By Rachel Bergstein
This is the first post by Rachel Bergstein, our new communications intern. -- Luis
Although the economic crisis has taken center stage over the last two months, good news from the international front this week indicates that the
climate crisis will not be put on hold. Ahead of the international climate negotiations coming up in Poland this
December, UN officials and environmental ministers committed to not letting the
economic crisis get
in the way of global warming solutions:
“Officials from the U.S., China,
Canada, India, the European Union and more than 30 other countries met for two
days of informal talks in Warsaw ahead of a climate conference in December.
"There was a very strong
consensus that the current financial turmoil should not be an excuse to slow
down action on climate change," Yvo de Boer, executive secretary for the
U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, told The Associated Press after
the talks.
"Many ministers said that
addressing climate change can deliver important economic benefits that are
important in the light of the current financial situation as well," de
Boer added.
Scientists say the emission of
carbon and other greenhouse gases, mostly from fossil fuels, must peak within
10 to 15 years and then drop sharply to avoid potentially catastrophic changes
in the climate.”
