The Stream, December 2: Climate Change Negotiations

The United States, along with Russia, Canada, Japan, China and India, does not want new negotiations on legally binding climate agreements to start until at least 2015, while other countries — notably the European Union — want immediate action, the Guardian reported. International agencies recently affirmed that the world has only a small window of time to act before global temperatures rise beyond the current goal of 2 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the Guardian details the scope of climate change problems in Africa.

Fossil fuel projects have received almost twice the amount of funding given to clean energy projects by development banks since 2008, EurActiv reported.

Warming temperatures in the Arctic are causing rapid ice sheet loss and could have wide-reaching implications for the world’s atmosphere and oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2011 Arctic Report Card.

The United States Bureau of Land Management is allegedly hampering efforts to study the effects of extensive livestock grazing on water quality and other environmental factors in the western U.S., according to a complaint from an environmental group, The New York Times reported.

AlertNet discusses how scientists are combating drought and the $42 billion it costs the world each year.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek