TheGreenFront presents: This Day in Climate History January 1, 1990: In his World Day of Peace message, Pope John Paul II declares: The gradual depletion of the ozone layer and the related greenhouse effect has now reached crisis proportions as a consequence of industrial growth, massive urban concentrations and vastly increased energy needs. Industrial waste, the burning of fossil fuels, unrestricted deforestation, the use of certain types of herbicides, coolants and propellants: all of these are known to harm the atmosphere and environment. The resulting meteorological and atmospheric changes range from damage to health to the possible future submersion of low-lying lands. While in some cases the damage already done may well be irreversible, in many other cases it can still be halted. It is necessary, however, that the entire human community - individuals, States and international bodies - take seriously the responsibility that is theirs. The most profound and serious indication of the moral implications underlying the ecological problem is the lack of respect for life evident in many of the patterns of environmental pollution. Often, the interests of production prevail over concern for the dignity of workers, while economic interests take priority over the good of individuals and even entire peoples. In these cases, pollution or environmental destruction is the result of an unnatural and reductionist vision which at times leads to a genuine contempt for man. On another level, delicate ecological balances are upset by the uncontrolled destruction of animal and plant life or by a reckless exploitation of natural resources. It should be pointed out that all of this, even if carried out in the name of progress and well-being, is ultimately to mankinds disadvantage. vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_19891208_xxiii-world-day-for-peace_en.html January 1, 1999: In his World Day of Peace Message, Pope John Paul II declares: The promotion of human dignity is linked to the right to a healthy environment, since this right highlights the dynamics of the relationship between the individual and society. A body of international, regional and national norms on the environment is gradually giving juridic form to this right. But juridic measures by themselves are not sufficient. The danger of serious damage to land and sea, and to the climate, flora and fauna, calls for a profound change in modern civilizations typical consumer life-style, particularly in the richer countries. vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_14121998_xxxii-world-day-for-peace_en.html January 1, 2004: The Washington Post reports: Two years after President Bush declared he could combat global warming without mandatory controls, the administration has launched a broad array of initiatives and research, yet it has had little success in recruiting companies to voluntarily curb their greenhouse gas emissions, according to official documents, reports and interviews. At the heart of the presidents strategy is Climate Leaders, a program that recruits the nations industrial polluters to voluntarily devise ways to curb their emissions by 10 percent or more in the coming decade. Scientists believe these greenhouse gas emissions, which include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, are contributing to a troubling rise in the earths temperature that could disrupt weather patterns and cause flooding. Only a tiny fraction of the thousands of U.S. companies with pollution problems -- 50 in all -- have joined Climate Leaders, and of the companies that have signed up, only 14 have set goals. Many of the companies that are volunteering say they did so either because reducing emissions makes good economic sense or because they were being nudged by state and federal regulators. forests.org/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=28111&keybold=solar%20AND%20%20utility%20AND%20%20funding January 1, 2007: In the New York Times, Andrew Revkin proclaims the emergence of a so-called middle stance on climate change, held by those who agree that accumulating carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping smokestack and tailpipe gases probably pose a momentous environmental challenge, but say the appropriate response is more akin to buying fire insurance and installing sprinklers and new wiring in an old, irreplaceable house (the home planet) than to fighting a fire already raging. (Revkin and David Roberts of Grist would appear on the January 16, 2007 edition of EcoTalk on Air America to discuss the controversial piece.) nytimes/2007/01/01/science/01climate.html?ei=5070&en=38df4ecbf4c92167&ex=1169010000&pagewanted=all grist.org/article/me-and-revkin-on-the-radio/ blogsofbainbridge.typepad/ecotalkblog/2007/01/andy_revkin_vs_.html January 1, 2010: In his World Day of Peace message, Pope Benedict XVI declares: In 1990 John Paul II had spoken of an ecological crisis and, in highlighting its primarily ethical character, pointed to the urgent moral need for a new solidarity. His appeal is all the more pressing today, in the face of signs of a growing crisis which it would be irresponsible not to take seriously. Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change, desertification, the deterioration and loss of productivity in vast agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the increase of natural catastrophes and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical regions? Can we disregard the growing phenomenon of environmental refugees, people who are forced by the degradation of their natural habitat to forsake it – and often their possessions as well – in order to face the dangers and uncertainties of forced displacement? Can we remain impassive in the face of actual and potential conflicts involving access to natural resources? All these are issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and development. vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20091208_xliii-world-day-peace_en.html January 1, 2013: • Californias cap-and-trade program commences. edf.org/sites/default/files/Cap_and_trade_Fact_Sheet-FINAL_March_1_2013.pdf • Outgoing Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) suggests that his remaining Republican colleagues should address climate change. c-spanvideo.org/clip/4281591 thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/03/1388911/in-farewell-speech-house-republican-lists-climate-change-as-a-top-priority/ January 1, 2014: Media Matters reports on the 13 Dumbest Things Media Said About Climate Change In 2013. mediamatters.org/blog/2014/01/01/13-dumbest-things-media-said-about-climate-chan/197331 January 1, 2015: In the Boston Globe, Harvard Prof. Nicholas Burns observes, Obama is positioning the United States to lead on global climate change talks after two decades after two decades of American lassitude. His bold EPA decision on coal, joint agreement with China’s Xi Jinping, and Kerry’s active diplomacy are pushing countries closer to the first global deal in Paris by the end of the year. Climate could end up as his most important foreign policy legacy. bostonglobe/opinion/2014/12/31/obama-daunting-new-year/ILRqyNZanPtGwBdkhNcUJK/story.html
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 11:22:05 +0000
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