The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉
Main Topic: Spoiler Alert…Watching Countries That Could Sink COP26
Dear Diary. The tentacles of fossil fuel companies and entities are deeply intertwined with various governments across our planet…almost like vines of kudzu strangling a tree that are extremely hard to remove. Via the deep pockets of these companies it is nearly impossible to stop their influence on organizations trying to confront the climate crisis. Yet, this is what the latest international climate meeting is charged to do. Some are writing that COP26 is the last chance to limit carbon pollution before its too late to fix our climate as tipping factors kick in. This remains to be seen.
I do know that greed makes most companies of all sorts look at their bottom line before anything else. Most aren’t concerned at all about what will happen years and decades from now, just how fiscally sound they will be from quarter to quarter with some projections about five years out. Fossil fuel companies can’t get past the new paradigm of leaving money in the ground despite beginning to invest in green technology. These companies are putting a lot of pressure on governments to not pass legislation for change.
So, it comes as no surprise that pressure to not change energy systems will come from many countries attending COP26. For example, Australia will try to keep their coal trade in tact, and Russia and Saudi Arabia will do the same for oil. It remains to be seen if self surfing interest will sink COP26. For more on which countries to look out for here is a Bloomberg report:
Politics
The Countries That Could Spoil Global Climate Negotiations
As world leaders prepare for the important COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, some countries are resisting pressure to set stronger targets to cut pollution
By Todd Gillespie and Akshat Rathi October 21, 2021, 9:00 PM PDT
Illustration by Kati Szilágyi
Sign up for the Green Daily newsletter, your best source for climate news and insights on the latest in science, environmental impacts, zero-emission tech and green finance.)
More than 190 countries signed on the dotted line of the Paris Agreement in 2015, forming a new global consensus on the imperative to halt rising temperatures. The collective results since then haven’t been enough. Overall planet-warming emissions have gone up, turning COP26 into the prime venue for asking countries to do more. But some attendees stand out for their reluctance to do almost anything at all. This is a guide to the holdouts who arrive in Glasgow, Scotland, without significant plans to curb their enormous emissions.
Russia
A common link between several holdouts is their abundance of fossil resources, and that’s certainly the case for Russia. There’s a lot of coal, oil and gas the country intends to sell. President Vladimir Putin is so confident even the dirtiest fossil fuel still has a future that he’s spending more than $10 billion on a railroad to ramp up coal exports to Asia. He announced a net-zero goal of 2060 ahead of COP26 without providing details of how that could change Russia’s short-term targets. Officials have instead talked up Russia’s vast forests, but climate experts don’t agree that the trees can stand against all the pollution.
Saudi Arabia
As one of the world’s largest oil producers, Saudi Arabia is almost completely reliant on profits from fossil fuels. It’s also a huge consumer of dirty energy, with one of the highest per-capita carbon footprints in the world. Attempts to diversify the economy in order to clean up its pollution haven’t borne results. Although the country is bathed in some of the world’s best solar and wind resources, it’s been slow to take advantage of clean energy.
Brazil
Brazil is home to both the Amazon rainforest, one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, and to a leader who has few qualms about denying the reality of climate change. President Jair Bolsonaro has opened vast tracts of the forest to beef and soy production and wants other governments to pay the country to stop destroying biodiverse habitats. Without that funding—a crucial subject for negotiators at COP26—he won’t pursue any commitments to reaching net zero emissions.
Australia
Australia falls in the rare category of democratic countries sitting on huge fossil fuel reserves. It’s also among the few rich countries that’s very vulnerable to climate change. Like the U.S., the influence of the coal and gas lobby has made its politics toxic and hamstrung the country from taking any decisive action. Unlike the U.S., however, the country has so far resisted international pressure to make a net-zero commitment.
India
Whenever questions about net zero are raised, the Indian government is quick to remind the world that its per capita emissions are much lower than average. The problem of climate change, it argues, has been created by wealthier countries such the U.S. and the U.K., which spewed billions of tons of CO₂ while industrializing over the last century. India hasn’t pledged to eliminate its emission, making it the only one of the 10 largest economies to refuse. But it can point to its sprawling build-out of renewables backed by a goal to quadruple capacity by 2030.
Iran
The world’s sixth-largest emitter has yet to ratify the Paris agreement. The country faces U.S. sanctions on its nuclear programs and other economic activities. It says if sanctions were removed, it would be open to raising its climate ambition. Like its Saudi neighbor, the country has huge solar and wind resources that could aid its eventual decarbonization.
South Africa
The third-largest economy in Africa is in dire straits. State-owned utility Eskom is struggling to pay down its debt and keep the lights on. President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former head of the nation’s largest mining union, wants to commit to a net-zero by 2050 goal — but also plans to keep burning coal. South Africa has begun to seek help from rich countries to manage its debt in return for stronger climate commitments.
Mexico
In August a state-owned oil rig burst into flames, and the footage went viral on social media, becoming a visceral symbol of Mexico’s role in a climate catastrophe. The rest of the country isn’t in much better condition: A summer drought covered almost 80% of the country, and the central bank warned of rising farm prices and, more broadly, inflation. The government’s plan to nationalize the power sector could undercut renewables production. Without stronger climate commitments, critics doubt Mexico’s commitment to reducing emissions, especially as it ramps up oil output.
Turkey
Wildfires ravaged Turkey’s idyllic coastline this summer. But even as its skies turned red, its politicians were largely silent on climate change. The nation in October became the last Group of 20 country to ratify the Paris Agreement, though it wouldn’t commit to aggressive emission cuts. The target for reaching net zero is 2053. Turkey’s neglect of its vast and untapped potential in solar power has puzzled experts. Instead, coal production has risen to reduce dependence on imported natural gas.
……………………………………………………………………………
Yes, there will be plenty of landmines for climate activists to navigate through in Glasgow at COP26. I’ll be looking for some report cards, in particular what Greta Thunberg says about the conference once it begins.
Here are some “ET’s” reported from Saturday:
Here is more climate and weather news from Saturday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)
Now here are some of today’s articles and notes on the horrid COVID-19 pandemic:
(If you like these posts and my work please contribute via the PayPal widget, which has recently been added to this site. Thanks in advance for any support.)
Guy Walton “The Climate Guy”