning but we couldn't get over the hump. We found that by sitting down and negotiating with labor, we were able to craft a bill that still set the caps we wanted but was something labor could support. It became labor+environmentalists versus the utilities, and we won. Thanks for responding Matt W, I completely understand your points regarding energy companies, and in my comment above I exempted my defense of oil and energy companies in the 1st sentence. We should be extremely wary of their inevitable involvement, and oppose their efforts to weaken a treaty at every available turn. For example Chevron and Shell can go to hell.

However there were also non-energy corporations there as well. To give one example of a much maligned corporation to some on this blog, Nike has been pushing for a very strong US climate change bill and a strong global treaty. The targets they’ve been lobbying for have been as strong if not stronger than most of the targets environmental groups have been asking for. They also formed their own coalition called BICEP, and other major companies such as Starbucks and GAP have signed on: http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/?s=BICEP

Last I would encourage you to look at the UN Chief’s speech which is hardly bending backwards for the corporations
http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/ban-ki-moons-speech/

and what came of the conference

http://www.montereyherald.com/news/ci_12450229?nclick_check=1&forced=true

Now a 50% cut below 1990 levels isn’t what we need, but I would take 500 corporations demanding a price on carbon and a 50% cut than opposing action at every turn any day, and especially this year.

In my state of Maryland we fought labor and the polluters over passing a global warming bill for 2 years and got close to winning but we couldn’t get over the hump. We found that by sitting down and negotiating with labor, we were able to craft a bill that still set the caps we wanted but was something labor could support. It became labor+environmentalists versus the utilities, and we won.

]]> By: matt w http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/#comment-79069 matt w Fri, 29 May 2009 17:26:18 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=11124#comment-79069 Matt D, thanks for your comments. I would like to respectfully disagree. Your comments are based on the presumption that these corporations are meeting because they care about climate change. Unfortunately they are not. They are meeting because they know that climate legislation is coming down the line weather they like it or not and they need to band together to ensure that their profits come before real action on climate change. If you think i am being overly cynical look at how Duke energy and the coal industry managed to work in so many special favors into the Waxman bill that this initially extremely weak bill is essentially meainingless. Furthermore if companies such as Duke were really serious about fighting climate change, as the WBSCC would lead you to believe, why would they be building new coal plants. why would Chevron be expanding oil refineries while blabbing on about Human Energy? We can in no way benefit from getting the corporations "on board". They have one primary interest, making money, for themselves and their shareholders. And they will do whatever it takes to maintain their profits, planet be damned. The companies at the WBSCC are the same ones that for decades funded massive climate denial campaigns. Now that they have realized that tactic is no longer feasible and some form of climate legislation is inevitable they have switched gears. Now they are in the business of cooptation and watering down of climate legislation and agreements. Matt D, thanks for your comments. I would like to respectfully disagree. Your comments are based on the presumption that these corporations are meeting because they care about climate change. Unfortunately they are not. They are meeting because they know that climate legislation is coming down the line weather they like it or not and they need to band together to ensure that their profits come before real action on climate change. If you think i am being overly cynical look at how Duke energy and the coal industry managed to work in so many special favors into the Waxman bill that this initially extremely weak bill is essentially meainingless. Furthermore if companies such as Duke were really serious about fighting climate change, as the WBSCC would lead you to believe, why would they be building new coal plants. why would Chevron be expanding oil refineries while blabbing on about Human Energy?

We can in no way benefit from getting the corporations “on board”. They have one primary interest, making money, for themselves and their shareholders. And they will do whatever it takes to maintain their profits, planet be damned. The companies at the WBSCC are the same ones that for decades funded massive climate denial campaigns. Now that they have realized that tactic is no longer feasible and some form of climate legislation is inevitable they have switched gears. Now they are in the business of cooptation and watering down of climate legislation and agreements.

]]> By: 71 arrested in Copenhagen resisting World Business Summit on … « Business Blog http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/#comment-79045 71 arrested in Copenhagen resisting World Business Summit on … « Business Blog Thu, 28 May 2009 20:55:46 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=11124#comment-79045 [...] Read the original:  71 arrested in Copenhagen resisting World Business Summit on … [...] [...] Read the original:  71 arrested in Copenhagen resisting World Business Summit on … [...]

]]> By: Christine Irvine http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/#comment-79021 Christine Irvine Thu, 28 May 2009 00:52:31 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=11124#comment-79021 I would give this the Facebook *thumbs up* if I could. I would give this the Facebook *thumbs up* if I could.

]]> By: Matt Dernoga http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/#comment-79011 Matt Dernoga Wed, 27 May 2009 22:10:03 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=11124#comment-79011 I like a lot of the things rising tide does, but I have to disagree with some of this premise. Certainly some of these corporations are greenwashing and have ill intentions(especially the oil and energy companies), and we should oppose their efforts to weaken a treaty. However, there were over 500 business leaders at this. If even half of them can be convinced that it's in their interest to support a strong global treaty, that makes this less of an uphill battle than it already is. We shouldn't compromise on our reduction targets and adaptation principles, but sitting down and talking with your opponents and trying to find ways to work together is necessary. I hardly see the credibility in calling Al Gore a "so called climiate hero". We're on the same team last time I checked. I have a different take on the businesses visiting here: http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/getting-down-to-business/ I do agree however that the people who will bear the brunt of the impacts should have more of a say. The structure of the UN in general doesn't allow for that, and it's a problem. I like a lot of the things rising tide does, but I have to disagree with some of this premise. Certainly some of these corporations are greenwashing and have ill intentions(especially the oil and energy companies), and we should oppose their efforts to weaken a treaty. However, there were over 500 business leaders at this. If even half of them can be convinced that it’s in their interest to support a strong global treaty, that makes this less of an uphill battle than it already is. We shouldn’t compromise on our reduction targets and adaptation principles, but sitting down and talking with your opponents and trying to find ways to work together is necessary. I hardly see the credibility in calling Al Gore a “so called climiate hero”. We’re on the same team last time I checked.

I have a different take on the businesses visiting here: http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/getting-down-to-business/

I do agree however that the people who will bear the brunt of the impacts should have more of a say. The structure of the UN in general doesn’t allow for that, and it’s a problem.

]]> By: 71 arrested in Copenhagen resisting World Business Summit on Climate Change | Rising Tide North America http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/05/27/71-arrested-in-copenhagen-resisting-world-business-summit-on-climate-change/#comment-79008 71 arrested in Copenhagen resisting World Business Summit on Climate Change | Rising Tide North America Wed, 27 May 2009 20:47:17 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=11124#comment-79008 [...] [...] [...] [...]

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