GENEVA -- Scientists tell us that the evidence the Earth is warming is "unequivocal." Increases in global average air and sea temperature, ice melting and rising global sea levels all help us understand and prepare for the coming challenges. In addition to these observed changes, climate-sensitive impacts on human health are occurring today. They are attacking the pillars of public health. And they are providing a glimpse of the challenges public health will have to confront on a large scale, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan warned today on the occasion of World Health Day.

"The core concern is succinctly stated: climate change endangers human health," said Dr Chan. "The warming of the planet will be gradual, but the effects of extreme weather events -- more storms, floods, droughts and heat waves -- will be abrupt and acutely felt. Both trends can affect some of the most fundamental determinants of health: air, water, food, shelter and freedom from disease."

Human beings are already exposed to the effects of climate-sensitive diseases and these diseases today kill millions. They include malnutrition, which causes over 3.5 million deaths per year, diarrhoeal diseases, which kill over 1.8 million, and malaria, which kills almost 1 million.

Examples already provide us with images of the future:

• European heat wave, 2003: Estimates suggest that approximately 70 000 more people died in that summer than would have been expected.
• Rift Valley fever in Africa: Major outbreaks are usually associated with rains, which are expected to become more frequent as the climate changes.
• Hurricane Katrina, 2005: More than 1 800 people died and thousands more were displaced. Additionally, health facilities throughout the region were destroyed critically affecting health infrastructure.
• Malaria in the East African highlands: In the last 30 years, warmer temperatures have also created more favourable conditions for mosquito populations in the region and therefore for transmission of malaria.
• Epidemics of cholera in Bangladesh: They are closely linked to flooding and unsafe water.

These trends and events cannot be attributed solely to climate change but they are the types of challenges we expect to become more frequent and intense with climate changes. They will further strain health resources that, in many regions, are already under severe stress.

"Although climate change is a global phenomenon, its consequences will not be evenly distributed," said Dr Chan. "In short, climate change can affect problems that are already huge, largely concentrated in the developing world, and difficult to control."

To address the health effects of climate change, WHO is coordinating and supporting research and assessment on the most effective measures to protect health from climate change, particularly for vulnerable populations such as women and children in developing countries, and is advising Member States on the necessary adaptive changes to their health systems to protect their populations.

WHO and its partners -- including the UN Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the UN World Meteorological Organization -- are devising a workplan and research agenda to get better estimates of the scale and nature of health vulnerability and to identify strategies and tools for health protection. WHO recognizes the urgent need to support countries in devising ways to cope. Better systems for surveillance and forecasting, and stronger basic health services, can offer health protection. WHO will be working closely with its Member States in coming years to develop effective means of adapting to a changing climate and reducing its effects on human health.

"Through its own actions and its support to Member States," said Dr Chan, "WHO is committed to do everything it can to ensure all is done to protect human health from climate change."

How men and women farmers are differently affected

The effect of climate change “on gender equality and women´s empowerment could be profound, and could in many areas of the world diminish considerably the progress we have made so far in securing gender equality,” said Iceland’s Minister of the Environment, Ms Thorunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, at an FAO event marking International Women’s Day.

Vulnerable areas and the poor will be particularly hit by climate change, the Minister said. Small and poor indigenous communities are faced with changes affecting their livelihood and social structure. Temperature changes in the oceans could affect the fish stocks many coastal communities depend on for their survival, she said.

In vulnerable areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America climate change could affect the existence of millions, especially in rural agricultural and coastal areas. Such prospects are especially alarming since agriculture is now increasingly recognised as a crucial element in addressing poverty and food security. All changes in agricultural production have considerable effect on the situation of women, given their crucial role in food production in many areas.

Role of agriculture

While noting that the food and agriculture sector’s contribution to climate change was over 30 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions, it is vital to understand how to ensure food security when temperatures and sea level are rising, extreme events becoming more frequent and seasonal trends are difficult to predict, observed FAO Deputy Director-General Mr James Butler.

“In order to be truly prepared for the impacts of climate change on food security, we must ask ourselves who are the most vulnerable and how they can be involved in addressing this global issue, noting that men and women are differently vulnerable and how each can contribute to addressing climate change,” he said.

