Chinese energy and climate policies after Durban: save the Kyoto Protocol

Nowadays, one of the urgent issues regarding global climate change is to discuss the future of the second period of the Kyoto Protocol. However, the divergence of views and opinions among parties in the last Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Durban in December 2011, is still large. One of the bones of contention is whether the emerging developing countries, like China, should make commitments and legally bind themselves to a Green House Gas (GHG) reduction target in near future. As the largest GHG emitting country, China and its energy and climate policies will play an important role in global climate change and will also significantly influence the other countries? policies and the global climate negotiation. In this paper, we review the current differences among parties in the Durban Conference, and we analyze the recent situation, barriers, and future policies in China. Finally we highlight the impact and potential effect of Clean Development Mechanisms in avoiding China?s barriers regarding climate change. Results show that China is making a great effort to mitigate climate change by establishing and reforming its energy and climate policies in order to achieve a low-carbon development. At the same time, more innovation and international collaboration is needed in China to achieve this goal.

La comunicación del cambio climático: análisis del discurso de los telediarios españoles sobre las cumbres de Cancún y Durban

Como parte de los requisitos para optar al grado de Doctor en Comunicación, Cambio Social y Desarrollo, se ha realizado una tesis doctoral cuyo título es “La comunicación del Cambio Climático: Análisis del Discurso de los Telediarios Españoles sobre las Cumbres de Cancún y Durban”. Este estudio se ha desarrollado en cinco partes consistentes en cinco capítulos y cinco anexos La Primera Parte se refiere al Marco Teórico, que en el Capítulo 1 comprende cuatro puntos principales: 1.Comunicación mediática como Objeto de Estudio, que trata el Discurso Periodístico, las Agencias de Noticias, las Noticias y sus Discursos, y algunas características del Soporte Audiovisual 2. Este punto presenta el Cambio Climático como Objeto de Estudio a través de temas como El Clima, el Tiempo Atmosférico, la definición de los fenómenos del Cambio Climático, del Efecto Invernadero y el Calentamiento Global. Se despliegan las Bases Física del Cambio Climático según los informes del IPCC especificando aspectos importantes como el Forzamiento Radiativo, los Gases de Efecto Invernadero (GEI) y su capacidad de Calentamiento Global y se profundiza sobre la Escala de Tiempo en el Cambio Climático. Finalmente se presentan algunas proyecciones de lo que puede ocurrir en el futuro en la atmósfera, los océanos, la criosfera, el nivel del mar y ciclos biogeoquímicos relacionados 3. Aquí se presenta el Cambio Climático como Problema, desde el punto de vista de lo físico-ambiental y sus efectos en la superficie de la Tierra. Se continúa con los problemas que el Cambio Climático presenta para la Salud, para la Sociedad, para el Desarrollo, para la Seguridad y la Economía...

Durban Museum novitates

Mode of access: Internet.

The 'law of requisite variety' may assist climate change negotiations:a review of the Kyoto and Durban meetings

Ashby wrote about cybernetics, during which discourse he described a Law that attempts to resolve difficulties arising in complex situations – he suggested using variety to combat complexity. In this paper, we note that the delegates to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Kyoto, 1997, were offered a ‘simplifying solution’ to cope with the complexity of discussing multiple pollutants allegedly contributing to ‘climate change’. We assert that the adoption of CO2eq has resulted in imprecise thinking regarding the ‘carbon footprint’ – that is, ‘CO2’ – to the exclusion of other pollutants. We propose, as Ashby might have done, that the CO2eq and other factors within the ‘climate change’ negotiations be disaggregated to allow careful and specific individual solutions to be agreed on each factor. We propose a new permanent and transparent ‘action group’ be in charge of agenda setting and to manage the messy annual meetings. This body would be responsible for achieving accords at these annual meetings, rather than forcing this task on national hosts. We acknowledge the task is daunting and we recommend moving on from Ashby's Law to Beer's Viable Systems approach.

Association between HIV-1 infection, the etiology of genital ulcer disease, and response to syndromic management

Background: Reports on the effect of HIV-1 infection on healing rates of ulcers are conflicting. Goal: The goal was to determine the etiology and response to treatment of genital ulcer disease (GUD) in relation to HIV-1 infection. Study Design: This was a cohort study of patients with GUD treated with local syndromic management protocols. Results: Among the 587 recruited, the prevalences of infections due to HSV, Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis (lymphogranuloma venereum [LGV]), Haemophilus ducreyi, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, and HIV-1 were 48%, 14%, 11%, 10%, 1%, and 75%, respectively. The prevalence of T pallidum was higher among men (P = 0.03), and an association was seen among HIV-1-seronegatives on univariate and multivariate analyses (P < 0.001; P = 0.01). The prevalence of C trachomatis (LGV) was higher among females (P = 0.004), and an association was seen among HIV-1-seropositives on univariate analysis (P = 0.04). At follow-up, 40/407 (10%) showed a decreased healing tendency, not associated with ulcer etiology or HIV-1 seropositivity. Conclusion: Response to syndromic management of GUD was acceptable and not associated with HIV-1 coinfection.

Normas e redistribuição: um estudo sobre condicionantes internacionais das políticas de combate ao racismo no Brasil

Neste artigo, examina-se como a exposição do Estado a normas internacionais pode condicionar a implementação de políticas redistributivas, a partir de estudo de caso relativo ao combate à discriminação racial no Brasil, no período 1995-2005. Conclui que o processo de preparação e de seguimento da Conferência de Durban teria viabilizado equilíbrio propício à implementação de políticas de ação afirmativa.