Page 43 - Shahrvand BC No. 1267
P. 43
English Section
Climate crisis: who will act?43 mate change, has unequivocally stated: “Warming
of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the
1950s, many of the observed changes are unprec-
edented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere
“If governments are unwilling to lead It is essential that governments start phasing out fos- and oceans have warmed, the amounts of snow and
when leadership is required, people must.” sil fuel subsidies, which currently account for about ice diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentra-
$485 billion a year, and are far greater than the glob- tions of greenhouse gases have increased.”
1392 رذآ8 جمعه- 1267 شماره/ سال مکیوست یب Writing in The New York Times, Kofi Annan al investment in renewable energy. While cutting To those who argue that global warming is just the
warns that a failure of leadership on climate subsidies is an issue for developed and developing way of nature and not in any way related to human
change would be catastrophic. countries alike, it remains true that the Group of 20 activity, the panel responds, “It is extremely likely
countries accounted for 78 per cent of global carbon that human influence has been the dominant cause of
The last-minute deal at the United Nations Climate emissions from fuel combustion in 2010. the observed warming since the mid-20th century.”
Conference in Warsaw keeps hopes for a comprehen- What now? If governments are unwilling to lead The dominant cause. Not just one among many.
sive successor agreement to the 1997 Kyoto protocol when leadership is required, people must. We need
alive. But let us be clear: much more decisive action a global grassroots movement that tackles climate As a consequence, we will witness more extreme
will be needed if we are to stand any chance at fend- change and its fallout. In Australia, one initiative aims weather patterns such as droughts, storms, floods and
ing off the dangers of climate change. at getting one million women to take small steps in heat waves. As we saw, just days before the Warsaw
conference, with the devastating effects of Typhoon
We now have just one more shot, next year in Peru, to their everyday lives to cut emissions. In India, there Haiyan in the Philippines, those who bear the brunt
make more substantive progress toward a successor is a project to bring solar energy to slums, which also are the poorest and most vulnerable. We should also
agreement before the crucial 2015 Paris conference. creates green jobs. In Guatemala, women farmers are expect to witness a dramatic increase of various in-
Even before then, it will be crucial for governments planting trees to sequester carbon and improve culti- fectious diseases, especially vector-borne diseases
to put aside narrow national interests in order to en- vation techniques. In Mexico, the “ecocasa” program such as malaria or dengue fever.
sure that the pledges made at the 2009 Copenhagen is unlocking funds to build energy-efficient housing. Eventually, all of us, whether from the industrialised
conference – to limit global warming to 2 degrees or developing world, will feel the consequences. In
Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to pre- Despite these encouraging initiatives, citizens need fact, this has already started, as those who experi-
industrial levels – are met. to press their governments to come up with ambi- enced recent wildfires in Australia and California
tious sustainable solutions, not just makeshift ones.
The unprecedented walkouts at the Warsaw climate Climate change must inform any new policy, whether and this year’s floods in Europe can attest. Climate
talks – first, by representatives of most developing in the development or the energy sector. It must de- change will threaten our security, exacerbating ten-
countries on Wednesday, and then by green groups termine the way we build our houses and the way we sions that lead to violent conflicts as the scramble for
and NGOs on Thursday – reveal a growing level of structure our economy. Green thinking cannot be the resources escalates out of control.
In touch with Iranian diversity frustration with what many perceive as a lack of po- sole responsibility of a few environmentally minded But let me conclude on a note of cautious optimism:
litical leadership at a time when it is needed most. It activists, while the rest of us go on living as if there if science tells us that human activity is the main
was clear before this latest round of talks in the Polish were no tomorrow. driver of global warming, then human action can also
capital that the world’s governments must make real reverse it. But this must happen before the climate
progress toward an ambitious, universal and legally The science behind climate change, after all, is clear. consequences become irreversible. Failing to act will
binding climate agreement to be adopted in 2015. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, be nothing short of catastrophic.
