CHEMICAL INDUSTRY LOBBY
A 'black day' for the EU Green Deal: lawmakers reject proposal to cut use of chemical pesticides

SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Updated Wed, November 22, 2023 

FILE - European Union flags wave in the wind as pedestrians walk by EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. EU lawmakers have rejected a proposal from the bloc’s executive arm to set legally binding targets to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and a ban on all pesticide use in areas such public parks, playgrounds and schools.

 (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)More

BRUSSELS (AP) — In a blow to the European Green Deal, EU lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a plan to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and to ban all pesticide use in areas such as public parks, playgrounds and schools.

After a series of amendments watered down the proposal of the EU's executive Commission, the bill was rejected in a 299 to 207 vote, with 121 abstentions. It buried the bill for good and any new proposal would need to start from scratch after June elections for members of the European Parliament.

The vote came less than a week after the use of the controversial chemical herbicide glyphosate in the 27-nation bloc was extended for 10 more years.

“This is a very black day for the health of society and for the environment, and also for farmers who need to be free from the agro-industry," said Sarah Wiener, a Green lawmaker who was rapporteur for the proposal. “To put it bluntly, the majority of MEPs put the profits of big agri over the health of our children and the planet.”

“There is not going to be a new sustainable use of pesticides regulation,” Wiener added.

The European Commission said last year that current rules limiting the use of pesticides were too weak and had not been applied consistently across the EU.

The EU’s main agricultural group, COPA-COGECA, welcomed the rejection of the bill and called for an improved dialogue between farmers and the 27-nation bloc's institutions.

“Let’s not forget that this proposal was ideological from the outset, with no connection to the realities of agriculture, proposing unrealistic transitions without the necessary funding,” the group said. “Let’s not forget that all this polarization could have been avoided and solutions found without the ideological obstinacy of a few decision-makers.”

As part of its plan to become climate neutral by 2050, the European Union has adopted a wide range of measures, from reducing energy consumption to sharply cutting transportation emissions and reforming the EU’s trading system for greenhouse gases. But with next year's elections for the European Parliament looming, some leaders and lawmakers are concerned about antagonizing voters with binding legislation and restrictive requirements.

The Left group at the Parliament blamed Christian Democrats, Liberals, and far-right parties for weakening the proposed legislation and removing binding goals to such an extent that it was impossible for their MEPs to support it.

“The obligation to reduce agricultural pesticide use by at least 50% by 2030 and the requirement to reduce the use of hazardous agricultural pesticides by at least 65% by 2030 were voted down,” the group said in a statement. “Restrictions on toxin use in sensitive natural areas were completely removed from the law by the right-wing bloc.”

Madeleine Coste, a campaigner with the Slow Food organization promoting biodiversity and support for small-scale farmers, rued that “a majority in the Parliament has decided to side with the agroindustry and its allies, who have lobbied against this proposal over the last two years, ignoring the scientific consensus on the need to transform our current food system.”

UK
Great Climate Fight: Show sparks viewer anger at government 'gaslighting'

Kevin McCloud's new Channel 4 documentary was hailed by viewers for bringing climate awareness to primetime television - but at the same time left many furious over the flaws in legislation.

Albertina Lloyd
·Contributor
Wed, November 22, 2023 

Kevin McCloud was one of the presenter of The Great Climate Fight. (Channel 4) (Channel 4/The Great Climate Fight)

What did you miss?

Kevin McCloud's The Great Climate Fight has sparked an outpouring of anger at the government for avoiding legislation to tackle climate change.

The Grand Designs star joined Mary Portas and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to present the new Channel 4 documentary about global warming and the government’s commitment to achieve carbon net zero by 2050.

The show was hailed by viewers for bringing climate awareness to primetime television, but at the same timer left many furious at what some called government "gaslighting".

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 . (AFP via Getty Images) (JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images)
What, how, and why?

In the show, retail consultant Portas looked at the Sixth Carbon Budget, an official document which sets out how the UK can reach zero carbon by 2050.

The Secret Shopper presenter asked why Rishi Sunak's government isn’t working harder to hit those targets.

Property expert McLoud highlighted how poor-insulation in homes results in high gas bills and questioned why housing secretary Michael Gove and construction companies are doing nothing to work towards building new homes to be greener.

And celebrity chef Fearnley-Whittingstall called for an end to the effective ban in England on onshore wind farms, brought in by David Cameron's Conservative government eight years ago.

Viewers were outraged by what they saw.