Adaptation is the key

In the climate change debate, adaptation is increasingly being seen as a key policy priority. Adaptation at an accelerated and more targeted pace is seen as critical for the secure development of vulnerable populations, like the estimated 1.4 billion rural people who depend on small-scale farming in developing countries. These men and women will be differently vulnerable to climate change impacts due to pre-existing inequalities. For example, rural women tend to have less financial, physical and human resources than men, so they will have fewer options for responding to the effects of climate change. Also, poor women tend to rely more than men on natural resources, so when these are directly hit by climate change, women’s livelihoods will also be affected. Adaptation strategies that do not take into account the differences between men’s and women’s vulnerabilities and resources are less likely to succeed.

.. and mitigation

Mitigation is another building block of climate change response. “Poor rural people can play a major role in mitigating climate change through the sustainable management of land, forests and other natural resources,” said IFAD Assistant President Jessie Rose Mabutas. And climate change mitigation policies can represent a historic opportunity to acknowledge and remunerate them for providing environmental services that benefit us all.

International agricultural commodity prices are rising because of a combination of factors: an increased demand for food due to rapid growth in emerging countries like India and China; unprecedented and rapid migration from rural to urban areas; recent poor harvests in some countries that may be a result of climate change; and the conversion of land use from food crops to biofuel crops. “This will have enormous consequences for poor rural people, particularly for women who often are responsible for providing food for the family,” said Ms Mabutas.

Reducing greenhouse gases through emissions trading

German companies have contracted the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH – German Technical Cooperation – to facilitate their access to emissions credits. The basis for such transactions is an arrangement, agreed in the Kyoto Protocol and the European emissions trading system, that allows industrialised countries and companies operating in those countries to supplement their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through projects in developing and emergent countries. The emissions reductions achieved in this way are then quantified and documented in certificates that may be used as credits to enable the companies to meet their reduction obligations. What makes this possibility attractive is that greenhouse gas emissions can often be reduced in developing countries at less expense than in industrialised countries. Positive spin-offs of such projects are the technology transfer involved and the promotion of sustainable local or regional development.

Specifically for purposes of this private-sector contract, GTZ has created a central contact point, the "carbon procurement unit" or CPU, in Gurgaon near the Indian capital New Delhi. "The CPU is starting up at just the right time, because the market is growing by leaps and bounds. Together with China, India has the largest number of projects to generate emissions certificates," says Markus Kurdziel, a GTZ climate expert. At the start of 2008, 302 of 803 emissions-credit projects throughout the world were to be found in India. The first customer for the GTZ contact point was RWE Power AG in Essen, Germany, which will be permitted to expend 90 million of the certificates before 2012 to meet its greenhouse gas reduction obligations. A major proportion of these credits are to come from India.

"We use the CPU to form contacts between German customers and projects that reduce greenhouse gases and are eligible for the corresponding emissions credits," says project manager Kai Berndt. "The principle involved is simple. If RWE, for example, is obligated to reduce the CO2 emissions of a coal-fired power plant in Germany, the company can obtain certificates from a new hydroelectric power station in India," Berndt explains. It is a win-win situation. RWE can continue to operate its power plant in Germany, the Indian electric utility receives additional financing for its emissions-free hydroelectric plant, and globally speaking, the emission of greenhouse gases is reduced.

But hydroelectric plants are only one example. The CPU in India is currently pursuing some 100 projects of various magnitudes, one of which is the world's largest project for electric power from biogas and biomass. The project spans eight of the Indian states and will supply more than 700 megawatts of electric power when completed. Additional projects use renewable energy such as wind power or aim to avoid methane gas emissions. The CPU also works together with India's largest electric utility for private consumers on a programme promoting the exchange of old-fashioned light bulbs for modern energy-saving ones.
"The CPU is there for each step right up to final certification. We identify potential projects at an early stage, provide advisory services to the project owners and conduct economic and technical feasibility studies," explains Kurdziel. In addition, GTZ's own appraisers and independent assessors from certification organisations such as the TÜV – the German technical control boards – ensure that the projects do in fact bring about the anticipated reduction of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. It provides viable, forward-looking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. Often working under difficult conditions, GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis.

2010 global forest assessment to provide input to climate change debate

FAO has called upon countries to participate in preparing the next Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), the most comprehensive data collection on the state of the world’s forests to date.

