Pro-Palestinian Protesters Descend on Rockefeller Center Tree on Christmas Day Chanting ‘Long Live Resistance’

Hundreds of people, many wearing Arab headdresses and waving Palestinian flags, packed the street north of the giant, decorated evergreen

Published 12/25/23

Bruce Golding

Pro-Palestinian protesters staged a noisy Yuletide demonstration near New York City's iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree on Monday, displaying anti-Israel signs and chanting, "Long live resistance!"

Hundreds of people, many wearing Arab headdresses and waving Palestinian flags, packed West 50th Street in Manhattan just north of the giant, decorated evergreen, according to a video clip posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Some held homemade signs that referenced the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror group, as well as President Joe Biden's repeated calls for a "two-state solution" to the conflict, which is the subject of a new peace plan proposed by Egypt.

"While ur shopping, bombs are dropping," one sign said.

Another read, "We don't want two states, we want 48!" and a red-and-white banner said, "Joy in genocide."

Pro-Palestinian protesters stage a demonstration near the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree on Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, in New York City.mfsgottenshook/X

A person with a microphone also led the activists in a call-and-response chant of "One wish for Christmas — Long live resistance!"

Last month, the annual tree-lighting ceremony took place as hundreds of people clashed with cops nearby after a pro-Palestinian group called for supporters to "flood" the event.

A pro-Palestinian protest also disrupted the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade by gluing themselves to the asphalt on Sixth Avenue along its route.

 

Pro-Palestinian New York Protesters Chanted ‘Christmas Is Canceled’ Before Scuffling With Police

Some of the demonstrators carried a a mock Nativity scene soaked in fake blood

Published 12/25/23

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators demand that Christmas not be celebrated during Israel’s continued bombing of the Gaza Strip on Christmas Day on December 25, 2023 in New York City.

Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Protesters who took over streets in midtown Manhattan on Monday chanted that "Christmas is canceled" due to the Israel-Hamas war — before the protest broke out into fighting with police.

On Monday, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of New York City, carrying a mock Nativity scene soaked in fake blood, according to the New York Post.

The crowd reportedly chanted "Christmas is canceled here" as they made their way through the city.

"Long live the intifada" was another chant reportedly heard as they enveloped the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, waving signs that read, "While Ur Shopping Bombs are Dropping."

Another read "No Joy In Genocide."

The protest stopped outside the building that houses Fox News — the second time protesters have staged a demonstration outside the news organization's skyscraper.

Videos shared to X, formerly Twitter, show NYPD and protesters exchanging shoves as the large protest swelled near 32nd Street and Park Avenue.

One video shows officers chasing after a man, who drops a Palestinian flag. Other cops in the area descend on the man, who starts yelling out, "My rib, my rib."

Footage from another clip captured officers rolling around on the ground, arresting a man. After he's in handcuffs, blood can be seen coming from the man's mouth.

The NYPD was unable to provide information on how many protesters were arrested on Christmas evening.

Read More

New York Police Preparing for ‘Flood’ of Pro-Palestine Protesters at Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting
NYPD Clashes With Pro-Palestinian Protesters as Christmas Day Demonstration Descends Into Chaos
Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israel Protests Duel in New York After Gaza Hospital Bombing
Thousands of Pro-Palestinian Protesters Flood Brooklyn Bridge in New York
Israeli Flag Is Lit on Fire in New York as Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israel Protesters Clash

Pro-Palestine Protesters Gather Outside The Homes Of Biden Admin Officials On Christmas Day


[Screenshot/Twitter/@CollinRugg]


HAILEY GOMEZ

DAILY CALLER

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER

December 25, 2023

Protesters gathered outside the homes of two Biden Administration officials on Christmas Day chanting in support of Palestine. 

The homes of Defense Secretary Llyod Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, located in both Virginia and Washington, D.C., were reportedly bombarded with pro-Palestine protesters. Video footage from the protest outside of Austin’s house showed a group wearing yellowing vests and some either waving Palestine flags or holding signs. 

(RELATED: Pro-Palestine Protesters Disrupt Live Broadcast Of Benefit For Blind Children)

“Austin, Austin, rise and shine, no sleep during genocide!” they could be heard shouting.

Another clip additionally shared by The People’s Forum on Twitter showed another group of protesters outside Sullivan’s house. 

“Resistance is justified when people are occupied,” the group could be heard chanting.

Both Austin and Sullivan have traveled to Israel since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. 

A non-partisan group called Stop Antisemitism posted to Twitter slamming the group for showing up at Austin’s home. 

“Virginia – pro-Palestinian agitators show up to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s home and harass him, as well as his entire neighborhood, this Christmas morning,” the post states.  

“We’re not sure who needs to hear this but harassing a four-star general who has served his country his entire career will not “Free Palestine.”‘

Police eventually showed up at both of the homes, according to Fox News. It is unclear if either official was in their home during the time of the protest.