One wrote on social medial platform X, formerly known as Twitter: "Oh dear, turns out there is an evidence base that some Tory politicians monumentally stupid about the climate crisis, their leaders gaslighting liars, probably corruptly linked to anti-green lobbyists. Who’d have thought so easy for Channel 4 to make The Great Climate Fight?"

Another fumed: "Just watched part one of the Great Climate Fight on @Channel4. Just made me angry that the government are just gaslighting us. They have the plans and technology to transition us away from fossil fuels, they are just unwilling to do it."

Another declared: "The Great Climate Fight @Channel4 Hear how activists like Just Stop Oil are on the right side of history, our government is lying to us & themselves. We have the solution but our government is blocking them! Be angry, be brave, join us on the streets"

And another viewer posted: "Powerful stuff on The Great Climate Fight tonight. Episode 2 tomorrow night on Channel 4. Why can't the governement pay attention to what needs to be done by following the advice of experts & just be open & honest to help take us all on the 'journey' with them? Have a look."

Kevin McCloud had planned to confront Michael Gove at a book launch. (Channel 4 screengrab) (Channel 4 screengrab)

What else happened on The Great Climate Fight?

McCloud was outraged himself during filming for the show when he learned he had been reported to the Met Police.

The TV presenter planned to confront Gove at a book launch, for which he had obtained a press ticket.

Her revealed he had had an email from the organisers of the event saying his ticket had been cancelled and they had informed the police of his plan to attend.

McCloud revealed: “He goes onto say, not only has he cancelled my ticket, he’s also reported me to the Met Police. For what? For impersonation of myself?

“On properly checking, they said I can come. I now have my press pass. For God’s sake! I just want to ask somebody a question.”

The Great Climate Fight part two airs on Channel 4 on Wednesday at 9pm and is available to stream now
Read more: The Great Climate Fight

Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud's shock at being reported to Met Police


Carbon removal is the latest way to fight climate change


World has 14% chance of keeping warming below 1.5C in best case (Bloomberg, 3 min read)

Scotland’s only oil refinery to shut amid fears of Starmer-led crackdown

LABOUR IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT,YET

Jonathan Leake
Wed, November 22, 2023 

Grangemouth refinery is to halt operations by 2025 - Jane Barlow/PA

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s energy and chemicals empire is to shut Scotland’s only oil refinery amid surging energy costs and fears that a Labour crackdown on the North Sea will make it unviable.

Grangemouth refinery is to halt operations by 2025, putting hundreds of jobs at risk and leaving Scotland and the north of England dependent on imports for its fuel. Analysts said the closure is likely to raise forecourt costs for drivers.

Petroineos, the joint venture between PetroChina and Sir Jim’s Ineos that runs the refinery, on Wednesday announced plans to stop refining at Grangemouth and turn the complex into a fuel import terminal.

It means the site will stop processing crude oil in early 2025, wiping out the jobs and skills associated with the refining side of the business. As many as 500 roles are feared to be at risk.

The announcement comes a month after Andrew Gardner, the chairman of Petroineos, warned that Labour’s plans for the North Sea put Grangemouth at risk.

Mr Gardner told The Telegraph that Sir Keir Starmer’s promise to ban new oil and gas projects in the North Sea risked leaving Grangemouth without enough fuel to refine.

He said: “We want to keep jobs and manufacturing here but Labour hasn’t understood that we need supplies. I need natural gas, ready, cheap and available as a feedstock.”

In an email to staff on Wednesday, Petroineos said it would “soon be unable to compete effectively with bigger, more modern and efficient refineries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa”.

The announcement comes as Labour are 20 points ahead in the polls, with an election looming next year.

Grangemouth is the only fuel refinery in Scotland and one of only six remaining in the UK. It supplies 80pc of Scotland’s fuel and has been a vital piece of national infrastructure for the past century.

It also supplies raw materials to the adjacent petrochemical and plastics plant run by Ineos Olefins and Polymers (Ineos O&P) whose raw plastics and polymers go into UK products ranging from construction materials to clothing.

Last year Ineos Grangemouth, which owns Ineos O&P, reported a loss of nearly £300m, compared with a £10m profit in 2021, which it blamed largely on the surging cost of energy.

The refinery operation also faces its own high energy bills.

Such costs are compounded by political uncertainty. Grangemouth is fed by the Forties Pipeline network, which links it to 80 of the UK’s offshore oil and gas fields. Most of those fields are in decline but would normally be replaced by new wells. However, Labour plans to ban new drilling if it wins power.

