Photos Strictly Copyright to V.M.Gibbs-Halls©

Thanks to what Obama has described , a “fundamental deadlock in perspectives” (read: China won’t budge!), the accord ended up in an attenuated form that even its architect conceded is “not enough” to do what needs to be done. Gone was the firm commitment to reduce global emissions 50 percent by 2050. Gone were any short-term emissions targets for 2020. Missing were the concrete commitments to “measurement, reporting, and verification” Obama wanted from China, in its place vague language about “national communications.” Perhaps most fatefully, gone was any explicit pledge to formalize the agreement as a binding treaty next year. That’s worrisome, because Copenhagen is only the first challenge in a three-part political obstacle course Obama will need to navigate to reach success on climate change. First was drawing China and India into an agreement. Next will be using the Copenhagen accord to fortify the U.S. Senate to pass a climate bill. Third will be to use that U.S. climate bill to convince UNFCCC countries to sign on to a binding legal treaty in 2010.

I’m not sure that the lack of progress toward a legally binding treaty is actually the worst thing about this. Treaties are hard. You need almost two hundred countries, you might need 67 (!) votes in the Senate, etc. You could get a lot done without a formal treaty if you had robust agreement among the major emitters (China, US, EU, India, Japan) plus a few others. The trouble is that the prospects for that don’t look very good. Nothing that’s happened over the past few months makes obtaining 60 votes in the Senate for a serious climate bill look especially likely, and the Chinese attitude at Copenhagen was very unhelpful to say the least.

The Meerkats is an extraordinarily moving, shocking and, ultimately, uplifting story of one meerkat family and their day-to-day battle for survival

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1204504/Look-Mum-Im-going-film-star.html#ixzz0aJ6tobVL

29 people came to our Vigil at Hoekwil bringing children and grandchildren. Various people read from the AVAAZ declaration and Vernon Gibbs spoke to the group and sends this message from the people of Hoekwil -
 
"We, from Hoekwil, Western Cape, South Africa, send warm greetings to all who are gathering at Copenhagen for your crucially important Conference. We call on all nations of the world, particularly the rich, to recognise humanity's dependencey on the natural environment and therefore on the health and well-being of the planet, and to seek solutions with the utmost urgency for the Global environmental and economic systems. We therefore call for a meaningful agreement that places the well-being of people and the planet before profit."
 

The commercial harvesting of thatch may be a threat to Erica baueri subsp.baueri. Thatch plants are encouraged to grow in a number of ways. Areas are burnt or ploughed to clear them of other, especially woody, plants. Thatch plants colonize the disturbed land forming dense stands that are easy and more economic to harvest. Another method is to brush-cut the vegetation around the thatch plants creating a dense mono-stand of these plants.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY (SAWPS)

 Registered Non Profit Organisation : Number 070-602

Although SAWPS no longer owns the Garden Route Wildlife Sanctuary, the organisation will remain a registered NGO in South Africa to continue in their capacity to: • Expand the formal protected area network • Promote conservation outside of formal protected areas • Promote environmental sustainability among key production sectors and industries • Promote policy changes which encourage biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management Encourage government, civil society and the private sector to work together to build a future in which healthy terrestrial and marine ecosystems underpin the sustainable development of South Africa and enhance the quality of life of all its people • Prevent cruelty towards animals and act as a public watch over government legislation involving the hunting industry and welfare of wild animals in captivity

 Your Donations Assist Us in Our Work: 

 ACC. NAME: South African Wildlife Protection Society

 BANK : Standard Bank BRANCH: 05-03-13

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 185645275

THE SOUTH AFRICAN WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY (SAWPS)

Registered Non Profit Organisation : Number 070-602

Although SAWPS no longer owns the Garden Route Wildlife Sanctuary, the organisation will remain a registered NGO in South Africa to continue in their capacity to:  

Your Donations Assist Us in Our Work:

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 185645275