NYC moves to 'level three' police mobilization as pro-Palestine supporters chanting 'Long live the intifada' and 'Christmas is canceled' storm Manhattan while mob surrounds Pentagon and NSA chiefs' homes amid nation-wide anti-Israel protests

Pro-Palestine protestors struck several US cities on Christmas Day

Large crowds descended on the homes of top Biden administration officials

Several people were also arrested in New York as the scenes turned hostile

By WILL POTTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 25 December 202

Pro-Palestine protestors clashed with NYPD officers in ugly scenes in New York City as Christmas Day was marred by demonstrations against Israel in several US cities.

The NYPD confirmed to DailyMail.com it has moved to 'Level Three' police mobilization to combat the protests. A number of arrests are believed to have been made, however the number could not be confirmed as the situation is 'ongoing.'

Level three mobilization is the second highest alert level in the NYPD, meaning all special units are called into action and squad cars are sent out from every command center in the city.

Reports indicate several police officers have been injured in the melee, but the extent of their injuries are unclear.

Footage from the streets of Manhattan showed furious protestors facing off with a large police presence, with the crowds heard earlier in the day chanting, 'Long live the intifada.'

Demonstrators also descended on the homes of Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan as they marked the holiday season with their families inside.

In one clip shared to social media, protestors filled the opulent Washington neighborhood of the Defense Secretary as they sang: 'Austin, Austin, rise and shine, no sleep during genocide.'

NYPD makes multiple arrests at pro-Palestine march in NYC


Huge crowds filled the streets of Manhattan on Christmas Day to protest the US support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas

New Yorkers saw their Christmas marred by demonstrations, which included chants of 'one wish for Christmas, long live resistance'



Pro-Palestine protestors descended on the homes of Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan as they celebrated Christmas with their families
Pro-Palestine protest shuts down Rockefeller Center on Christmas day

TRENDING

Outrage over AOC's Christmas post that likens Jesus to Palestinians

JESUS WAS PALESTINIAN BORN IN THE WEST BANK TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

NYT accused of spreading anti-Jewish hate with Gaza City mayor op ed

The pro-Palestine protests came as organizers vowed to 'cancel' Christmas celebrations while Israel continues its onslaught on Gaza, calling 'for mobilization not celebration.'

A flyer purporting to be from the organizers in New York called on people to gather outside the Newscorp building - home of Fox News - and to 'bring your flags, signs, keffiyehs and materials to build a nativity scene.'

Later in the day, a bright red nativity scene emblazoned with 'no joy in genocide' was became a central part of the protest as it travelled through Manhattan.

Protestors chanted 'one wish for Christmas, long live resistance' and 'no more money for Israel's crimes', while a large police presence lined the streets and stationed outside key landmarks to control the masses.

At one point, the crowd directly targeted the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, at the same time tourists walked along Fifth Avenue.

The same spot had previously been targeted by pro-Palestine protestors a month ago, where hostile scenes erupted as New Yorkers marked the annual tree lighting.

The demonstration appeared to turn hostile as the group moved to Grand Central, which previously had to be closed down in November after pro-Palestine protestors stormed the building.

The group also declared a day of protests in New York City, calling for 'mobilization not celebration' and to bring 'materials to build a nativity scene'

A bright red nativity scene reading 'no joy in genocide' was a central part of the protest as it moved through the Big Apple on Christmas Day

A huge police presence was mobilized to deal with the hostile scenes in the Big Apple

A pro-Palestine protestor holds a sign reading 'while ur shopping, bombs are dropping' at the protest in New York City

Outside of Austin and Sullivan's respective homes, protestors shut down their opulent neighborhoods as they blasted their demands over megaphones.

'Austin, we are at your gate,' they said in one clip. 'Justice is our only fate.'

The groups carried signs declaring that 'Palestine will be free', and spoke from blood-covered podiums listing defense and weapons contractors including Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.

Austin and Sullivan's homes were targeted as the Biden administration continues to stand by Israel as it carries out retaliatory strikes on Gaza.

The protests appear to have been organized by The People's Forum, which shared at around 11am on Christmas morning that it was celebrating a 'morning wake-up in Lloyd Austin's neighborhood.'

'We're going to head to a second location to protest at another war criminal's house,' the group added at the time, as attendees were seen with a sign reading: 'Genocide Joe - you have blood on your hands.'

Shortly after, the group shared an image of Sullivan with a red line across his eyes as it vowed there would be 'no Xmas as usual for war criminals.'

'This AM, protestors woke up (Austin) as he tried to go on with his xmas while arming & supporting zionist genocide against the Palestinian people,' the group said.

'Now, we disrupt ANOTHER war criminal: (Sullivan). The people say NO XMAS AS USUAL!'