Ashley Kelty, a director and energy analyst at Panmure Gordon investment bank, said the decision to close the facility would “impact fuel security for the UK and will potentially lead to higher costs on the forecourts as imported fuel costs will have to be passed onto consumers”.

He said: “This is another sign of a lack of governmental support for key industries – mainly through an ignorance of the energy transition and belief that renewables are able to fill the gaps.”

Douglas Lumsden, the Scottish Tories’ shadow energy secretary, said: “This is devastating news for the workers at Grangemouth and will be a hammer blow for the local and national economy if it goes ahead.

“The hostile attitude shown towards Scotland’s oil and gas industry from the SNP-Green government – as well as Keir Starmer and Labour’s betrayal of the sector – will have been a factor behind this decision.

“They all fail to recognise the need for oil and gas – such as the refinery at Grangemouth – to be part of Scotland and the UK’s energy mix for years to come.”

Franck Demay, chief executive of Petroineos Refining, said: “As the energy transition gathers pace, this is a necessary step in adapting our business to reflect the decline in demand for the type of fuels we produce.”

Grangemouth accounts for 4pc of Scottish GDP and 8pc of the country’s manufacturing base.

In its email to staff, Petroineos said: “We operate in a global industry that is highly competitive and Grangemouth – like many other refineries – will soon be unable to compete effectively with bigger, more modern and efficient refineries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

“The energy transition is also well underway and demand for road fuels we produce has started to decline and is expected to reduce steadily over the coming years.”

Mr Kelty said: “The anti-business Scottish government and militant trade unions have made it very difficult for Ineos to make improvements in the past, so they would be partly to blame for this decision.”

Sharon Graham, general secretary of trade union Unite, said: “This proposal clearly raises concerns for the livelihoods of our members but also poses major questions over energy supply and security going forward.”

Derek Thomson, Unite Scottish secretary, said: “Unite continues to engage with Petroineos, and we urge other stakeholders such as the Scottish and UK governments to do the same due to the implications that this proposal will have for the economies of the devolved and reserved administrations.

“Every option must be on the table in order to secure the hundreds of highly skilled jobs based at the Grangemouth complex for the long-term.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesman Willie Rennie called on the UK and Scottish governments to “step up”, calling it a “dark day for the workers at Grangemouth”.

 Massive find made by seafloor mapping team in Pacific Ocean, scientists say

Mark Price
Wed, November 22, 2023 at 9:38 AM MST·2 min read

A Pacific seafloor mapping project has located a mountain “twice as high as the Burj Khalifa” in Dubai, which is the world’s tallest building, according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

The 5,249-foot-high seamount covers a massive 5.4 square miles and hides 1.5 miles below sea level in international waters, the institute reports.

It was discovered by a team aboard the research vessel Falkor (too), about 84 nautical miles outside the Guatemalan Exclusive Economic Zone, officials said.

“A seamount over 1.5 kilometers tall which has, until now, been hidden under the waves really highlights how much we have yet to discover,” Schmidt Ocean Institute Executive Director Jyotika Virmani said in the release. “It’s exciting to be living in an era where technology allows us to map and see these amazing parts of our planet for the first time!”

“The seamount is located in the Guatemala basin ... in an area of the seafloor that is roughly 20 million years old,” the institute said.

Seamounts are underwater mountains that typically begin as volcanoes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

“Most seamounts are remnants of extinct volcanoes. Typically, they are cone shaped, but often have other prominent features such as craters and linear ridges and some, called guyots, have large, flat summits,” NOAA reports.

“The number of seamounts that are at least 1,000 meters high is thought to be greater than 100,000. Despite their abundance, however, less than one-tenth of a percent of the seamounts in the world have been explored.”

Seamounts are of interest to scientists because they serve “oases of life,” hosting deep sea corals, sponges and “a host of invertebrates,” experts say.

The newly discovered seamount “has a classic volcano appearance,” marine technician Tomer Ketter told McClatchy News in an email.

This includes “a round shape with steep round sides and a generally flat top dotted by a secondary, discrete peak and a crater which is a remnant of its volcanic origin and activity.”

“The seamount is located in the Guatemala basin ... in an area of the seafloor that is roughly 20 million years old and most likely not exhibiting volcanic activity anymore,” Ketter said.

The Falkor (too) has made a series of seafloor discoveries since launching in March, including “two additional uncharted seamounts in the Galápagos Islands Marine Reserve, three new hydrothermal vent fields, a new ecosystem underneath hydrothermal vents, and two pristine cold-water coral reefs,” the institute said.