Started over 60 years ago, the Global Forest Resources Assessment process provides information on how much forest exists, how it is being managed and how it is being lost. Global forest cover currently amounts to just under four billion hectares or about 30 percent of the world’s land area. Although the rate of net loss of forest has decreased in recent years, the world is still losing about 200 km² of forest a day, according to FAO data.

It is expected that the next report, to be finalized in 2010, will review the status of forests in 235 countries and territories, of which 175 countries have already nominated officers whose duty it will be to ensure that countries provide accurate and timely information on their forest resources.

“Stronger support from countries and advances in communication technology will make the next Global Forest Resources Assessment the most comprehensive and reliable yet,” said Jan Heino, Assistant Director-General for FAO’s Forestry Department. “The 2010 assessment will be an important tool in measuring the impact of deforestation on climate change and the role of forests in mitigating the effects of climate change”.

“The success of FRA 2010 will depend on the extent to which countries provide accurate and objective information”, says Mette Wilkie, who oversees the data collection process at FAO. The last survey was produced with the help of over 800 people involving teams working in 172 countries and many more are likely to be involved this time around. Some 220 experts are attending this week’s meeting at FAO to kick-start the process.

Remote sensing

One of the techniques used to collect the information is an ambitious new global remote sensing survey. Using satellite data from 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2005, forest cover will be surveyed across the planet in about 13 500 plots, providing a sampling intensity of 1 percent of the global land surface, to obtain statistically valid information at regional and global levels.

This survey will generate unprecedented information on deforestation, afforestation and natural forest expansion. It will provide insight into the land uses that are replacing forests. It will improve understanding of the global contribution of forests to greenhouse gas emissions and reductions. It will also establish a common framework and methodology to enable developing countries to improve their monitoring of current and future deforestation rates.

In addition, the 2010 assessment will expand our knowledge of the biological diversity of forests and will include a special study on trees outside forests, a survey of the area of forest under sustainable forest management, and data on forest laws, policies and institutions.

49,243 teens polled on their views towards environmental issues ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali from 3 to 14 December

A new survey of nearly 50,000 teenagers from around the world today reveals that 74 per cent of teens believe that global warming is a serious problem and are more concerned about it than any other issue including drugs, violence or war. The results are being released as governments meet in Bali, Indonesia, for one of the most important UN conferences ever held on climate change.

The research conducted jointly by Habbo, the world’s largest virtual world for teens, and Greenpeace International examined the attitudes and behaviour of the global teen population towards environmental issues and gave teens a chance to speak out on the most pressing problem facing the world.

Governments come under scrutiny in the survey: teenagers believe that governments are lagging behind them in their level of concern over climate change.  Whereas the teens surveyed regard climate change as more important than terrorism (56 per cent versus 46 per cent, respectively) they think that governments consider climate change a lower priority.  33 per cent think governments are ‘very concerned’ about climate change compared to 42 per cent who see governments being ‘very concerned’ about terrorism.

North America has come under the most fire, with 39 per cent of teens citing the continent as being responsible for the majority of greenhouse gases, followed by Europe (24 per cent) and Asia (19 per cent). Despite teens in every country pointing fingers at North America for the crisis (except in Asia where they blame themselves), a quarter of North American teens are still not sure if global warming is even a problem.

“The response from the teens to this survey conducted in Habbo is phenomenal and really highlights the concern felt around the world,” explains Timo Soininen, CEO of Sulake.  “Giving teens a voice on this matter is essential and we need to find practical ways to work together and engage our youth to help combat this problem.”

Although 64 per cent of teens believe it’s still possible to stop global warming, nearly 40 per cent don’t actually know what’s causing it or how to prevent it. One thing is clear though: teens do not regard this as a future problem; two thirds of those polled believe that global warming will affect their lives in a negative way.

“Today’s teenagers are tomorrow’s decision makers. They are ‘Generation C’ – the generation that has to beat climate change,” said Gerd Leipold, Greenpeace International Executive Director. “It will be up to them to create a revolution in non-polluting, renewable energy to prevent global warming from affecting the lives of billions of people and threatening the survival of countless species of animals and plants.”

Scientists of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change say that emissions of greenhouse gases need to be halved globally by the middle of this century to avoid severe impacts such as water shortages, floods and the spread of diseases.