The protests were organized by The People's Forum, which said it targeted National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan because he is a 'war criminal'

+14
View gallery


Protestors spoke from blood-soaked podiums emblazoned with the names of weapons and defense contractors, including Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin

The protests appear to be organized by activist group 'The People's Forum', which has frequently called to 'shut it down for Palestine' by disrupting public events in recent weeks

A female protestor demonstrates in New York City with a sign calling for Israel to 'Stop Bombing Civilians'

The People's Forum has been behind a number of protests in America since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out, frequently calling to 'shut it down for Palestine' by disrupting public events.

Last month, it was revealed that the group is being financed by a Connecticut tech investor and his wife, who have reportedly funneled at least $20 million into the group's activities.

After it's Christmas Day protests, the organization announced it is staging another round of demonstrations on New Years Eve.

'There can be no holiday celebrations as usual while a genocide takes place in real time,' the group said.

'The people will take to the streets on New Year’s Eve calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to the brutal Zionist occupation.'

A new push for hockey neck guards

DECEMBER 25, 2023
HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

FROM

Transcript

In the New Year, both the NHL and NCAA will discuss making neck guards for hockey players mandatory. That's after the death of hockey players injured in games the last two years.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

A tragic hockey accident in October reinvigorated conversations about whether hockey players should wear neck guards. In the coming months, both the NCAA and the NHL will discuss whether to mandate the equipment. Not everyone is convinced there's a need, but advocates and companies are forging ahead creating the protective gear. Evan Casey of Wisconsin Public Radio reports.

EVAN CASEY, BYLINE: At University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Panther Arena, the Milwaukee Admirals are chasing hockey pucks on the ice during a team practice. Players are wearing helmets, visors, shin pads and bulky hockey gloves. Most aren't wearing neck guards, but two are, including veteran Kevin Gravel.

KEVIN GRAVEL: I think everyone, at the end of the day, wants to do what they can to protect themselves, and right now, wearing a neck guard is, I think, beneficial for how fast the game is and what - you know, what can happen on the ice.

CASEY: Admirals defenseman Adam Wilsby is from Sweden, where neck guards are already mandatory. He grew up wearing one. And now he doesn't even notice it's on most games.

ADAM WILSBY: Not really, not really - you're so focused on the game, so you kind of just don't think of it.

CASEY: Everyone in the hockey world knows about Adam Johnson, the former NHL player and Minnesota native who died last October after a skate slash his throat during a game. In 2022 a high schooler in Connecticut, Teddy Balkind, also died from a similar injury on the ice. Neither were wearing neck guards. Advocates say the equipment should be worn by all players and made mandatory by pro leagues. Erik Martinson is a chairperson of the Ice Hockey Rules Committee for the NCAA. That committee, which oversees college teams, recommends players wear neck guards, and Martinson says they'll be discussing a possible mandate in the coming months.

ERIK MARTINSON: Are neck guards the answer or not? Those are the things that we're talking through within the committee.

CASEY: In the meantime, companies are getting ready to fill any orders.

(SOUNDBITE OF SCISSORS SNIPPING)

CASEY: A seamstress working for Wisconsin-based Skate Armor is sewing and cutting fabric and rubber tabs as she creates a neck guard.

(SOUNDBITE OF SEWING MACHINE STITCHING)

CASEY: Owner and hockey mom Terry Weiss says sales exploded following Johnson's death. She thinks the equipment should be mandatory for all players.

TERRY WEISS: If you look at a hockey player's ensemble - their uniform, basically - every part of their body is covered, even if it's just by a piece of fabric, except for the neck. And that's the most vulnerable part, really, that is exposed - completely exposed.

CASEY: Still, it may take some convincing. A USA hockey survey revealed 27% of neck lacerations occurred to players who already had neck guards on. Charles Popkin has been around hockey all of his life. He's a consultant for G8RSkin Ice, a new neck guard company. He says players are often hesitant to wear new safety equipment on the ice.

CHARLES POPKIN: Hockey's, you know, been a little reluctant on maybe some of the common-sense safety stuff - takes a little bit longer to set in or implement.

CASEY: That's long been an issue in hockey. Helmets weren't even mandated in the NHL until 1979. And NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says any mandate will require approval from the players' association.

GARY BETTMAN: We're working cooperatively with - there's a lot of studying that's been going on. I think ultimately, we may get there.

CASEY: That discussion will continue on into the new year in an effort to prevent any more tragic accidents on the ice. For NPR News, I'm Evan Casey in Milwaukee.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)



Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Big wins and legal battles: How  US unions old and new did in 2023

DECEMBER 25, 2023
HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

NPR

Transcript

Established labor unions won big at the bargaining table in 2023, but newly-formed unions remained mired in legal battles with companies who continue to fight their existence.


ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

More than half a million workers in America went on strike this year.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #1: (Chanting) Hey, hey, ho, ho, corporate greed has got to go.