Identity of massive WWII shipwreck confirmed when team finds name still etched on bow

‘Geological wonder’ in seafloor canyon off Hawaii resembles a wall of sunken columns

‘Lost cities.’ New hydrothermal vent towers found billowing in Mid-Atlantic, team says

Is OpenAI Melting Down Because It Secretly Created Something Really Scary?
Victor Tangermann
Tue, November 21, 2023 



Everyone's still scrambling to find a plausible explanation as to why OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was suddenly fired from his position last Friday, a decision that has led to absolute carnage at the company and beyond.

Beyond some vague language accusing him of not being "consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities," the company's nonprofit board has stayed frustratingly quiet as to why it sacked Altman.

And at the time of writing, the company's future is still in the air, with the vast majority of employees ready to quit unless Altman is reinstated.

While we await more clarity on that front, it's worth looking back at the possible reasoning behind Altman's ousting. One particularly provocative possibility: there's been plenty of feverish speculation surrounding Altman's role in the company's efforts to realize a beneficial artificial general intelligence (AGI) — its stated number one goal since it was founded in 2015 — and how that may have led to his dismissal.

Was the board cutting Altman out to rescue humanity from impending doom, in other words? It sounds very scifi, but then again so does the whole company.

Making matters even hazier is that we still haven't fully agreed on a single definition of AGI, a term that roughly equates to a point at which an AI can conduct intellectual tasks on a level with us humans.

OpenAI's own definition states that AGI is a "system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable work," but that doesn't quite capture the way some of OpenAI's own leaders are talking about the notion. Just last week, days before he was ousted, Altman himself described AGI as a "magic intelligence in the sky" during an interview with the Financial Times, invoking a borderline God-like entity — language echoed by the company's chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who was instrumental in kicking Altman out of OpenAI.

But how close is OpenAI really to achieving that goal? Some have speculated that OpenAI's board rushed to dump the former CEO because he was acting recklessly and didn't sufficiently consider the risks of developing an AGI.

That line of reasoning could suggest the company may be closer than it's letting on, especially considering the apparent urgency surrounding Altman's firing (even major investor Microsoft was blindsided).

However, telling with any degree of certainty when we've actually come to the point where an AI algorithm is better at completing a given task than a human is far trickier than it sounds.

Some researchers have offered up possible frameworks to gauge if any given algorithm has achieved levels of AGI performance, but other experts argue it's a transition that won't simply happen overnight.

Earlier this year, Microsoft researchers claimed that OpenAI's GPT-4 is showing "sparks" of an AGI, comments that were quickly criticized by their peers.

After Altman published a blog post about the topic in February, fleshing out his company's goal of creating an AGI that "benefits all of humanity," experts were left unimpressed.

"The term AGI is so loaded, it's misleading to toss it around as though it's a real thing with real meaning," Bentley University mathematics professor Noah Giansiracusa argued in a tweet at the time. "It's not a scientific concept, it's a sci-fi marketing ploy."

"Your system isn't AGI, it isn't a step towards AGI, and yet you're dropping that in as if the reader is just supposed to nod along," added University of Washington linguistics professor Emily Bender.

In short, we still don't know how close OpenAI is to realizing its goal, and given what we've seen so far — heck, GPT-4 can't even reliably tell truth from fiction — it's likely going to take a lot more research to get there.

Under Altman's leadership, OpenAI's own core priorities have notably shifted. Last month, Semafor reported that the firm changed its purported "core values" on its website to focus them on AGI, swapping values on a job openings page from "Audacious," "Thoughtful," "Unpretentious," and "Impact-driven" to "AGI focus" — the first on the list — "Intense and scrappy," "Scale," and "Team spirit."

The timing of Altman's firing could also offer clues. Early last week, the company proudly announced a new, more efficient version of its large language model called GPT-4 Turbo, as well as tools that allow users to create their own chatbots using its tech.

It's still technically possible Altman's moves to capitalize on the company's financial successes, most notably ChatGPT, may have instilled fear among OpenAI's board. The announcements last week triggered a frenzy, with OpenAI being forced to temporarily pause new sign-ups to its paid ChatGPT Plus service due to "overwhelming demand."

For now, we're reading tea leaves left by a deeply weird group of people.

Considering OpenAI chief scientist and board member Ilya Sutskever almost immediately regretted his central role in the board's move to discharge Altman, it's likely that the situation is far more complex than the company is letting on.

