Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Its been stated before; greenhouse gas emissions are a major cause for global
warming. Both developed and developing countries need to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent or more by 2020 to avoid serious climate
damage1.

Climate Aid for Poorer Nations

Developing countries need assistance financially to make a positive impact against
global warming. Developed countries have committed to providing some sort of
sourcing to developing countries. Its important to consider that this sourcing be
long term and come from stable revenue sources.

Forest Issues
Developing countries are encouraged to preserve forestation by implementing a
mechanism called REDD-plus (developing nations are compensated to engage in
deforestation). Discussed in negotiations leading to the Kyoto Protocol and again in
2007 during United Nations conference in Bali, deforestation remains a
controversial subject with many loose ends that must to be defined before any
forward progress can be made.

Monitoring of Pledges
Developed countries greenhouse gas emission targets will be monitored to ensure
actions are taken against their stated commitments. If developed countries do not
live up to their committed obligations they could face potential sanctions.
Developing countries will not face penalties however; developed countries motion
for international verification levels across all nations.

Legal Framework
For tangible changes to exist, developed and developing countries must commit to
legal obligations against reducing greenhouse gas emissions. An international treaty
is the only hope for such commitment.

CHALLENGES

China vs. United States

High tension between the United States and China rose throughout the 14 day
conference. United States and China account for some 40% of global greenhouse
gas emissions and have the potential to make the largest impact on global
warming; that is only if they can they can get past their disagreements over climate
policy.

China expects developed countries, like the United States, to take the lead and offer
greenhouse gas emission reductions that would surpass those of industrialized
countries, like China. Meanwhile, the United States expects China now the worlds
largest emitter of greenhouse gases to agree to some limits on its carbon dioxide
emissions, which doubled from 1996 to 20062.

Turning into a blaming war, China and the United States pointed fingers at one
another and played the he said she said game. Despite differences, China and the
United States must come to some sort of agreement between emission targets and
transparency. Being the worlds two largest emitters, they will shape the
international playing field for fighting climate change.

Rich vs. Poor Countries

A chasm between rich countries and poor counties surrounding financial aid brought
negotiations to a halt the second week of the summit. Poor countries feel they are
less equipped to manage climate change and demand rich countries to develop
more radical greenhouse gas emissions targets. Poor countries insist that rich
countries provide greater financial aid then the 10 billion (USD) (for three years)
originally discussed and note the need for millions more after that.

Slow Negotiations
Two weeks to summarize years of negotiations is just not enough time. Both world
leaders and United Nations organizers recognized the pace of discussions was not
fast enough for a successful treaty to be agreed upon. The next 12 months leading
up to COP16 in Mexico City will be more important than ever. Countries must
attempt to fill in the details of the Copenhagen Accord before December 2010 if
there is any hope to replace the Kyoto Protocol with aCONCLUSION

COP1, held in Berlin in 1995, was the beginning of climate negotiations between
nation leaders. Now, fourteen years later, and the climax of two years of
negotiations, COP15 ultimately ends with no legally binding treaty, no set targets
and no actionable items.

Evidence shows that 11 of the past 14 years have been the warmest on record,
Arctic ice-caps are melting and last years inflamed oil and food prices provide a
forecast of potential future havoc3.

Climate change affects everyone, and must be solved by everyone.

Overcoming climate change will take a triumph of optimism over pessimism and
vision over short-sightedness with hope that world leaders overcome their political
combats and commit to an internationawww.energyadvantage.com/.../copenhagenkey-issues-challen...
Energy Advantage Inc.
Jan 19, 2010 - Analysis of the key issues, challenges and summit conclusion of the
United Nations Climate Change Conference.l binding treaty. new The 2009 United
Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit,
was held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7 and 18
December. The conference included the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 5th
Meeting of the Parties (MOP 5) to the Kyoto Protocol. According to the Bali Road
Map, a framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 was to be agreed
there.[2]