SHAPIRO: And hundreds of thousands more threatened to strike, leading to historic wins for workers like we haven't seen in decades.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Chanting) Union.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #2: (Chanting) Union.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Chanting) Mighty.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #2: (Chanting) Mighty.

SHAPIRO: But does this signal a turnaround for unions in the U.S.? NPR's Andrea Hsu weighs in on that question.

ANDREA HSU, BYLINE: Hollywood actors and writers, nurses and emergency room techs, airline pilots, autoworkers, delivery drivers - those were just some of the union workers who banded together this year to demand pay and benefits that validate their hard work. Here was Teamsters organizer Rob Atkinson at a UPS rally.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ROB ATKINSON: What has UPS done to show that they respect the sacrifices that you all made working through that pandemic while they increased their profits by 250%? Nothing. Well, I got news for them. We're here to collect our share.

HSU: The idea that workers deserve more of what the top bosses have long enjoyed was central to the United Auto Workers strike. Here was UAW President Shawn Fain on Labor Day.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SHAWN FAIN: We're fed up, just like all the working class is fed up with watching these companies take in billions in profits. We've watched the CEOs rake in millions, and we've watched workers' wages, benefits go backwards.

HSU: Also enraged - workers in hospitals, hotels and Hollywood. Here's actor Jordan Hull.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JORDAN HULL: Writers and actors and directors and everyone in front or behind the camera are the reason that movies are made. And so I hope these studio corporate greed-heads start to realize that.

HSU: By the looks of it, they did. Hollywood Studios agreed to major changes in how they pay actors and writers for content that's streamed. Kaiser Permanente, UPS and the Big Three automakers all agreed to historic wage increases. And while the unions didn't win everything they had sought, overall, they emerged looking stronger than they have in years. President Biden summed up what the UAW achieved this way.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Look, folks, these deals are game changers, not only for UAW workers but for all workers in America.

HSU: At least, that is his hope. However, not all unions had such big wins to celebrate this year, especially not the newly formed unions, the ones that grabbed so many headlines last year.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Chanting) Hey, Starbucks. Get off it.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #3: (Chanting) Put workers over profit.

HSU: Remember when Starbucks baristas went on a tear organizing hundreds of stores in just a matter of months or when warehouse workers on Staten Island defied everyone's expectations to form the first Amazon Labor Union?

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #4: (Chanting) ALU, ALU.

HSU: Well, more than a year and a half later, not a single unionized Starbucks store has a first contract, and Amazon is still challenging the outcome of that Staten Island election. In a statement, the company said we don't believe it represents what the majority of our team wants.

CONNOR SPENCE: From Amazon's perspective, they just pretend that we don't exist.

HSU: Connor Spence was one of the original organizers of the Amazon Labor Union. He worked as a packer at that Staten Island warehouse until he was fired.

SPENCE: On November 29.

HSU: As an organizer, Spence had spent many off hours in the break room, a violation of Amazon's policy that you can only be on site when you're scheduled to work. Now, federal labor officials have said that policy violates workers' right to organize, but Amazon disagrees and is fighting back. And it's far from the only thing the company is fighting. At some point, there will likely be a hearing on whether to force the company to sit down with the union to negotiate a contract. Spence isn't holding his breath.

SPENCE: Whatever the results of the court case are, we don't know that Amazon will even honor those results. They could appeal this all the way up to the Supreme Court if they wanted.

HSU: Meanwhile, turnover at Amazon warehouses is high, as much as 150% a year, which means on Staten Island...

SPENCE: A substantial number of the people who voted in the election aren't there anymore.

HSU: It's like this elsewhere, too. At Starbucks and Trader Joe's, things are moving so slowly there are pockets of workers who don't want to be part of a union who are trying to undo the process. Still, at well-established unions like the UAW, things do feel different for now. Fresh from his big wins, Shawn Fain is riding the momentum, vowing...

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

FAIN: When we return to the bargaining table in 2028, it won't just be with the Big Three, but with the Big Five or Big Six.

HSU: Already, the UAW says it's got organizing campaigns going at a dozen nonunion plants, but there, too, all signs point to a long and rocky road ahead. Andrea Hsu, NPR News.

SHAPIRO: And a note that Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters and pays to distribute some NPR content.


Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

ICYMI SCI-FI-TEK

Nuclear fusion breakthrough: US lab achieves multiple ignitions

Nicole Dominikowski

 (translated by Nicole Dominikowski), 

Published 12/25/2023

Researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the USA have achieved successful fusion reactions that release more energy than is consumed. The ignitions were repeated several times, indicating a significant step towards developing fusion power plants. In December 2022, the scientists were already able to trigger an ignition, but in the latest experiments they managed to reproduce the fusion reactions in a targeted way.

I’m feeling pretty good. I think we should all be proud of the achievement.