"I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions," he tweeted. "I never intended to harm OpenAI."

"Why did you take such a drastic action?" SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who cofounded OpenAI alongside Altman but left the company in 2018 over core disagreements and has since rung the alarm bells over the tech, replied.

"If OpenAI is doing something potentially dangerous to humanity, the world needs to know," he added.

More on OpenAI: OpenAI Employees Say Firm's Chief Scientist Has Been Making Strange Spiritual Claims

NO MORE BOWS & ARROWS
Papua rebels hold guns to hostage pilot’s head in alarming new video
Nicola Smith
Tue, November 21, 2023 

Papua rebels point their guns at hostage Phillip Mehrtens, whom they have held captive since February


New Zealand is investigating alarming footage of a pilot who has been held hostage by separatist rebels in the Indonesian region of Papua for the past 10 months.

Phillip Mehrtens, 37, was kidnapped in February by the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) fighters after landing his Susi Air single-engine plane on a remote airstrip in the mountainous province of Nduga.

In the 48-second clip, which is circulating on social media, the New Zealander is seen sitting in a grassy field, surrounded by a circle of men pointing their automatic weapons at him.

The leader of the group turns his gun directly towards the pilot’s head while speaking to the camera.

Threat to kill in two months

The video comes with the message that Mr Mehrtens will be shot dead within two months if the rebels’ demands are not met. The group has previously insisted it will only release him when Papua gains self-rule.

New Zealand’s foreign ministry said it was aware of the video, though did not provide any further information concerning the footage, including when or where it was filmed.

It added that efforts to secure the pilot’s release were ongoing, including working closely with Indonesian authorities and deploying consular staff to do so.

The pilot’s safety and wellbeing remained the top priority, and his family were being supported, the ministry said.

Six Indonesian troops killed in April

In April, at least six Indonesian troops were killed after separatist gunmen attacked a unit searching for the pilot.

The resource-rich Papua region was formerly a Dutch colony that was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely criticised United Nations-backed referendum in 1969.

It has maintained a low-level battle for independence ever since, but the conflict has escalated significantly since 2018, with pro-independence fighters mounting deadlier and more frequent attacks.

The TPNPB has been pushing for independence for decades, and said it targeted Mr Mehrtens because of New Zealand’s co-operation with Indonesia.

The kidnapping of the pilot was the second abduction that independence fighters have carried out since 1996, when the rebels abducted 26 members of a World Wildlife Fund research mission in Mapenduma.

Two Indonesians in that group were killed by their abductors, but the remaining hostages were eventually freed within five months.

UH OH

‘Chlorine disinfectant no more effective than water at killing superbug’

Nina Massey, PA Science Correspondent
Tue, 21 November 2023 


Disinfectant used in hospitals is no more effective than water at killing off a superbug, research suggests.

According to the findings, one of the main chlorine disinfectants (bleach) used to clean hospital scrubs and surfaces does not kill off Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), the most common cause of antibiotic associated sickness in healthcare settings across the world.

Research by the University of Plymouth found that spores of the bacteria are unaffected despite being treated with high concentrations of bleach.

Writing in the journal Microbiology, the scientists suggest susceptible people working and being treated in clinical settings might be unknowingly placed at risk of contracting the superbug.

With the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide, the researchers are calling for urgent research to find alternative strategies to disinfect C. diff spores in order to break the chain of transmission in clinical environments.

The superbug causes diarrhoea, colitis and other bowel complications and is known to infect millions of people all over the world each year.

Dr Tina Joshi, Associate Professor in Molecular Microbiology at the University of Plymouth, said: “With incidence of anti-microbial resistance on the rise, the threat posed by superbugs to human health is increasing.

“But far from demonstrating that our clinical environments are clean and safe for staff and patients, this study highlights the ability of C. diff spores to tolerate disinfection at in-use and recommended active chlorine concentrations.

“It shows we need disinfectants, and guidelines, that are fit for purpose and work in line with bacterial evolution, and the research should have significant impact on current disinfection protocols in the medical field globally.”

In the new study, scientists analysed the bacteria spore response of three different strains of C. diff to three clinical in-use concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (bleach).

The spores were then put on surgical scrubs and patient gowns, and examined using microscopes to establish if there were any changes.

The results revealed that C. diff spores could be recovered from surgical scrubs and patient gowns, with no observable changes.

This highlights the potential of these fabrics as vectors of spore transmission, researchers say.