On Friday 18 December, the final day of the conference, international media

reported that the climate talks were "in disarray".[3][4][5] Media also reported that
in lieu of a summit collapse, only a "weak political statement" was anticipated at the
conclusion of the conference.[6][7] The Copenhagen Accord was drafted by the
United States, China, India, Brazil and South Africa on 18 December, and judged a
"meaningful agreement" by the United States government. It was "taken note of",
but not "adopted", in a debate of all the participating countries the next day, and it
was not passed unanimously. The document recognised that climate change is one
of the greatest challenges of the present day and that actions should be taken to
keep any temperature increases to below 2 C. The document is not legally binding
and does not contain any legally binding commitments for reducing CO2 emissions.
[8]treaty
in
2012.
www.energyadvantage.com/.../copenhagen-key-issueschallen...
Energy Advantage Inc.
Jan 19, 2010 - Analysis of the key issues, challenges and summit conclusion of the
United Nations Climate Change Conference.
What are the proposed 17 goals?
1) End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote
sustainable agriculture
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3) Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all
5) Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6) Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8) Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment, and decent work for all
9) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation,
and foster innovation
10) Reduce inequality within and among countries
11) Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13) Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (taking note of
agreements made by the UNFCCC forum)
14) Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development
15) Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land
degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
16) Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide
access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at
all levels
17) Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership
for sustainable development
Within the goals are 169 targets, to put a bit of meat on the bones. Targets under
goal one, for example, include reducing by at least half the number of people living
in poverty by 2030, and eradicating extreme poverty (people living on less than
$1.25 a day). Under goal five, theres a target on eliminating violence against
women, while goal 16 has a target to promote the rule of law and equal access to
justice.
The Narrative Technique in Achebe's "Things Fall Apart"

Education by Demand Media

by Maria Magher, Demand Media

Locusts are symbolic of the missionaries in the story.

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Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" begins as a story about life in the Igbo tribe in
Nigeria. Later, white missionaries come to Igbo society to try to convert the tribe to
Christianity, and the Igbo face off against each other over whether to fight the
missionaries. The narrative techniques used in the novel help to paint a vivid picture
of Igbo life and to fight against the corrupting influence of colonization.
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Point of View
The novel is written in the third-person omniscient point of view. It can share the
thoughts of any character, though it often focuses on just the main characters,
including Okonkwo, Ikemefuna, Nwoye and Ekwefi. This style of narration helps to
provide more insights into the Igbo people, their values and their social customs. It
also helps to paint them as more three-dimensional characters, instead of the
simple stereotypes that the missionaries see. It also shows them as a diverse cast
of characters instead of a single, homogenous tribe.
Dialect and Proverbs
The narrative makes liberal use of Igbo dialect outside of the dialogue. Igbo words
are sprinkled throughout the narration, making it more authentic and giving a better
sense of Igbo culture. Proverbs and tiny stories are also used throughout the
narrative to provide more understanding of the Igbo people. For example, when the
locusts descend on the village, allegorical terms are used to describe the event to
make it symbolic of the colonization by Christianity. The Igbo do not seem to think of
the locusts as a threat, just as they do not understand the damage that the
missionaries will cause to their culture. Using proverbs helps to enhance themes in
the story, provide greater understanding of Igbo culture and continue to create a
more complex portrait of the Igbo people.
Historical Setting
The novel is set at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th
century in Nigeria. Historically, the British began settling West Africa in the early
19th century and then took on a strong presence in Nigeria in 1904. One reason for
this occupation was the capture and sale of slaves. By setting the novel at this time,
the narration takes on an ominous tone. The Igbo do not understand the destructive
presence of the white missionaries and what fate awaits them. Okonkwo seems to
be the only one who wants to fight, and when the tribe fails to back him, he
commits suicide rather than face the future ahead of him.
Use of English
Though the novel is written from the perspective of the Igbo people, it is told in
English rather than the native Igbo tongue. By using the language of the colonizers
to tell the story, the book is making a counterargument to colonialism. It allows the
Igbo to tell their story in a language that the colonizers can understand and in a
language that shows they are educated. It presents the story on the colonizers'
terms, allowing them more insight into the Igbo people.
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ong of Lawino is an epic poem written by Ugandan poet Okot p'Bitek. First
published in 1966 in Acholi Luo, it was quickly translated into other languages,
including English. Song of Lawino has become one of the most widely read literary
works originating from Sub-Saharan Africa. It has also become culturally iconic
within Africa, because of its scathing display of how African society was being
destroyed by the colonization of Africa

Song of Lawino was originally written in rhyming couplets and had a regular meter.
The poem is told from the point of view of Lawino in the first person.
Plot
Song of Lawino, which is a narrative poem, describes how Lawino's husband, Ocol,
the son of the tribal leader of their Acoli tribe, has taken another wife, Clementine,
who is educated and acts European. Although Ocol's polygamy is accepted by
society, and by Lawino herself, her description of his actions shows that he is
shunning Lawino in favour of Clementine. Ocol is also said to be fascinated with the
culture of the European colonialists. As an example of this, Lawino says Ocol no
longer engages, or has any interest in, the ritualistic African dance but prefers the
ballroom-style dances introduced by the colonising Europeans. This loss of culture
on the part of Ocol is what disturbs Lawino the most. The poem is an extended
appeal from Lawino to Ocol to stay true to his own customs, and to abandon his
desire to be white.
The book also advocates for the African culture that has been lost by the educated
elite. Lawino bemoans her husband's lack of African pride and she romanticizes all
that is black. Lawino says "all that is black is beautiful."