- Richard Town, a physicist who heads the lab’s inertial-confinement fusion science programme at the LLNL

During the experiments, 192 laser beams were used to bombard a frozen pellet of deuterium and tritium, resulting in the fusion of the isotopes and the release of helium and a significant amount of energy. Originally designed for reproducing and analysing thermonuclear explosions, the NIF's success in fusion research has led to new investments in the technology.

The US government has recently announced funding for three new laser fusion research centres. It is intended to drive the development of more efficient laser systems and processes. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is the largest laser facility in the world.

Laser systems are used to create fusion reactions (image: Jason Laurea / NIF)


The system can deliver up to 1.9 megajoules of energy using 192 laser beams. During the experiments at the NIF, fusion reactions generate up to 4 megajoules of energy, equivalent to the energy released by the explosion of 10 kilograms of TNT. The researchers are currently working on improving the laser system's efficiency, which could reduce the costs of fusion power plants.

In summary, the development of fusion power plants is a lengthy process. However, the success of the NIF is an important step in this direction, and new investments in laser fusion give hope that fusion power plants could become a reality in the coming decades. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory video provides an accurate depiction of a fusion reaction.

' \\

WWIII

India deploys warships amid attacks in Arabian Sea, Red sea

Action comes days after drone strike targeted merchant ship off India's western coast

Ahmad Adil | Update : 26.12.2023


NEW DELHI

Amid attacks in Red Sea and Arabian Sea, India said Monday it had deployed warships as a force deterrent in the region.

“Considering the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy has deployed Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata (Guided Missile Destroyers) in various areas to maintain a deterrent presence,” an official statement said on Monday.

It said long-range maritime reconnaissance P8I aircraft are being regularly tasked to maintain domain awareness.

The step comes days after a drone strike targeted a merchant ship off India's western coast, causing an explosion and fire.

The statement said analysis of the area of attack and debris found on the vessel MV Chem Pluto points to a drone attack.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have significantly stepped up their involvement in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip by targeting vessels in the southern Red Sea.

WHO: Global COVID-19 Cases Surge 52% in 4 Weeks

Written: 2023-12-24 

Photo : KBS News

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Saturday that during the previous four weeks, COVID-19 cases have increased globally by more than 50 percent.

In a statement, the WHO said that during the past 28-day period, from November 20 to December 17, more than 850-thousand new cases of the disease were registered, up 52 percent from the previous four-week period.

The WHO said that during the cited period, the number of deaths decreased by eight percent to about three-thousand.

Most of the new infections came from Russia, which reported nearly 280-thousand cases, followed by Singapore with 120-thousand, Italy with over 114-thousand, Poland and Australia with some four-thousand each.

Italy reported the largest death toll with 510 during the period, followed by Sweden with 396, Russia with 376, Australia with 211 and Poland with 141.

In May, the WHO officially declared the end of the coronavirus pandemic worldwide, advising countries to manage the disease like they do with seasonal influenza.

According to the WHO, as of October 25, there are over 771 million confirmed cases and almost seven million deaths worldwide.

Less than half of Brits believe COP28 will lead to “tangible change”

In the fight against climate change, only 38 percent of Brits have said that they believe COP28 will lead to “tangible change”, research finds.

New research has unearthed that as little as 38 percent of Brits believe COP28 will lead to tangible change in the global fight against climate change.

Carried out by Varda, the survey was created to determine attitudes towards the most recent United Nations Climate Change Conference and at COP28 in Dubai.

The survey asked 1,000 UK consumers for their insight and revealed that 57 percent don’t have an in-depth understanding of what COP is. Meanwhile, a further 10 percent don’t know what objectives COP27 set out to achieve. In fact, 63 percent are not aware of (or didn’t remember) the theme from COP27.

The previous COP took place in Egypt in November 2022, however in the year since then, Varda has shared that “it appears that consumers are yet to feel its impact”. Sixty five percent of respondents stated that they haven’t noticed any changes to the country or communities since the event though only five percent felt COP27 was effective in addressing pressing climate issues, and six percent felt that it reflected the needs of ordinary people.

Sixty nine percent of respondents even said that they believe the event is “more about political posturing than the fight against climate change”, and half of respondents believe that the UK Government “isn’t committed to the objectives of COP”.

“It’s clear that there is skepticism regarding the effectiveness of COP. However, it’s heartening to see that many still view it as a vital platform for instigating change. At Varda, we are steadfast in our belief that collaboration is key to safeguarding our collective future, and this collaboration needs to encompass everyone; from the political establishment to the corporate world, from activists to NGO to common citizens,” said Davide Ceper, CEO at Varda.

“While the aspiration is clearly present in all sectors, the conviction, according to survey respondents, seems lacking. This underscores the pressing need for more education and involvement of all communities in the concerted efforts to address this global issue.”

Considering COP28, the survey revealed there is still a lot of optimism for this year’s conference. A total of 48 percent of consumers said that they still think COP28 is a step in the right direction for addressing climate change.