Climate conspiracy theories flourish ahead of COP28

Roland LLOYD PARRY
Tue, 21 November 2023 

Wildfires that devasted Lahaina, Hawaii in August prompted conspiracy theories online (MARIO TAMA)

Climate conspiracy theories are flourishing with lifestyle influencers joining in the misinformation war and scientists hounded on social media, researchers say, as pressure rises on leaders at the COP28 summit.

"Mis- and disinformation about the climate emergency are delaying urgently needed action to ensure a liveable future for the planet," the United Nations said in a policy brief in June.

"A small but vocal minority of climate science denialists continue to reject the consensus position and command an outsized presence on some digital platforms."


At the UN's last COP summit, officials and campaigners called for delegates and social media giants to adopt a common definition of climate disinformation and misinformation, and work to prevent it.

As leaders prepare for the world's biggest climate meeting in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, AFP Fact Check details three trends in false climate information in 2023.

- Conspiracy theories thrive -

Wildfires and heatwaves struck around the world this year, fuelling false claims that the disasters were brought about by humans to justify repressive climate policies.

Unfounded conspiracy theories surged about "15-minute cities" -- urban-planning initiatives aiming in part to reduce traffic emissions -- with commentators branding them a plan by global elites to keep populations captive.

AFP fact-checks debunked numerous claims sparked by the deadly wildfires that ravaged Maui, Hawaii in August. Among them, one TikTok video claimed blazes were started on purpose in a "land grab" to "get people into 15-minute cities".

Conspiracy theories have a "choke hold... on all conversations around public policy" on climate and emissions reductions, said Jennie King, head of climate research and policy for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a think tank.

The Centre for Countering Digital Hate, a campaign group that analysed thousands of posts on X (formerly Twitter), said the denialist hashtag ClimateScam trended on X after New York authorities issued a smog warning due to smoke from wildfires in Canada.

- Health influencers spread misinformation –

With the decline of the Covid pandemic and the numerous conspiracy theories it spawned, some "wellness" and New Age spiritualist influencers now post false claims about climate change, analysts at non-profit Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD) said in a report.

They analysed posts by health influencers including bodybuilders and yoga teachers.

"Arguments are intimately linked to concerns around bodily integrity, including a common accusation that climate policies are a pretext to make people unhealthy," they wrote.

AFP fact checks have debunked claims that the World Economic Forum wanted to make people eat insects or that US cities planned to ban meat and dairy foods under climate policies.

- Scientists targeted online –

With governments pushing reforms to reduce carbon emissions, 2023 has seen online attacks on public figures over climate reforms -– from state officials to journalists to meteorologists.

"All of those are seen as targets for this sort of information warfare," said King, signalling "the increasing scapegoating of anybody who is associated with climate policy or climate action."

During a heatwave that started in April, Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) said its employees received threats from people who believed the widely debunked theory that the authorities were creating weather disasters through aeroplane "chemtrails".

Researchers meanwhile documented cases of scientists abandoning Twitter for alternative social networks as insults and threats from climate change deniers surged on the platform after billionaire Elon Musk took it over in October 2022.

Peter Gleick, a climate specialist with nearly 99,000 followers, announced on May 21 he would no longer post on the platform because the "intensity of abuse has skyrocketed".

Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and prominent analyst of climate disinformation, said he believed the rise was "organised and orchestrated" by opponents of reforms.

An analysis of posts on Twitter carried out by computational social scientists at City, University of London in January 2023 found that the number of tweets or retweets using strong climate-sceptic terms nearly doubled in 2022 to more than a million.

Since then, Musk's move to restrict researchers' access to the platform's analytical data has made the trend harder to measure, City researcher Max Falkenberg told AFP.

rlp/giv

Fund to compensate developing nations for climate change is unfinished business at COP28

GAURAV SAINI and SIBI ARASU, Press Trust of India
Updated Wed, November 22, 2023 

NEW DELHI (AP) — Sunil Kumar watched helplessly in July as his home and 14 others were washed away by intense monsoon rains lashing the Indian Himalayas.

“All my life’s work vanished in an instant. Starting over feels impossible, especially with my three children relying on me,” said Kumar, a waste collector in the village of Bhiuli, in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh.

This year's monsoon season in India was devastating, with local governments estimating 428 deaths and more than $1.42 billion in property damage in the region. But India was just one of many developing nations to suffer from extreme weather made worse or more likely by climate change, caused largely by greenhouse gas emissions that result from the burning of fossil fuels.


