Alstom at COP17: Highlighting the role of business in the climate change challenge

Alstom highlights the role of business in addressing the climate change challenge at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Durban from November 28 to December 9, 2011. 

The European Climate Foundation's principles for systemic change

The necessary principles for systemic change and action on climate change according to Johannes Meier, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, who was speaking at the Carbon Disclosure Project's 2011 Global Forum. To view event highlights, or the CDP Global Forum in its entirety, please visit www.cdproject.net

Rich Polluters — Including U.S. — Should Face Sanctions for Rejecting Binding Emissions Cuts

Talks at the United Nations Climate Change Conference are in their second to last day, but little progress appears to have been made on the key issues of extending the Kyoto Protocol or forming a Green Climate Fund. The United States is refusing to accept any deal involving binding emissions cuts before the year 2020 despite dire warnings that the world can't afford to wait. Democracy Now! gets analysis from Pablo Solon, Bolivia's former ambassador to the United Nations and former chief negotiator on climate change, and from Patrick Bond, a South African climate activist, professor and author. "The main issue is the figure of emission reductions of rich countries is not really being raised," Solon says. "It is very, very low... You cannot be silent when you see the genocide and ecocide that is going to happen because of this kind of decision." Solon also says the U.S. "blackmails" developing countries into dropping demands for binding cuts by threatening to withdraw climate aid. Bond says the next round of climate talks should include the idea of sanctions against major polluters, like the United States, that reject binding cuts.

See also: http://environment.7gen.com/2011/12/pres-obama-is-best-friend-of-climate.html

Pres Obama is the best friend of climate change deniers, delaying effective climate change policies

On Wednesday, a group of climate change deniers praised the Obama administration's refusal to support an extension of the Kyoto Protocol or an agreement on binding emissions cuts. Democracy Now! caught up to Marc Morano, publisher of the Climate Depot, at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. "They [the Obama administration] have kept the exact same principles and negotiating stance as President George Bush did for eight years," Morano says. "Obama has carried on Bush's legacy. So as skeptics, we tip our hat to President Obama in helping to crush and continuing to defeat the United Nations process. Obama has been a great friend of global warming skeptics at these conferences." Democracy Now! gets a response from Pablo Solon, Bolivia's former ambassador to the United Nations and former chief negotiator on climate change, and from Patrick Bond, a South African climate activist, professor and author.





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Oxfam on Climate Change politics at COP17

OxfamUK takes a look at the policy work that goes into tackling climate change at UN Summits. In 2011 Oxfam was at COP17 in Durban and they want to show you the politics, the thinking and how to get out ideas out there from inside the conference centre.

From the youth of the world to the rest of us - SOLVE CLIMATE CHANGE NOW

We have five years MAXIMUM to avoid irreversable climate change.  But the climate change conference currently underway in South Africa is trying to be "reasonable" or "politically possible" with a goal of 10 years to make serious change.  The climate change conference is about to fail (or has already failed) to make a proper agreement, and the Kyoto Protocol (as flawed as it is) is about to start expiring.

Anjali Appadurai, a student at the College of the Atlantic in Maine, addressed the UN climate conference on behalf of youth delegates.

The snippet is from Democracy Now as broadcast on Dec 9, 2011

MIC CHECK!

Clean Earth, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Kleen Soil in Moore Haven, Florida

This strikes me as one of those "it's cool that someone is doing this, sad that it has to be done, and troublesome to think of soil being treated as a product that gets recycled".

The announcement below concerns a merger between two companies that recycle soil.  Yes.  Recycle.  Soil.  Two words I hadn't thought to put together as a phrase, but there it is.

What Clean Earth says about themselves is:

As one of the nation's largest and most experienced processors of contaminated soil, dredge sediments and hazardous and non-hazardous waste, Clean Earth maintains a tireless commitment to ensuring that every pound of material we touch is treated and managed properly and responsibly. In fact, approximately 98% of the material we process is beneficially reused.

Their services are:-

• Planning and Logistics - as they say, Cleaning often has to happen FAST and RIGHT AWAY so they'll get right to any job that comes along
• Disposal and Reuse - They "find the right home" for the soil they recycle.  Contaminations are removed and put to good use.  Soils are recycled into "construction fill material" for "land reclamation", brownfield redevelopment, and material for capping landfills
• Treatment technologies include dredging, bioremediation, physical treatment, thermal desorption

Now that we understand the picture let's ponder what this means.

It means that first there is a sufficient quantity of soil contamination that one company (Kleen Soil) has been in this business for 20 years, and that Clean Earth is operating seven soil treatment and recycling centers around the U.S.  Their locations are in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and now Florida.

This sounds to me like a type of new business that's here to stay, and will be operating over the long term rather than just being a short term activity while we do a one-time cleanup of the planet.  In other words these businesses are expecting there will be a continuing series of soil contamination events, and their goal is to provide great service to clean up soil contamination.

This strikes me as bolting the barn door after the horses have fled.  It would obviously be better for the soil to not be contaminated in the first place.

On the other hand accidents happen and it's useful to have experts and equipment ready to go when they do happen.

The next item here is the willy-nilly disregard for the fact that soil is a living organism.  To take soil, load it in trucks, carry it to a far away treatment center, treat it, then reuse it in some completely different other location, shows complete disregard for soil as a living organism.

Okay, great, it's wonderful to have soil get cleaned up.  It would be better if more care were taken in the first place that the service isn't needed.  It would be great for treatment (when needed) to be focused on restoring an existing location to a better condition, rather than ripping out the soil from one location and moving it whole-sale to another location.  That first location will lose it's soil, perhaps to never be replaced, the the uses they describe for recycled soil simply are not natural systems.

In other words their operation is about destroying the soil content in contaminated locations, and reusing the removed soil for non-life-producing purposes.

The function of soil is to sustain the life of all those organisms living upon the planet.  Soil is a precious thing.

 

 

HATBORO, Pa., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Clean Earth, Inc. announced today the acquisition of privately owned Kleen Soil, located in Moore Haven, Florida. This facility treats non-hazardous petroleum-contaminated soils and will mark Clean Earth's seventh soil treatment and recycling location in the United States.  This acquisition will provide Clean Earth the opportunity to geographically expand soil-recycling services and will be the most southern Clean Earth facility.

Kleen Soil has served the Florida market for over twenty (20) years.

Chris Dods, President & CEO states, "This acquisition has opened new doors.  We have found a strong market, and will be able to recycle 100% of the soil treated at this location. Due to our in-depth experience, we will be able to offer additional services to customers such as project management and environmental support services.  We look forward to working and learning from the talented and experienced Kleen Soil team."

In 2010, Clean Earth recycled over 3 million tons of soil derived from various construction sites throughout the northeast.  These recycled soil volumes are expected to increase in 2012 with the acquisition of Kleen Soil.

To learn more about Clean Earth visit us at www.cleanearthinc.com or call 877.445.DIRT (3478).

Clean Earth, Inc. is one of the nation's largest processors of contaminated soil, dredge sediments and other non-hazardous materials.   Headquartered in Hatboro, Pa., it operates a network of full-service facilities in the eastern United States that handles more than three million tons of soil annually.  Treatment facilities are located in South Kearny, NJ, Carteret, NJ, Jersey City, NJ, Hagerstown, MD, New Castle, DE, Morrisville, PA, and Philadelphia, PA.

Read more at http://blog.cleanearthinc.com/clean-earth-acquires-kleen-soil/

SOURCE  Clean Earth, Inc.
Clean Earth, Inc.
CONTACT: James Hull - Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Clean Earth, Inc., +1-215-734-1400 ext. 244
Web Site: http://www.cleanearthinc.com