Meanwhile 47 percent believe comprehensive media campaigns on TV, radio, and in newspapers would strengthen awareness around COP, while 25 percent believe mandatory transparency reports on decision-making processes, and 21 percent binding legal consequences for not meeting set targets or promises, would help with overall accountability.

“Generating more awareness and more engagement from everyone will be pivotal for us making positive strides towards our goals. COP28 can be a tremendous catalyst for this and we must make sure that the messages reach far and wide,” continued Ceper.

The view after COP28 in Dubai

The massive meeting yielded a new verbal cudgel to stimulate action as the world hurtles toward 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming.

by BOB HENSON

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Participants walk under banners on day six of the COP28 Climate Conference at Expo City Dubai on December 5, 2023. 

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)


Seldom are so many hearts and minds focused on a few simple words of global agreement as they are when a United Nations climate meeting draws to a close. That was the case once more at the 28th such global summit, formally known as the 28th Conference of Parties, or COP28, of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The summit wrapped up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on December 13, about 23 hours later than planned, with the mixed bag of successes and shortcomings that’s been par for the course in a number of prior COP meetings.

We’ll get into what key leaders and thinkers have been saying in the aftermath of COP28.

But first, some context.

Pressure to formally call for an end to fossil fuel use

For several years, there’s been an intensifying demand for the COP meetings to call explicitly for a phaseout or phase-down of fossil fuel use. Variations of these terms appeared in early drafts of the COP28 closing document. By the near-final version, released on December 11, those words had been replaced by a reference that nations “could” carry out a variety of actions. The draft text prompted a global surge of fury.

“COP28 is now on the verge of complete failure,” posted Al Gore, who’s been active at COP meetings ever since they were launched during his tenure as U.S. vice president in the 1990s. “The world desperately needs to phase out fossil fuels as quickly as possible, but this obsequious draft reads as if OPEC dictated it word for word.”




As often happens at COP meetings, a blitz of last-minute wordsmithing led to some key changes. The final agreement still had only a tepid call for a “phase-down of unabated coal power” (with “unabated” open to much interpretation). However, it did become the first closing document in COP history to mention the energy source that’s driving human-caused climate change in the first place. It calls for “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.”


“These climate conferences are of course a consensus-based process, meaning all Parties must agree on every word, every comma, every full stop … Whilst we didn’t turn the page on the fossil fuel era in Dubai, this outcome is the beginning of the end.”
—U.N. Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, from the closing speech at COP28

The response to the COP28 meeting in Dubai

Verbs can be crucial in COP agreements. “Calls on” is among the weakest of exhortations in United Nations lingo, compared to stronger alternatives such as “requests” or “urges.”




Some diplomats and activists praised the inclusion of fossil fuels but decried other aspects of the statement as exceptionally weak tea.

“It is unfortunate that with the inclusion of the word ‘unabated’, the outcome suggests there is a considerable role for dangerous distractions such as large-scale carbon capture and storage and ‘transitional fuels.’ This is not the case. For a livable planet we need a full phaseout of all fossil fuels.”

—Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead and COP20 President, in a news release from Climate Action Network International

The Alliance of Small Island States, or AOSIS, which represents 39 vulnerable small-island and other low-lying coastal developing states, noted that the final agreement was gaveled in and followed by a standing ovation just as their representatives were entering the room.


“We have made an incremental advancement over business as usual [at COP28] when what we really needed is an exponential step-change in our actions and support … It is not enough for us to reference the science and then make agreements that ignore what the science is telling us we need to do.”—AOSIS Lead Negotiator Anne Rasmussen, in a statement released December 13


Read: Checklist: How to take advantage of brand-new clean energy tax credits

For many, though, including some who were incensed about the lack of a comprehensive phaseout, it was the long-awaited use of “fossil fuels” that ultimately gave hope:


“That may not seem like much — it is, after all, the single most obvious thing one could possibly say about climate change, akin to ‘in an effort to reduce my headache, I am transitioning away from hitting myself in the forehead with a hammer.’… But it is — and this is important — a tool for activists to use henceforth. The world’s nations have now publicly agreed that they need to transition off fossil fuels, and that sentence will hang over every discussion from now on — especially the discussions about any further expansion of the fossil fuel energy.”—Author and activist Bill McKibben, from The Crucial Years (Substack)

The much-debated closing statement was far from the only outcome at COP28. The initial mechanics of a major Loss and Damage Fund for countries hard hit by climate change were formalized, although pledges to the fund remain minuscule compared to the assessed needs. In addition, there was progress on agreements involving food, forests, land, and nature.

What comes next after COP28 in Dubai

The closing agreement of COP28 was also the culmination of the first global COP stocktake. The multiyear stocktake process, specified in the 2015 Paris agreement, is designed to motivate ever-stronger voluntary pledges for emissions reduction from each nation. The first round of pledges was finalized in 2020; the next round will be submitted by 2025, ahead of the COP30 meeting to be held in Brazil.