The 49,243 teens participating in the November 2007 Habbo survey came from 18 countries. Those completing the survey were given the option of finding out more about climate change at the ‘Habbos against climate change’ campaign group page. 16,000 Habbos registered as the supporters of the group.

Notes to Editor
About the research
The research was conducted within the virtual world, Habbo, and the total amount of respondents (after data cleaning) was 49,243. The research was conducted in November 2007. 18 countries were surveyed and statistical weighting was employed to give all participating countries an equal weight in the global results. Research is available on request.

About Habbo
Habbo is a richly colorful, multi-dimensional virtual community and game environment for teens. Users join by creating a fully-customized online character called a Habbo. From there, they can explore many public hang-outs, play a variety of games, connect with friends, decorate their own rooms, and have fun through creativity and self expression. Currently there are Habbo communities in 31 countries on five continents. To date, over 82 million Habbo characters have been created and 6 million unique users worldwide visit Habbo each month (source: Google Analytics). www.habbo.xx.xx

About Sulake
Sulake is an online entertainment company focused on virtual worlds and social networking. Sulake’s main product is Habbo, one of the world’s fastest growing virtual worlds and online communities for teenagers. There are localized Habbo communities in 31 countries on five continents. To date over 82 million Habbo characters have been created and 6 million unique users worldwide visit Habbo each month (source: Google Analytics). Habbo brand is being extended to include mobile games and content as well as real-life products.
Sulake was established in 2000 and it has almost doubled its annual revenues each year. The main shareholders in Sulake include Taivas Group, Elisa Group, 3i Group plc, and Benchmark Capital followed by Movida Group (in Japan), the company’s founders Sampo Karjalainen and Aapo Kyrölä, Sulake’s CEO Timo Soininen and other personnel.
Sulake has offices in 15 countries. Headquarters is situated in Helsinki, Finland. Currently the company has over 300 employees worldwide. www.sulake.com

Greenpeace’s activities related to Bali
Follow progress at the Bali climate conference and join in Greenpeace’s activities at www.greenpeace.org/bali-action
Further contact information for reporters to get video, photos or report details
Accompanying graphs from the research are available on request. General Sulake and Habbo press images can be downloaded from: www.sulake.com/press/image_bank . For background photos regarding climate change, contact the Greenpeace International picture desk. Tel: +31 20 718 2058        

With the Climate Conference in Bali having come to a successful conclusion, Sean Heron interviewed Christoph Bals from the German NGO Germanwatch on his opinion of the outcome, and an outlook on the future negotiations. Christoph is the Senior Political Executive of Germanwatch, Co-Autor of the Climate protection-Index and did lobby work on Bali.

The interview

Introduction to Germanwatch

Wikinews: Could you explain what defines the organization Germanwatch and what your targets are?
Christoph Bals: Germanwatch is a non governmental organization (NGO) that has the environment and north south justice/fairness as its main topics. We don't actually execute any projects in the south, but lend issues that are of relevance to the south - the so called developing nations - a voice towards politics, the economy and on the financial market.
WN: Could you go into more specifics on what it is you do on climate change?
CB: Climate Change is one of our main topics. Both the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change is important. For these two issues we engage ourselves both with regard to Germany and the least developed countries (LDCs). We are intensively involved in national and international political processes, building up pressure on politicians and economic players and/or working constructively with them, depending on how greater achievements are to be made.

The Negotiations in Bali
WN: The next question, which is very much at hand, is of course how Germanwatch views the outcome of the negotiations? Have your expectations been fulfilled?
CB: We haven't been able to write in the reduction targets that we would have needed. But these targets can still be achieved in the negotiating framework that the Roadmap has put down. The biggest obstacle here were the United States. It won't be possible to agree to targets with this administration, but hopefully, in two years and with the next administration, we'll be able to agree to the necessary global targets.
WN: Would you have expected this outcome yesterday? Or a year ago?
CB: A year ago I would have found the current outcome almost revolutionary. Compared with my expectations before the negotiation it's different though; I then still had the hope that there would be more extensive progress at the end of this climate year. If you look at the packages that have been agreed on: technology transfer and development, adaptation to climate change, financial mechanisms, forest protection; then you can see that quite a substantial process has been started. So a lot has been achieved, but the biggest hurdles are still in front of us.
What could cause some dynamics is that you need money for all these packages, and you can only really get that through strong reduction targets. Be it Climate charges or taxes, auctioning of emission certificates, or a sort of Tobin tax on international emissions trading. That leads to those nations that want money out of the packages having an incentive to work for stronger reduction targets. It is to be hoped for that movement for strong emission targets as well as for the financing of technologies, forest protection and adaptation measures develops. And that a coalition of progressive industrial nations, least developed countries (the so called LDCs) and newly industrialized countries - for example China, Mexico, South Africa, India - support this. There were first signs for such a development in Bali.