the leading global body for the assessment of cli-
Lawyers ICBC ﻭﻛﻼ
Claims ٦٠٤- ٩٨٢- ٤٠٥١
604 - 982 - 4051 ٦٠٤- ٩٨٠ -٨٥٧١
604 - 980 - 8571
Vol. 21 / No. 1267 - Friday, Nov. 29, 2013 ﺑﺮﺍی ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ ﻟﻄﻔﺎ ﺑﺎ
ﺁﻗﺎی ﻛﺎﻣﻴﻞ ﻟﻄﻔﻌﻠﻰ
. ﺗﻤﺎﺱ ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ،ﻭﻛﻴﻞ ﻓﺎﺭﺳﻰ ﺯﺑﺎﻥ
imperialists hands off iran!
nuclear talks, sanctions & war
Kamil Lotfali, lawyer free public forum poster design by bijan sayfouri sayfouri.com
speaker.multimedia.discussion
ﺳﺎﻝ ﺗﺠﺮﺑﻪ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ٣٠ ﻣﺆﺳﺴﻪﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ "ﻧﻮﺭﺕﺷﻮﺭﻻ " ﺑﺎﺑﻴﺶﺍﺯ-
tuesday, december 3, 2013
7PM
britannia community centre
learning resource centre
1661 napier street@commercial drive
vancouver.canada
ﺩﺳﺘﻤﺰﺩیﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖﻧﺨﻮﺍﻫﻴﻢﻛﺮﺩ، ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖﻧﻨﻤﺎﺋﻴﻢICBC ﺗﺎﺧﺴﺎﺭﺕﺷﻤﺎﺭﺍ ﺍﺯ- speakers:
> Mahtab Eskandari,
Irraadniioabnroacadadcaesmticerr,esphead.ruchbecr, writer,
ICBC ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖ ﻫﺮﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﺧﺴﺎﺭﺕ ﺟﺎﻧﻰ ﻭ ﻣﺎﻟﻰ ﺍﺯ- > ali yerevani,
iranian political analyst & social justice organizer
> phil wilayto, speaks through video conference
u.s. researcher, social justice organizer, editor of
43 NORTH SHORE LAW LLP the virginia defender newspaper, author of “in defence
of iran”
6th Floor, 171 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, B.C. fire this time movement for social justice
endorsed by: mobilization against war & occupation
klotfali@northshorelaw.com www.firethistime.net | www.mawovancouver.org
Climate crisis: who will act?43 mate change, has unequivocally stated: “Warming
of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the
1950s, many of the observed changes are unprec-
edented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere
“If governments are unwilling to lead It is essential that governments start phasing out fos- and oceans have warmed, the amounts of snow and
when leadership is required, people must.” sil fuel subsidies, which currently account for about ice diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentra-
$485 billion a year, and are far greater than the glob- tions of greenhouse gases have increased.”
1392 رذآ8 جمعه- 1267 شماره/ سال مکیوست یب Writing in The New York Times, Kofi Annan al investment in renewable energy. While cutting To those who argue that global warming is just the
warns that a failure of leadership on climate subsidies is an issue for developed and developing way of nature and not in any way related to human
change would be catastrophic. countries alike, it remains true that the Group of 20 activity, the panel responds, “It is extremely likely
countries accounted for 78 per cent of global carbon that human influence has been the dominant cause of
The last-minute deal at the United Nations Climate emissions from fuel combustion in 2010. the observed warming since the mid-20th century.”
Conference in Warsaw keeps hopes for a comprehen- What now? If governments are unwilling to lead The dominant cause. Not just one among many.
sive successor agreement to the 1997 Kyoto protocol when leadership is required, people must. We need
alive. But let us be clear: much more decisive action a global grassroots movement that tackles climate As a consequence, we will witness more extreme
will be needed if we are to stand any chance at fend- change and its fallout. In Australia, one initiative aims weather patterns such as droughts, storms, floods and
ing off the dangers of climate change. at getting one million women to take small steps in heat waves. As we saw, just days before the Warsaw
conference, with the devastating effects of Typhoon
We now have just one more shot, next year in Peru, to their everyday lives to cut emissions. In India, there Haiyan in the Philippines, those who bear the brunt
make more substantive progress toward a successor is a project to bring solar energy to slums, which also are the poorest and most vulnerable. We should also
agreement before the crucial 2015 Paris conference. creates green jobs. In Guatemala, women farmers are expect to witness a dramatic increase of various in-
Even before then, it will be crucial for governments planting trees to sequester carbon and improve culti- fectious diseases, especially vector-borne diseases
to put aside narrow national interests in order to en- vation techniques. In Mexico, the “ecocasa” program such as malaria or dengue fever.
