Don’t Blame God For Climate Change 104.5 WOKV

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GLASGOW, Scotland – (AP) Latest from the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow:

GLASGOW, Scotland Humanity, not God, must be blamed for the adverse effects of climate change, said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Glasgow climate talks negotiators have an obligation to people, not just the planet, to stop these sinful choices of humanity, which are causing climate change, the US cabinet secretary said. Buttigieg made his religious beliefs part of his failed presidential race.

Buttigieg was chatting Wednesday with The Nature Conservancy’s climatologist Katherine Hayhoe, an evangelical Christian married to a pastor, about the religious call to protect humanity as well as the planet. Buttigieg, a former mayor of Indiana, spoke of an unnamed Republican Indiana cleric blaming God for climate change and saying that it is not for people to deal with it.

What greater sin could there be (than) to blame God for climate change? Buttigieg asked.

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GLASGOW, Scotland The official UK chairman of the UN climate talks in Glasgow has said the time to resolve major disputes is running out.

Alok Sharma told negotiators on Wednesday that he still intends to conclude the two-week talks on Friday.

My big, big request to all of you is to come armed with the motto of compromise, he said. What we agree to in Glasgow will define the future of our children and grandchildren.

I ask all of us collectively to roll up our sleeves and get to work, he added.

European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans echoed the sense of urgency. Consider my sleeves rolled up, he said to Sharma.

In a blow to big polluters like China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, whose commitments are seen as far below what is needed, Timmermans insisted that big emitters have a major responsibility.

Ahmadou Sebory Tour of Guinea, speaking on behalf of 77 developing countries and China, said he was extremely concerned about the lack of progress on the issue of financial assistance to poor countries to deal with climate change.

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GLASGOW, Scotland Brazil’s Minister of the Environment has called on rich countries to provide agreed annual funding of US $ 100 billion to help developing countries switch to clean energy and manage the impact of climate change.

The target of $ 100 billion has not been met, “Joaquim Leite said in a speech in Glasgow on Wednesday. And this amount is no longer enough for the world to build a new green economy with a responsible transition.

The Minister added that “more ambitious volumes with easy access and agile execution are needed for inclusive transformation to take place in all territories of the world.

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GLASGOW, Scotland The Biden administration and Democrats are making progress on the climate in all kinds of ways, House Democrats said on Wednesday, despite congressional issues making it difficult to pass the $ 555 billion climate legislation. dollars from President Joe Bidens.

Members of a US Congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke to reporters at a press conference during the UN climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland.

With only the lowest majorities in the Senate and a key Democratic Senator from the Coal State opposed to many of Bidens ‘clean fuel efforts, Democrats struggled for months to pass Bidens’ main climate legislation. At the climate summit, the United States joined other countries pledging to phase out overseas funding for fossil fuel infrastructure, but declined to join with countries that pledged to wean off anthrax.

We wish we could do all kinds of things, California Rep. Jared Huffman told reporters during the talks. But instead of just raising our arms because of these political obstacles and not taking action, we are finding ways to deal with these issues and keep taking action.

Representatives cited U.S. investment in cleaner energy and transportation, a Biden administration crackdown on methane leaks and the growing competitiveness of clean energy in the market.

The coal industry is dying in the United States, not necessarily because of the regulations Donald Trump abolished, but because of the economy, said Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon.

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GLASGOW, Scotland Saudi Arabia’s energy minister has denied claims that his country’s negotiators were trying to slow down negotiations and water down commitments in UN climate talks.

This is a false allegation, cheating and a lie, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al Saud told reporters at the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday.

Delegations from around 200 countries face a deadline on Friday to negotiate consensus on next steps to reduce fossil fuel emissions and otherwise tackle climate change. Saudi Arabia’s team in Glasgow has put forward proposals ranging from a call to end negotiations at 6 p.m. every day to what veterans of the climate talks claim are more complex efforts to block a deal on strict measures.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, and a handful of other countries have long been accused of seeking to block measures that would crack down on fossil fuels. This year, the UN talks saw a chorus of daily complaints from climate advocates at the conference.

Other governments must now isolate the Saudi delegation if they want this conference to be successful for everyone, not just fossil fuel interests, said Jennifer Morgan, executive director of environmental group Greenpeace.

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GLASGOW, Scotland A group of nations and companies have announced plans to switch to emission-free cars by 2040 and no later than 2035 in major automotive markets.

The announcement was made on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN climate conference in Glasgow. It has been supported by countries like Canada, Chile, Denmark, India, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Ford, General Motors, Mercedes Benz and Volvo, as well as several states and cities in the United States and elsewhere, have signed on to the plan. Some companies, such as Volvo, already have even earlier goals to phase out combustion engines.

In addition, a number of countries are committing to phase out the use of trucks and buses equipped with internal combustion engines.

Companies involved in road transport are getting involved, including delivery giant DHL, truck maker Scania and Dutch brewer Heineken.

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LONDON British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to COP26 to pressure negotiators around the world to deliver on their promises on the closing days of the summits.

Johnson attended a summit of world leaders that kicked off the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow last week and will return to the Scottish city on Wednesday.

So far, the conference has produced announcements that have made headlines in areas such as ending coal power, financing green technologies and reversing deforestation. But the nearly 200 nations present are still far from reaching a deal that could limit global warming to the internationally agreed target of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

Johnsons office said issues being considered include a common timeline for national emission reduction commitments and an agreed methodology for countries to report on their climate action – mechanisms that can be used to compel countries to meet their commitments.

There is also a broken promise by rich countries to give more money to the countries most vulnerable to climate change – often the developing countries that have done the least to bring it about.

Johnson, along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, will meet with government officials, negotiators and civil society groups in a bid to build momentum for the talks.

Johnson said climate change is bigger than any country and it’s time for nations to put aside their differences and come together for our planet and our people. We must do everything we can if we want to keep 1.5 ° C within reach.

COP26 is due to end on Friday, although talks could stretch out longer.

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Follow all of AP’s climate change stories at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.

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