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Green War (November 26, 2020) by Yutaka Yokoyama

November 26, 2020

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The Green War Archive – November 26, 2020

Compiled and annotated by Yutaka Yokoyama

November 10, 2020

United Nations 75th Anniversary Declaration/Joint Statement (of ten states):
“We, the Heads of State and Government and other High Level Representatives of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Canada, the Republic of Costa Rica, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of South Africa, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Tunisia …. We … will strive to, inter alia: … 3. Protect our planet … on the basis of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities … in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. … Providing means of implementation, in the form of climate finance, technology development and transfer … to Developing Countries, taking into account the needs of countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change as well as addressing the specific needs and circumstances of Developing Countries. …”
Note that in February of 2020, Columbia University’s European Institute Director Adam Tooze publicly asserted without evidence that what he called an “anti-Western coalition” in international climate negotiations had “just fragmented completely.” Tooze claimed that “the entire logic of climate justice politics” was on the verge of collapse:
“The Indians are really the last bastion of that powerful logic. And that is at odds with the position of many other smaller states which are extremely vulnerable, like Bangladesh, who say: ‘Just do something. Forget the arguments about 19th century imperialism. We are going to drown!’ Right? So that coalition, the anti-Western coalition, has just fragmented completely.”
Adam Tooze, The Rachman Review, February 5, 2020 (transcribed by Yutaka Yokoyama)
But, far from begging the world to forget about white imperialism, Bangladesh was among the ten signatories of the Joint Statement employing the same “powerful” and “anti-Western” “logic of climate justice politics” which had been used without interruption or significant alteration since its original formulation in 1992.
Compare:
1992 UNFCCC (U.S. Treaty Document 102-38):
“… The Parties should protect the climate system … on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities … the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof. … shall also provide such financial resources, including for the transfer of technology, needed by the developing country Parties …. to enable them to implement the provisions of the Convention. …”
2020 (November) Joint Statement of Bangladesh and nine other states:
“… Protect our planet … on the basis of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities … in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. … Providing means of implementation, in the form of climate finance, technology development and transfer … to Developing Countries ….”
Why did Columbia University’s European Institute Director make a very serious and evidence-free assertion which now seems to have been completely false? It’s tempting to make more of it than it is. It turns out that if you follow Tooze’s work (much, though not all of it, on Twitter), his point of view is so flexible that it may not be reasonable to accuse him of any very specific dishonesty.

NOAA-ESRL/Scripps (“In-situ CO2 Data”):
November 10, 2020, CO2 413.16 ppm
November 10, 2019, CO2 410.12 ppm
November 10, 2018, CO2 407.67 ppm
November 10, 2017, CO2 404.05 ppm
November 10, 2016, CO2 403.57 ppm
November 10, 2015, CO2 399.56 ppm
November 10, 2014, CO2 396.85 ppm
November 10, 2013, CO2 395.42 ppm
November 10, 2012, CO2 393.29 ppm
November 10, 2011, CO2 389.96 ppm
November 10, 2010, CO2 387.98 ppm
November 10, 2000, CO2 368.08 ppm
November 10, 1992, CO2 353.60 ppm (year of UNFCCC)
November 10, 1980, CO2 336.97 ppm
November 10, 1970, CO2 324.18 ppm
November 10, 1960, CO2 315.06 ppm

November 11, 2020

 

Nutrition Facts / Dr. Michael Greger:
“Not everyone agrees we should be moving to healthier diets …. The World Health Organization actually pulled out of the EAT-Lancet Commission because of [the Commission’s] promotion of a global move to more plant-based foods. See, if we focused on promoting predominantly plant-based foods, and excluding … meat and other animal-based foods – such a diet could, yeah, save 10 million lives a year, $30 trillion dollars, and help save the entire planet, but could lead to the loss of jobs linked to animal husbandry and the production of junk.”
Note: Health, the economy, the environment, and jobs are acceptable topics for polite company. But there’s something else to say. It relates to more central passions, to ends in themselves, so maybe unsuitable for public discussion these days. But the truth is that if people stopped eating meat and dairy they would probably be a lot better looking on average, and there would be an unimaginably immense reduction in the suffering and agony of animals.
NOAA-ESRL/Scripps (“In-situ CO2 Data”):
November 11, 2020, CO2 413.82 ppm
November 11, 2019, CO2 409.68 ppm
November 11, 2018, CO2 407.94 ppm
November 11, 2017, CO2 404.50 ppm
November 11, 2016, CO2 402.22 ppm
November 11, 2015, CO2 399.68 ppm
November 11, 2014, CO2 396.81 ppm
November 11, 2013, CO2 396.59 ppm
November 11, 2012, CO2 392.73 ppm
November 11, 2011, CO2 389.76 ppm
November 11, 2010, CO2 388.01 ppm
November 11, 2000, CO2 367.79 ppm
November 11, 1992, CO2 354.03 ppm (year of UNFCCC)
November 11, 1990, CO2 352.37 ppm
November 11, 1980, CO2 337.50 ppm
November 11, 1960, CO2 314.93 ppm

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