Blue tongue lizard

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Blue tongue lizard near the wood pile - taken in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.

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Some information from Australia Zoo:

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Habitat

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Blue Tongue Lizards are found throughout most of Australia. Blue Tongues usually live in open country with lots of ground cover such as tussocky grasses or leaf litter. They shelter at night among leaf litter, in burrows and under large objects on the ground such as rocks and logs. Early in the morning, Blue Tongues emerge to bask in sunny areas before foraging for food during the warmer parts of the day. Like all reptiles, Blue Tongues do not produce their own body heat, and rely on the warmth of their surroundings to raise their body temperature. Blue Tongues maintain a body temperature of about 30-35oC when active. During cold weather they mostly remain inactive, buried deep in their shelter sites, but on sunny days they may emerge to bask.

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Diet

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Blue-tongues eat a wide variety of vegetation and invertebrates. Their teeth are large and they have strong jaw muscles so they can crush snail shells and beetles.

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Breeding

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Blue Tongues live alone for most of the year, but between September and November males pursue females and mating occurs. At this time, males may fight aggressively among themselves. Mating may be rough, with females carrying scrape marks from the male's teeth. Female Blue Tongues give birth to live young three to five months after mating, between December and April. The young are independent at birth, and disperse within a few days.

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If you enjoyed this post, please check out:

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Lizards from Cuba

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Saving the Supurb Parrot

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Gorilla Slaughter

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Poor Turtle

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Penguin Protest

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Experts warn species in peril from climate change

Nine Meals from Anarchy

"Nine Meals from Anarchy: Oil Dependence, climate change and the transition to resilience" was the Schumacher Lecture 2008 (given in Leeds, UK) by Andrew Simms from the New Economics Foundation (NEF: Economics as if people and the planet mattered).

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It is a great summary of the problems societies face (both now and in the past) and offers Solutions as if people and the planet mattered. It is easy to read and has great quotes like this one:

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"The invisible hand of the market has been at odds with the invisible heart of the core economy".

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Simms suggests the core economy is made up of family, neighbourhood, community and civil society. The core economy is the operating system upon which the money economy depends upon (much like we depend upon the atmosphere). However the money system is corroding the core economy (working longer hours, capitalism promotes individual values over community values, etc).

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The values of the 'money economy' do seem to outweigh the values of the 'core economy' in modern society. Many people seem more concerned with 'interest' and their 'shares' than showing interest in others or sharing.
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In the same way, we often fail to value (and instead take advantage of) the Earth's 'core economy' (its fauna and flora, its forests, its rivers lakes and oceans, its local, regional and global ecosystems) and instead focus on the business/economic 'reality' (i.e. the money economy).
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We put anthropocentric values over ecocentric needs and as a result the Earth's core economy (broadly the environment) suffers - much as many people's work/life balance suffers when money becomes more important than people and community - except the results will be much worse than anything a financial crisis can muster. We need to learn to care about other species and share the Earth much more fairly between all.

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Anyway, I hope you find 15 mins to read it.

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Enjoy!

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Comments ???

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If you enjoyed this post please also check out:
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Climate Safety: In case of emergency . . .
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Policy Quarterly: the problem of international ‘burden sharing’
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Combating Climate Change and Boosting Growth Are Natural Allies
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India - climate change
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Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism

Greenhouse Development Rights Framework

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A new book by EcoEquity and the Stockholm Environment Institute called "The right to development in a climate constrained world" (about 100 pages) has been released.

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I have included a link to an easy to read (only six page) summary of the main ideas of the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDR) framework. Or for those looking for more detail check out the presentation made to the European Parliament (33 pages).

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In their words:

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"A climate framework designed to support an emergency stabilization program while, at the same time, preserving the rights of all people to reach a dignified level of sustainable human development free of the privations of poverty."

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The Greenhouse Development Rights framework

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The Greenhouse Development Rights framework provides the tools to calculate a climate change agreement that has sustainable human development in its DNA.

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The framework places the climate crisis against the backdrop of an ongoing development crisis, and argues that it is unacceptable and unrealistic to expect those struggling against poverty to focus their limited resources on averting climate change. And it draws the necessary conclusions: those who are wealthier and have produced higher levels of emissions must take on the bulk of the costs of a global “emergency program” of mitigation and adaptation.

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This does not mean that the countries in which poor people live are not required to cut their emissions, but rather that the global consuming class – the elites both within these countries and in the industrialized countries – are the ones who must pay.

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Also check out:

Splitting: 'jobs' versus 'the environment'
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Policy Quarterly: the problem of international ‘burden sharing’
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Combating Climate Change and Boosting Growth Are Natural Allies

Limits to growth ???

National Academies announces four climate change panels

The National Academies today announced provisional membership of four panels on climate change:

Panel on Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change

Will answer the question:

"What can be done to limit the magnitude of future climate change?"

Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change

Will answer the question:

"What can be done to adapt to the impacts of climate change?"

Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change

Will answer the question:

"What can be done to better understand climate change and its interactions with human and ecological systems?"