sure that the pledges made at the 2009 Copenhagen is unlocking funds to build energy-efficient housing. Eventually, all of us, whether from the industrialised
conference – to limit global warming to 2 degrees or developing world, will feel the consequences. In
Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to pre- Despite these encouraging initiatives, citizens need fact, this has already started, as those who experi-
industrial levels – are met. to press their governments to come up with ambi- enced recent wildfires in Australia and California
tious sustainable solutions, not just makeshift ones.
The unprecedented walkouts at the Warsaw climate Climate change must inform any new policy, whether and this year’s floods in Europe can attest. Climate
talks – first, by representatives of most developing in the development or the energy sector. It must de- change will threaten our security, exacerbating ten-
countries on Wednesday, and then by green groups termine the way we build our houses and the way we sions that lead to violent conflicts as the scramble for
and NGOs on Thursday – reveal a growing level of structure our economy. Green thinking cannot be the resources escalates out of control.
In touch with Iranian diversity frustration with what many perceive as a lack of po- sole responsibility of a few environmentally minded But let me conclude on a note of cautious optimism:
litical leadership at a time when it is needed most. It activists, while the rest of us go on living as if there if science tells us that human activity is the main
was clear before this latest round of talks in the Polish were no tomorrow. driver of global warming, then human action can also
capital that the world’s governments must make real reverse it. But this must happen before the climate
progress toward an ambitious, universal and legally The science behind climate change, after all, is clear. consequences become irreversible. Failing to act will
binding climate agreement to be adopted in 2015. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, be nothing short of catastrophic.
the leading global body for the assessment of cli-
Lawyers ICBC ﻭﻛﻼ
Claims ٦٠٤- ٩٨٢- ٤٠٥١
604 - 982 - 4051 ٦٠٤- ٩٨٠ -٨٥٧١
604 - 980 - 8571
Vol. 21 / No. 1267 - Friday, Nov. 29, 2013 ﺑﺮﺍی ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ ﻟﻄﻔﺎ ﺑﺎ
ﺁﻗﺎی ﻛﺎﻣﻴﻞ ﻟﻄﻔﻌﻠﻰ
. ﺗﻤﺎﺱ ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ،ﻭﻛﻴﻞ ﻓﺎﺭﺳﻰ ﺯﺑﺎﻥ
imperialists hands off iran!
nuclear talks, sanctions & war
Kamil Lotfali, lawyer free public forum poster design by bijan sayfouri sayfouri.com
speaker.multimedia.discussion
ﺳﺎﻝ ﺗﺠﺮﺑﻪ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ٣٠ ﻣﺆﺳﺴﻪﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ "ﻧﻮﺭﺕﺷﻮﺭﻻ " ﺑﺎﺑﻴﺶﺍﺯ-
tuesday, december 3, 2013
7PM
britannia community centre
learning resource centre
1661 napier street@commercial drive
vancouver.canada
ﺩﺳﺘﻤﺰﺩیﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖﻧﺨﻮﺍﻫﻴﻢﻛﺮﺩ، ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖﻧﻨﻤﺎﺋﻴﻢICBC ﺗﺎﺧﺴﺎﺭﺕﺷﻤﺎﺭﺍ ﺍﺯ- speakers:
> Mahtab Eskandari,
Irraadniioabnroacadadcaesmticerr,esphead.ruchbecr, writer,
ICBC ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖ ﻫﺮﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﺧﺴﺎﺭﺕ ﺟﺎﻧﻰ ﻭ ﻣﺎﻟﻰ ﺍﺯ- > ali yerevani,
iranian political analyst & social justice organizer
> phil wilayto, speaks through video conference
u.s. researcher, social justice organizer, editor of
43 NORTH SHORE LAW LLP the virginia defender newspaper, author of “in defence
of iran”
6th Floor, 171 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, B.C. fire this time movement for social justice
endorsed by: mobilization against war & occupation
klotfali@northshorelaw.com www.firethistime.net | www.mawovancouver.org
