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world news Diamars 9 November 2021

Obama hits Russia, China for “lack of urgency” on climate

(AP) — Barack Obama the triumph of the 2015 Paris Despite opposition within
expressed confidence at climate accord, when nations Biden’s own Democratic par-
U.N. climate talks Mon- committed to cutting fossil ty that has blocked the presi-
day that the Biden admin- fuel and agricultural emis- dent’s climate-fighting leg-
istration will ultimately sions fast enough to keep the islation, Obama said he was
get its $555 billion climate Earth’s warming below cata- confident that some version
package through Con- strophic levels of 1.5 degrees of Biden’s ambitious climate
gress, and faulted U.S. ri- Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahren- bill will pass in Congress.
vals China and Russia for heit).
what he called a “danger- “It will set the United States
ous lack of urgency” in That celebration has been on course to meet its new cli-
cutting their own climate- replaced by worry. Donald mate targets,” he said.
wrecking emissions. Trump pulled the U.S. out
of the Paris accord. President And while rapport between
As nations complained of Joe Biden put America back U.S. negotiators and their
lagging trust and progress in the climate deal as soon as Chinese counterparts was
in the climate talks, Obama, he took office this year but seen as paving the way to the U.N. conference. Those are “There is a history of bro-
one of the leaders who paved the Trump move set back global Paris accord in 2015, pledges to cut emissions in ken promises and unfulfilled
the way for the historic 2015 U.S. efforts for years. Other Obama on Monday criticized half by 2030 to keep the Paris commitments by developed
Paris climate deal, threw in a top polluters — including Chinese President Xi Jin- climate deal’s 1.5 degree Cel- countries,” added Diego Pa-
touch of his trademark hope China, India and Russia — ping and Russian President sius temperature limit goal checo Balanza of Bolivia.
even while talking about “im- are moving far more slowly Vladimir Putin for not join- alive; the need for $100 bil-
ages of dystopia” that were on fighting climate change ing other global leaders at the lion annually in financial help Scientists say the Earth is
creeping into his dreams. than scientists say is needed. climate talks in Glasgow. from rich countries to poor only a few years away from
ones; and the idea that half of the point where meeting the
“There are times where the “1.5 C is on life support “It was particularly discour- that money goes to adapting goals set in the Paris accord
future seems somewhat now, it’s in ICU,” said Alden aging to see the leaders of to global warming’s worst ef- becomes impossible, due
bleak. There are times where Meyer, a long-time observer two of the world’s largest fects. Several other issues, to mounting damage from
I am doubtful that humanity of climate talks with E3G, an emitters, China and Russia, including trading carbon and coal, petroleum, agriculture
can get its act together before environmental think tank. decline to even attend the the transparency of national and other pollution sources.
it’s too late,” Obama said at proceedings, and their na- emissions commitments, also The last few days have seen
the two-week-long negotia- Obama’s appearance sought tional plans reflect what ap- weren’t solved yet. huge protests in Glasgow
tions. “We can’t afford hope- to remind governments of pears to be a dangerous lack and around Europe by young
lessness.” the elation that surrounded of urgency,” Obama said. Representatives of 77 devel- people and others demand-
the Paris accord and urge oping nations, along with ing faster action in fighting
His comments came as con- them to announce more im- Obama spoke earlier Mon- China, said until this climate global warming.
ference leaders acknowledged mediate, concrete steps to day to a session on Pacific Is- conference produces the fi-
Monday that many key stick- put the 2015 deal into ac- land nations, including ones nancing to help poor nations Obama met later Monday
ing points exist after a week tion. Optimism and unity is whose existence is threatened cope with climate change the with a dozen climate activ-
of talks. A trust gap between required to save the planet, by rising oceans due to cli- talks can’t be considered suc- ists, many in their 20s, urging
rich and poor nations on cli- both in the U.S. and around mate change. cessful. They said announce- them to keep up their public
mate change issues emerged the world, he said. ments on fighting climate pressure despite frustrations
when the negotiations went “All of us have a part to play. change were high in number at the lack of more efforts by
through a checklist of what’s “It doesn’t matter if you’re a All of us have work to do. but worried that they were governments.
left to be done. Develop- Republican or a Democrat if All of us have sacrifices to low in quality.
ing countries used the word your Florida house is flooded make” on climate, he said. “The question is, where are
“disappointing” several times by rising seas, or your crops “But those of us who live in Ahmadou Sebory Touré of the countries that really met
when leaders talked Monday fail in the Dakotas, or your wealthy nations, those of us Guinea said rich countries our expectations? And it
about the progress to date. California house is burning. who helped to precipitate the not fulfilling their $100 bil- turns out, those are the plac-
Nature, physics, science – problem ... we have an added lion a year pledge to aid poor es where there was pressure,
The U.N. climate conference they don’t care about party burden.” nations shows they are just where there was political mo-
in Glasgow, Scotland, is the affiliation,” Obama said. “We making “an empty commit- bilization, where there were
former American president’s need everybody – even if we No deals have been made yet ment.” activists,” a shirtsleeves-clad
first since he helped deliver disagree on other things.” on three main goals of the Obama said.

Emaciated children in Kabul hospital point to rising hunger

(AP) — In Kabul’s main she’s too exhausted to ated face showing. ing scrap goods and selling edge of famine has risen to 45
children’s hospital, even open her eyes. Her them. But for the past three million in 43 countries. The
2½-year-old Guldana is tiny body is wrapped in a She’s one of a growing num- months, work has dried up number is up from 42 mil-
sitting up in her bed, but blanket, only her emaci- ber of near-starving children and he has hardly made any lion earlier this year.
who are brought every day money.
to the Indira Gandhi Chil- Afghanistan is the source of
dren’s Hospital in the Afghan “Before, I had enough work, I most of that increase. The
capital. Hunger is increasing could provide food. We could number of Afghans living in
dramatically in Afghanistan, have meat one or two times a near-famine conditions has
fueled by an economic crisis week,” he said. Now his fam- risen to 8.7 million, up by
that has only gotten worse ily mainly gets by on boiled 3 million from earlier this
since the Taliban seized pow- potatoes. He said sometimes year, the WFP said. Overall,
er in the country nearly three he only has bread soaked in almost 24 million people in
months ago. green tea for his children, Afghanistan, or 60% of the
“just to give them something population, suffer from acute
Guldana’s father, Jinnat Gul, so they stop crying.” hunger. An estimated 3.2
said he can hardly afford to million children under age
feed her and his other five The U.N.’s World Food Pro- 5 are expected to suffer from
children. He used to work gram said Monday that the acute malnutrition by the
going house to house collect- number of people on the end of the year.