Those updated pledges will be in force through 2030, so they’ll be the last guide stars helping to determine whether the planet will keep global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius over preindustrial values. The updated pledges are also critical for meeting the net-zero-emission goals that almost 100 nations have set, mainly for the mid-21st century.

Even if the unprecedented heat surge of 2023 fails to push long-term global warming above 1.5 °C, it’s put a boldface exclamation point on just how close that threshold has gotten.

“This text is toothless and it is nowhere even close to being sufficient to keep us within the 1.5 degree limit … It is a stab in the back for those most vulnerable.”—Activist Greta Thunberg, speaking to Reuters on Dec. 15, 2023

Years of research indicate that the 1.5 °C goal will be virtually impossible to meet unless emissions are cut drastically — on the order of 50% — between now and 2030. If there’s any hope of making such ambitious cuts, or even lesser cuts that would still be incredibly important, renewable energy will have to be stepped up quickly and the world will need to use energy more efficiently. The COP28 closing statement hits both of these needs, as it includes a call for tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the rate of energy efficiency progress by 2030.

Running alongside these goals is a relentless growth in global energy demand, which is why boosting energy efficiency and renewables are both crucial. Otherwise, the continued growth in fossil fuel development threatens to swallow those gains.

Why an in-person COP meeting still matters

COP28 was projected to draw a record-smashing 70,000 people to Dubai. It ended up with some 80,000 registrants — once again raising the question of the value of so many people flying long distances on fossil-fueled aircraft (including hundreds taking private jets) to tackle climate change.

Cynics, dismissives, and even some scientists and activists have long pointed to the obvious carbon footprint of COP meetings. Others have argued that it’s crucial for leaders from throughout the world to discuss the thorny issues at hand in person, especially since smaller and/or poorer countries can otherwise get sidelined. And even with the emissions needed to get to physical COP meetings, at least one analysis has found that the carbon savings produced by COP outcomes can far outweigh the carbon footprint of the meeting itself.

“Each word is of importance; a delegate’s body language; the views and mood of the room … It is really hard to imagine how transporting this process to an online forum would not jeopardize the success and effectiveness of this process. It is hard to imagine how voices of vulnerable and less powerful nations and groups would not be muffled, or how this would not lead to producing an outcome that is the very lowest common denominator.”—Joeri Rogelj, lecturer in climate change and the environment at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, quoted by David Vetter (Forbes)
Should petrostates be allowed to host COP meetings?

Those who chafed at the choice of a petrostate — the United Arab Emirates — as the host of COP28 weren’t happy that another leading fossil fuel producer, Azerbaijan, was chosen as the host for COP29 next year. Under COP rules, the 2024 meeting must be in the United Nations’ Eastern European region, and Russia had refused to accept any member of the European Union as host.

After the city of Baku was chosen for 2024, a foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijan’s president extolled the country’s production of natural gas in the context of COP29: “Azerbaijan is also a gas exporting country, and if you compare it with some other sources of energy — is a much cleaner sort of energy … Azerbaijan has quite serious potential of gas.”

Climate scientist Michael Mann of the University of Pennsylvania and climate communicator Susan Joy Hassol argue in an op-ed that the COP process is in dire need of reforms. Under the banner “mend it, don’t end it,” they propose a range of actions, including prohibiting petrostates from hosting COP meetings, adding penalties such as tariffs or embargoes for nations that attempt to undercut the COP process, and adopting super-majority rather than consensus rules.

These reforms need to happen immediately. The window of opportunity to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius is closing. It will shut tight in a matter of years without rapid and meaningful progress. We must seize this moment to fix the broken COP process and stop the world from barreling down the road to ruin. It’s time to change the rules so we can change the world for the better.—Michael E. Mann and Susan Joy Hassol in a Los Angeles Times opinion essay, December 11, 2023



BOB HENSON  is a meteorologist and journalist based in Boulder, Colorado. He has written on weather and climate for the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Weather Underground, and many freelance... More by Bob Henson