Tropical storm Daniel hammered Libya with massive flooding in September, and Cyclone Freddy battered several African nations early in the year. Activists say all three disasters show how poorer nations, which historically have contributed less to climate change because they have emitted fewer planet-warming gases than developed countries, are often hit hardest by the impacts of global warming.

____

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is part of a series produced under the India Climate Journalism Program, a collaboration between The Associated Press, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security and the Press Trust of India.

___

Developing nations had long sought to address the problem, and finally broke through with an agreement at last year’s annual United Nations climate talks, known as COP27, to create what’s known as a loss and damage fund. But many details were left unresolved, and dozens of contentious meetings were held in the year since to negotiate things like who would contribute to it, how large it would be, who would administer it, and more.

A draft agreement was finally reached earlier this month, just a few weeks before this year's COP28 talks open Nov. 30 in Dubai. The agreement will be up for final approval at the climate talks, and dissatisfaction from both wealthy and developing nations could block approval or require additional negotiations.

“For us, it’s a matter of justice,” said New Delhi-based Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International, a group that spent the past decade lobbying to compensate those nations. “Poor communities in developing countries are losing their farms, homes, and incomes due to a crisis caused by developed countries and corporations."

A recent report by the United Nations estimates that up to $387 billion will be needed annually if developing countries are to adapt to climate-driven changes. Even if details of a loss and damage fund are worked out, some are skeptical that it will raise anything close to that amount. A Green Climate Fund that was first proposed at the 2009 climate talks in Copenhagen, and began raising money in 2014, hasn't come close to its goal of $100 billion annually.

Chandra Bhushan, head of New Delhi-based climate think tank International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology, said he doesn't expect countries to contribute more than a few billion dollars to the loss and damage fund.

“Developing countries should be ready to manage these events independently, as seen with COVID-19. They can’t always rely on others,” Bhushan said.

The draft agreement calls for the World Bank to temporarily host the fund for the next four years. It lays out basic goals for the fund, including its planned launch in 2024, and specifies how it will be administered and who will oversee it, with a requirement that developing countries get a seat on the board.

The agreement asks developed countries to contribute to the fund but says other countries and private parties can, too. It says allocations will prioritize those most vulnerable to climate change, but any climate-affected community or country is eligible.

Developing nations were disappointed that the agreement didn't specify a scale for the fund, and wasn't more specific about who must contribute.

They also wanted a new and independent entity to host the fund, accepting the World Bank only reluctantly. They see the organization, whose president is typically appointed by the United States, as part of a global finance system that has often saddled them with crushing loans that make it more difficult to cope with the costs of climate change. They have long argued that there is a need for a larger, better coordinated pool of money that’s available without deepening debt crises.

“This arrangement won’t provide the new fund with true independence, will obstruct direct access to vulnerable communities, and will lack full accountability to governments and those most affected by climate change,” said RR Rashmi, a former climate negotiator with the Indian government who is now a distinguished fellow at New Delhi-based think-tank The Energy Resources Institute.

Meanwhile, wealthy nations sought to limit countries eligible for payments from the fund to the most vulnerable, like Afghanistan and Bangladesh in Asia, several African countries as well as island nations such as Kiribati, Samoa and Barbados. They also said all nations should contribute, particularly rapidly growing countries like China and Saudi Arabia.

“It’s important that the fund focuses on the poorest and most vulnerable. Those who have the strength and resources to contribute should do so,” said Dan Jørgensen, Denmark's minister for global climate policy.

The U.S. State Department expressed disappointment that the draft agreement didn’t specifically describe donations as voluntary despite what it said was broad consensus among negotiators.

Brandon Wu is director of policy and campaigns at ActionAid USA, a nonprofit that pressed the U.S. to help reach a recommended agreement that could be taken to COP28. He said that unhappiness could still lead to discussions on the fund being re-opened in Dubai, but negotiators are under heavy pressure to deliver.

“Many believe this COP will be judged a success or failure based on whether or not it happens,” Wu said. "The UAE presidency has a huge interest in ensuring it does.”

Representatives from developing countries say it was critical to get the draft agreement in early November, and failure to approve it at COP28 would be the worst outcome.

Samoa's U.N. ambassador, Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Pa’olelei Luteru, also chairs the Alliance of Small Island States. He said the world's most industrialized nations have a “moral responsibility” to move as quickly as possible on loss and damage.

“We cannot continue with the path that we have taken over the last 30 years," he said.

