GREENPEACE URGES CLINTON TO ACT AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING
Greenpeace held a demonstration today against the absence of effective proposals by the US to stop global warming, during President Clinton's visit to Sao Paulo. 1
Eighteen Greenpeace activists raised an inflatable globe in front of the main door of the Latin America Memorial building where Clinton was meeting this morning with 1,600 Brazilian businessmen and trade union leaders. From the globe hung a banner reading "CLINTON: STOP CO2". After more than one hour of protest the Military Police intervened, asking the activists to move. They refused and were carried one by one to the other side of the street. The activists raised the balloon again and remained there for another hour and then left after Clinton's arrival..
The 18 Greenpeace activists wore T-shirts carrying the slogan "ClintO2n", in order to reinforce the idea that the American President bears most responsibility for the success or failure of the proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which will be discussed in Kyoto, Japan, next December. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important greenhouse gas and its main source is the burning of fossil fuels.
According to Greenpeace, the commitment for the reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions assumed by the industrialized countries that signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), during 92' Earth Summit, has not been carried out. "In reality, there was a 10% increase in the average global emissions considering the existing levels in 1990", explained the physicist Delcio Rodrigues, Climate Campaign Coordinator for Greenpeace Brazil. "The US are responsible for almost 1/4 of the global emissions. The US emissions will increase by 13% by 2000", said Rodrigues.
Greenpeace urges the adoption, during the Third Conference of Parties (COP3) of the FCCC at Kyoto, of early legally binding commitments by governments of the industrialized countries and an international schedule for greenhouse gas emissions reduction. "Considering the fact that the US is the major polluting country, the US must assume the leadership of the process and cut it's emissions by 20% by the year 2005, from 1990' levels", said Rodrigues. 2
The FCCC does not set reduction commitments for Brazil, but Greenpeace does not discard the country's action. "Brazil needs to stop the Amazon burning, reduce car fleet growth rates and increase it's investment in renewable energy like solar", said Rodrigues.
According to Worldwatch Institute figures, Brazil's current greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are about 1% of the global volume. Nevertheless, the country will experience the strong effects of climate change..
Some of the effects predicted by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) for Brazil are: the growth of infectious diseases like malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and chagas, among others; coastal erosion; impacts on urban settlements; the increase of El Nino impacts; and the intensification of the drought in the north-east of the country. This region of Brazil is considered one of the areas most at risk from anthropogenic climate changes in the world. Rainfall is predicted to decrease by between 17 and 53%.
1) Until now the US have not assumed any effective measure concerning the reduction of it's greenhouse gases emissions. The Clinton administration is under pressure from industry not to agree with any compromise which can affect economic growth. The European Union has already set reduction commitments of 15% by 2010. Japan, host country for COP3, has presented a proposal of 5% reduction by the year 2005 - and a local 2.5% reduction -, a target considered as "an international disaster" by Greenpeace. The reduction proposal of 20% by the year 2005 on 1990 emissions levels is supported by Greenpeace and other NGOs as well as by the AOSIS (Ocean Insular States). back to text
2) Greenpeace recently launched the report "Fossil Fuels and Climate Protection - The Carbon Logic". A copy of the report is available from your local Greenpeace office or from this web site. back to text
MORE INFORMATION:
Paulo Adario, Greenpeace Brazil Communication Director,
Delcio Rodrigues, Greenpeace Brazil Climate Campaigner