From farm to fork, UN plan targets fair cuts to food emissions

• UN unveils first global roadmap to slash food emissions 

• Plan aims for a ‘just transition’ in agriculture 

• Experts split over use of high-emission fertilisers

BY BHASKER TRIPATHI NEW DELHILAST EDITED DECEMBER 24, 2023





The first-ever UN roadmap for cutting climate-heating emissions from the world’s farming sector, unveiled at the COP28 UN climate summit this month, has stirred debate around how to share fairly the burden of shifting to greener ways.
Some agricultural experts are calling for fertilisers and other agro-chemicals — whose production relies heavily on fossil fuels — to be completely phased out, while others say poorer countries will continue to need them to improve low crop yields.
Food systems — including growing methods, inputs like fertilisers, storage, transportation and waste — account for nearly a third of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
The new plan, presented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), targets an end to hunger and malnutrition without breaching the most ambitious Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C.
It proposes measures to boost farm productivity while emitting less methane, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in 10 domains — from using clean energy and restoring soil and pastures, to reducing chemical inputs, food loss and waste.
It also aims for a “just transition” in agriculture by making a distinction between the actions that rich and poor countries should take based on “improved efficiency” and “global rebalancing” of resources for farming and food supplies.
And it proposes that wealthy countries should cut their high consumption of animal-source foods to enable developing nations to increase theirs without damaging the climate and nature.
The roadmap is the first of a set the FAO will unveil at three annual climate summits, starting with this year’s global overview and detailing next how to make food systems work better for people and the planet at the regional and country levels.
Emile Frison, of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems, welcomed the initial plan and “its emphasis on a just transition”. But, he added in a statement, it does not go far enough because it focuses only on incremental improvements to today’s “flawed” industrial food system.
“These efficiency-first proposals are unlikely to be enough to get us off the high pollution, high fossil fuel, high hunger track we’re on,” said the conservation and biodiversity expert.
Patty Fong, programme director at the Global Alliance for the Future of Food — which unites almost 30 philanthropic foundations — said making food systems truly sustainable would require a commitment to phase out fossil fuels along the entire value chain, from farm to fork.
The roadmap, however, calls for less fertiliser use through greater efficiency rather than a wholesale shift towards sustainable farming practices like agro-ecology, she noted.
Others argued that chemical fertilisers remain essential for boosting food security in developing countries with low crop yields and a high proportion of smallholder farmers.
Aditi Mukherji, of the CGIAR global research partnership on food systems, said solutions should be context-specific — and sustainable intensification of agriculture is needed in poorer regions with low productivity.
“But certainly, this is not true of high-income countries,” she told Context.
In many low-income countries, higher agricultural efficiency and stronger climate resilience would result in lower emissions by minimising crop losses and post-harvest waste, she noted.

INDIAN FARMERS STRUGGLE

These debates are playing out on the ground in countries like India, where agriculture is the biggest employer, supporting the livelihoods of 250mn farmers and labourers.
Their work is getting tougher as climate change makes living off farming difficult, pushing up debt, migration and even suicides. Worries over falling yields have driven rising use of chemical fertilisers in general.
But a growing number of smallholder farmers are trying out green approaches that promote organic, natural or sustainable methods. Their scale and success will hinge on how well they can protect incomes, agricultural experts told Context.
For instance, despite having heard of many farmers switching to natural cultivation methods, Shashikant Shukla continues to grow wheat and pulses using chemical inputs on his half an acre of land in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state.
His yields and income have been squeezed by erratic monsoon rains, unseasonal downpours and early heatwaves — fuelled by climate change — together with rising costs for fertilisers and other overheads.
“I am constantly living in debt; I do not have the courage to experiment on my farm,” said Shukla, who makes up for his climate-related harvest losses by working as a driver-for-hire.
Even if he does try growing organic wheat, he would end up selling it at the same price as conventional wheat — and if it leads to a dip in yields, “it will break my back,” he added.
Switching to natural farming often causes a drop in yields in the initial years before harvests gradually pick up — something most poor Indian farmers can ill absorb.
They rely on government purchases of their staple crops such as rice and wheat at guaranteed prices, and rarely have money in reserve to change their practices without outside support.
Devinder Sharma, an independent expert on agricultural policy, told Context that India needs to move towards ecological farming practices, but green initiatives will only achieve cosmetic changes unless farmers are offered an assured income.
Smallholder farmers Context spoke to for a recent series on achieving a just green transition in Indian agriculture identified a range of challenges — from lack of access to good-quality seeds and markets with premium prices, to low availability of natural manure and high labour costs.
Sharma said they would benefit from a government-backed guaranteed price for naturally grown produce, as well as subsidies to cover any losses and stronger marketing channels.

CLIMATE FINANCE GAP

A widespread shift to low-carbon, climate-resilient food production, as outlined in the new UN roadmap, will succeed only if it puts farmers at the centre and provides the finance, infrastructure and technology they need to adapt to more extreme weather and adopt greener practices, experts said.
Another FAO report complementing the 1.5C blueprint warned that too little climate finance is flowing to agriculture.
Between 2000 and 2021, agri-food systems received about $183bn, or just 4% of overall climate finance flows, the report said, noting that the annual allocation for farming fell 12% to $19bn in 2021, while hundreds of billions are required.
Furthermore, in that same year, only 0.3% of international climate finance from public and private sources reached smallholder farmers — who will need the most support in the transition to sustainable agriculture, according to a separate analysis by Amsterdam-based think-tank Climate Focus.
They and other marginalised groups should be able to participate in working out how to transform global food systems, said Fong, of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food.
“Grassroots producers — particularly smallholder farmers, women and Indigenous communities — must be included in all discussions,” she said in a statement on the FAO roadmap. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)