___

Saini is a reporter for Press Trust of India. Arasu is a reporter for The Associated Press.

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

COP28 Climate Loss and Damage
FILE - Flood survivor Abdul Salam Anwisi looks at the destroyed homes following flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel, in Derna, Libya, Sept. 17, 2023. This year’s COP28 in Dubai is likely to see more discussion about compensation for developing nations harmed by climate change.

(AP Photo/Yousef Murad, File)

Iraqis displaced by climate change fall into poverty

Tony Gamal-Gabriel
Tue, 21 November 2023 

Nasser Jabbar: "We lost the land and we lost the water" (Asaad NIAZI)

For the past decade, Nasser Jabbar and his children have lived in a rundown house built of grey concrete blocks at a shantytown in southern Iraq.

Drought chased the father of 10 out of the countryside, where he had been a herder and farmer, and into a life of unemployment and urban poverty.

"We lost the land and we lost the water," said the father in his 40s, wearing a traditional white robe.


He spoke to AFP in his home on the edges of Nasiriyah, capital of Dhi Qar province.

Jabbar's neighbourhood typifies the extreme poverty that those displaced by climate change face in south and central Iraq.

With declining rainfall, the country has seen four consecutive years of drought.

In the shantytown where he lives, cracked streets lined with rubble and piles of rubbish snake between houses thrown together by their inhabitants.

On an empty lot surrounded by ramshackle buildings, sewers empty onto open ground as cows rest in the shadow of a low wall nearby.

Like Jabbar, many of the displaced who live here abandoned their villages after a life working in agriculture.

In the old days in Gateia, Jabbar's village in Dhi Qar, he farmed five hectares (just over 12 acres) of land with his brothers.

In winter, they harvested barley; in summer, vegetables.

Before leaving his fields behind for the last time, Jabbar did what he could for four years to combat the onward march of an increasingly inhospitable climate.

- $4 a day income -

He dug a well, but "little by little the water dropped", and he had to sell off his herd of 50 goats one by one.

Once in the city, he found work on construction sites carrying bricks or mixing concrete, but had to stop in the end because of back problems.

"I haven't worked for three years," he said.

Now two of his children, aged 17 and 18, support the family by carrying goods to market, earning a little less than four dollars a day.

Despite Iraq being an oil-rich country, poverty is common.

In addition to drought, the authorities blame upstream dams built by Iraq's powerful neighbours Iran and Turkey for dramatically lowering water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which have irrigated Iraq for millennia.

By mid-September, "21,798 families (130,788 individuals) remain displaced because of drought conditions across 12 governorates" in central and southern Iraq, an International Organization for Migration report said.

According to the IOM, 74 percent of climate refugees resettle in urban areas.

Dhi Qar's deputy governor in charge of planning, Ghassan al-Khafaji, noted "significant internal migration" in the province, sparked by water shortages.

In five years "3,200 housing units were built on the outskirts of the city" of Nasiriyah, as a result of an exodus from Iraq's famed southern marshes which have been assailed by drought.

Those houses account for "between 20,000 and 25,000 people", Khafaji added.

- Risk of unrest -

"This internal migration has put extra pressure on employment, with our young people already suffering from significant unemployment."

Iraq has been wracked by decades of conflict, and corruption has eroded public administration. Urban centres are no better off than the countryside.

Cities are "already confined in their ability to provide basic services to existing residents due to limited, ageing and underfunded infrastructure", Thomas Wilson, a climate and water specialist at the Norwegian Refugee Council, told AFP.

"Trends in rural to urban movement put an additional burden on failing infrastructure," he said.

He recommended "resource management plans, effective governance, and investment" in favour of the regions the displaced come from, in the framework of a "policy to reduce and mitigate forced migration".

In a country of 43 million people, nearly one Iraqi in five lives in an area suffering from water shortages.

In April, a UN-issued report noted the risk of "social unrest" because of climate factors.

"Limited economic opportunities for young people in crowded urban areas further risk reinforcing feelings of marginalisation, exclusion, and injustice," the report said.

"This could fuel tensions between different ethno-religious groups or increase grievances vis-a-vis state institutions," it added.

Qassem Jabbar, Nasser's 47-year-old brother, joined him in Nasiriyah three years ago.

"Since we left, I haven't been working", said Qassem, his waist strapped in a brace after he had a back operation he could only pay for with the help of donors.

Of his own 10 children, only two go to school. How could he possibly cover school fees for them all?

tgg/gde/srk/srm