Outlook on the next two years
WN: How do things continue after this conference? What's the course of events until the Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark 2009?
CB: The four packages climate protection targets, adaptation to climate change, accelerated commercial launching of the necessary technologies and financing of technology, forest protection and adaptation have to be negotiated in detail now. Next year there will be four rounds of negotiations. The final conclusion is to be reached by the end of 2009, at the climate summit in Copenhagen.
WN: What needs to happen in this period of time in your opinion? What do the agreements that are hopefully to be reached need to look like?
CB: The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, so that a warming of more than 2°C (35.6 F) is averted, is central. The global average temperatures mustn't rise above 2°C in comparison with pre-industrial levels. We call this the aversion of the uncopeable, as the risks of such a warming would be simply too great.
To achieve this goal a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 50-85% by 2050 is necessary. For the middle term this means that the peak of global emissions needs to be reached in 10-15 years and that the output is cut considerably year after year from then onwards. The group of industrialized nations have to reduce their emissions by 25-40% till 2020 (compared to 1990 baselines) on average to make this possible.
Regarding adaptation, what we call coping with the inadvertable, the scale of funding is going to have to change. Roughly 50 billion Dollar a year are going to be required.
WN: What do you see as (the biggest) obstacle(s) on the way to such an agreement? You've already mentioned the current U.S. administration.
CB: We shouldn't think that the problem is just in the U.S., even if it is to be seen most clearly there. Many of us [Germans / Europeans] don't realize what the necessary emission cuts mean. If we really want to achieve greenhouse gas reductions of the magnitude I have just described, we first need to become conscious of the fact that the wealth of the industrial nations is build on CO2. From the steam engine over coal power plants, the chemical industry up to cars and airplanes, the whole model of wealth is built up on fossil fuels and thus also CO2 emissions. Up until now more wealth also meant more emitted CO2. We now need to move towards an almost emission free model of wealth in large steps. And the role of leader seems to fall to Europe. If Europe manages to show it, the chances of the large newly industrialized nations following that lead rise enormously.

Possibilities for individuals to act
WN: Finally I, and perhaps the readers as well, are interested in how people at home can take a positive influence on the process?
CB: Well first, there is the possibility to engage yourself politically, working in an NGO like Germanwatch being the only option in that. What is encouraging in this area are the notable things that have already been achieved by an informed public. To name an example, the planning of multiple coal power plants has been stopped in recent times, just as well thanks to public pressure.
It should also be clear to everyone, that every banknote is also a ballot paper, with which you can decide for more or less emissions. For almost any way of spending money - be it groceries or mobility - there are climate compatible and non compatible choices. I can fly or take the train, or - if the later is not possible - at least compensate the warming effects via sites such as atmosfair.de .
But even when I save money, it's up to me if it works for or against climate sustainability. For every investment possible, by now there are also options that support the protection of the climate - often without needing to to forgo returns. The money I put on the bank is used for investments and projects that contribute to or undermine the sustainability of our economic system.
WN: Does that mean the demand for a climate compatible life style ?
CB: It's not about one climate compatible life style. It's more of a case of a climate compatible variant needing to be developed for each of the different life styles that exist in our society. The people in our society don't need to become uniform. Some will focus on protecting the climate through technical innovations and will bring their house up to the most recent level of efficiency, and massively use renewable energies. Others will see an increase in wealth in not having a car, instead buying a "Bahncard 100" [This is a flat rate for a years rail travel in Germany, at a cost of 3500 Euro, ed.] which also lets you take your kids along for free, and focus on a slower more concious life. We don't need to prescribe one life style, what is necessary is to advance every life style variant in a climate compatible way
WN: Thank you for the interview and your time.