Panel on Informing Effective Decisions and Actions Related to Climate Change

Will answer the question:

"What can be done to inform effective decisions and actions related to climate change?"


Note: It is promising to see that three out of four panels contained an environmental sociologist - I know this because the good 'news' came through on the envirosoc listserve today.

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I will come back with an update when more information or a final report comes through on the listserve.

Random Man Planet Earth

Hits continue to grow on my blog. For November 2008: I received 817 page loads, 534 different visitors and had 82 returning visitors. This is very pleasing !!

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Note: I am currently trying to clean up many of the older posts (which were mainly news-stories). I am trying to make all posts shorter and where possible I am going to put links to original materials rather than news-stories. Although I do like to see how the media reports on issues such as climate change. Often rather simply and sensationally unfortunately - although not always.

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Many of the hits were on my nanotechnology posts - so I have put a link to them below.
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History of Nanotechnology

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Nanotechnology - risks and benefits

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What is nanotechnology?

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All posts on nanotechnology by Random Man (2008)

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Anyway, as usual, please leave a comment !!

India - climate change

Here is some information from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in India.
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Links:
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CSE's demand for Poznan: it is time we cut to the chase and get to the key issues.
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The agenda before Poznan:
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Backgrounders on:
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a. Shared vision

b. Mitigation

c. REDD

d. Sectoral approach

e. Adaptation

f. Technology transfer

e. Finance

If you enjoyed this post, please also check out:
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China's efforts on climate change
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China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change
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Policy Quarterly: the problem of international ‘burden sharing’
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Greenhouse Development Rights Framework
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Comments most welcome!!

Isaac Asimov on Global Warming (way back in 1989)

Here is the legend himself, Isaac Asimov speaking about global warming back in 1989.

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Note: Humanism is, by its very name, anthropocentric; perhaps we need a more ecocentric world-view.

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I agree that we are 'all in this together' and that we have 'more similarities than differences' and think that a world government is the way to solve global problems.

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America is in the process of losing its hegemonic power, and will (hopefully) under Obama will come to join the international community more fully to deal with problems such as global warming and poverty.
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Any comments ????

More news on the Murray-Darling

Pipeline plot dashed
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Green-light for Murray-Darling management bill
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Wong stays quiet on Murray-Darling bill changes
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Murray-Darling takeover hits trouble
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Polar Bear Begs

It is getting bad when polar bears start begging!!

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Note: the sign says "no coins, it's change I need".

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This photo was taken outside the climate change conference in Poznan.

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Source

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Can you help?

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Yes, there are lots of different things individuals can do to reduce their environmental footprint. They say "You can be the change" - although I am not entirely sure who 'they' is. Any ideas??

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Including driving less, eating less meat, lowering consumption, recycling, reusing and repairing and many others. Maybe I need a post that suggests ways for people to reduce their environmental footprint.

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Many businesses, institutions, governments and individuals are starting to reduce their emissions and lower the harm they are doing to the environment.

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Are you changing your ways or just thinking someone else will do it all??

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World Energy Outlook 2008

Here is a link to the World Energy Outlook 2008 by the International Energy Agency.

From their site:

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Is the world facing a supply crunch due to geology or to inadequate investment? What type of post-Kyoto policy framework could stabilise greenhouse gases at low concentration levels? The answers to these burning questions and more are laid out in the World Energy Outlook 2008.

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The World Energy Outlook is the world’s most authoritative source of global energy trends. This year’s edition provides a full update of energy projections to 2030, incorporating the latest data and based on improved modelling techniques.

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The World Energy Outlook 2008 will also provide in-depth analysis of three hot topics:
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1) Post-2012 climate change policy scenarios
2) Oil and gas supply prospects
3) Energy poverty in resource-rich Sub-Saharan African countries

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Key Graphs here

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Fact sheet here

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Please also check out:

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Peak Oil Debate

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More Peak Oil Debate

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Global oil supply crunch looming

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Climate Change

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Any comments ???

UNFCCC: Why technology is so important

Environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) are important for mitigation and adaption. They "provide win-win solutions, allowing global economic growth and emissions mitigation to proceed hand in hand". The developing world needs access to this technology.

The 'Why technology is important' fact sheet (from the UNFCCC) gives some basic background on the importance of technology development and transfer, especially given that "the greatest greenhouse gas mitigation potential - around 70% of what is possible world-wide" is in the developing world.

Developing nations badly need access to current technology (such as solar and wind and more energy efficient systems) to help reduce the impact of their growing populations on the environment. This is why mechanisms, such as the CDM, are so critical in helping to deliver sustainable energy systems to the regions in the world that need them the most (those with massive population growth and increasing levels of consumption, emissions and environmental damage such as deforestation).

However, given 75% of the CDM projects in the pipeline are in only six countries (China, India, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Malaysia), there is a need for much better transfer of renewable technology to the other developing nations (particularly within Africa, as currently only South Africa is in the top ten of number of CDM projects). Therefore more help is needed from developed countries to assist developing countries to build green infrastructure.

The fact sheet covers mitigation; adaption; how to drive technology; the role for governments; the role of business; technology cooperation under the UNFCCC (past and present); and technology related items to be discussed in Poznan.

Anyway, worth a read.

Also check out:

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E3G report launch: Innovation and Technology Transfer: Framework for a Global Climate Deal

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Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism
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Designing the Post-Kyoto Climate Regime: Lessons from the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements
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Coalition building within the context of post-Kyoto climate negotiations

Climate Change Conference Opens in Poznan

From the UNFCCC site:

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The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznań opened this morning. The Conference is a milestone on the road to success for the processes which were launched under the Bali Road Map.The meeting comes midway between COP 13 in Bali, which saw the launch of negotiations on strengthened international action on climate change, and COP 15 Copenhagen, at which the negotiations are set to conclude.The conference includes the 29th sessions of the Convention’s subsidiary bodies - SBSTA and SBI – as well as the 4th session of the AWG-LCA and the 2nd part of the 6th session of the AWG-KP. Almost eleven thousand participants are attending the Poznań meeting, which will both advance international cooperation on a future climate change regime and ensure progress on key issues.

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View Live webcast here

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Joint Implementation (JI)

I put a post up a few days ago on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM); so I thought it was only fair to put up some information on the Joint Implementation (JI).
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From the UNFCCC website:
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The mechanism known as “joint implementation,” defined in Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol, allows a country with an emission reduction or limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol (Annex B Party) to earn emission reduction units (ERUs) from an emission-reduction or emission removal project in another Annex B Party, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2, which can be counted towards meeting its Kyoto target.
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Joint implementation offers Parties a flexible and cost-efficient means of fulfilling a part of their Kyoto commitments, while the host Party benefits from foreign investment and technology transfer.
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Eligibility and approval:
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A JI project must provide a reduction in emissions by sources, or an enhancement of removals by sinks, that is additional to what would otherwise have occurred. Projects must have approval of the host Party and participants have to be authorized to participate by a Party involved in the project.

Projects starting as from the year 2000 may be eligible as JI projects if they meet the relevant requirements, but ERUs may only be issued for a crediting period starting after the beginning of 2008.

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Also check out:

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Clean Development Mechanism

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Designing the Post-Kyoto Climate Regime: Lessons from the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements

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Coalition building within the context of post-Kyoto climate negotiations

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United Nations University - Institute of Advanced Studies

from their website:
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United Nations University (UNU) studies human activities and the way in which we are altering the world, with a particular emphasis on the concerns and needs of developing countries.
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UNU was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to be an international community of scholars engaged in research, advanced training, and the dissemination of knowledge related to pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare.
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UNU activities focus mainly on peace and governance, environment and sustainable development, and science and technology in relation to human welfare.
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UNU operates through a worldwide network of research and postgraduate training centres, with its planning and coordinating headquarters in Tokyo. As a result, UNU is strikingly different in structure and mode of operation from a conventional campus-based university.
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Anyway, they have some great papers to read here.
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MDG on Reducing Biodiversity Loss and the CBD’s 2010 Target
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Environment for African Development: A Sustainable Future through Science and Technology
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Bioprospecting in the Arctic
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Is Human Reproductive Cloning Inevitable: Future Options for UN Governance
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The Precautionary Principle and the WTO
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Bioprospecting of Genetic Resources in the Deep Seabed

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There is also going to be a report released today (at a side event at the Poznan climate change conference) called “Innovation in Responding to Climate Change: Nanotechnology, Ocean Energy and Forestry”. The word 'nanotechnology' obviously that caught my eye.
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For those interested, I have also put a post on it on my nanotechnology blog: Random Man in Nano-land

Australia refuses to make 2020 commitment before Poznan

Why is Australia dragging the chain again on the international stage when it comes to climate change (the most serious issue of our time)? We will recover from the economic crisis - although capitalism will be in a different form - however, climate change continues to grow (in both complexity and size) and the time to act is becoming increasingly short. Some scientists suggest we have less than 100 months before we reach critical tipping points with regards to climate chnage. Stern and others have pointed out that it is much cheaper to act sooner rather than later when it comes to climate change.

We really do need to set a target now to show the world (especially developing nations such as China and India) that Australia is serious about doing the right thing when it comes to taking action.

The UK has a 2020 target and the US (under Obama) will bring in a 2020 target - I just think that it is a poor decision for Australia to not set a target now. Why wait until after the meeting? To protect the economy as they suggest? Oh please, give me a break. When are they going to realise that sustainable development is is not a choice between jobs or the environment, rather a balance between 'green jobs and green infrastructure' and 'brown jobs and emission intensive infrastructure'.

Australia should lead the way (start by making a strong 2020 taget NOW - 25% minimum - or it is a joke !!!) and take advantage of the many green opportunities available.

Anyway, here are some news-stories on Australia failing to set a 2020 greenhouse gas target target prior to the international climate change meeting Poznan.

Wong backflips on emissions target announcement

Greens lash emissions target 'cop-out'

Wong defends delay to climate target

"This is a complete shemozzle from the Government. Here's Australia, which was the big sensation at Bali is going to be the big cop-out at Poznan" said Bob Brown.