WWF Climate Blog
Central and South America
Brazilian Legislation Threatens to Accelerate Amazon Deforestation; Presidential Veto Urgently Required
Brazil's Senate voted on Wednesday (7 December 2011) to make changes to the country's forest law. If approved by Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, the law would threaten an area larger than the state of Texas -- and one of the world's treasured natural areas. The consequences would be felt all over the world, as a significant amount of CO2 could be released to the atmosphere. Brazil's ambitious efforts to slow climate change by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation would be severely undermined. Sign our petition and join more than 1.5 million Brazilians in urging Brazil's President to veto the bill.
U.S. Lacks National Climate Change Preparedness Strategy, Lagging Behind Leading Developed and Industrialized Countries
WWF’s new brief on Planning Development in a Carbon Constrained World (Dec 2011) shows that leading national governments in both industrialized and developing countries are not only well ahead of the U.S. government in their initiatives to curb greenhouse gas emissions, but also have progressed much further in preparing for the impacts of climate change.
Planning Development in a Carbon Constrained World
A growing number of national governments are developing and implementing plans to sharply reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while preparing for the impacts of climate change. Some already are years ahead of the U.S., which has no such national strategies.
Brazil's Low Carbon Development Plan
Brazil’s National Plan on Climate Change (2008) seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to prepare the country for the impacts of climate change, while achieving Brazil’s development objectives. Those development goals include a “commitment to reduce social inequality and to increase income” while “not repeating the pattern and the standards of the countries that have already industrialized.” It is a “dynamic plan, a work in progress to be constantly revaluated.”
Mexico's Low Carbon Development Plans
IPCC Says Essential Actions Needed to Reduce Risks of Changing Climate Extremes
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved on Friday (18 Nov 2011) a report on preparing for weather and climate extremes. The report’s summary warns that a changing climate “can result in unprecedented extreme weather and climate events” and says that actions ranging “from incremental steps to transformational change are essential for reducing risk from climate extremes.” The U.S. this year has experienced a record fourteen weather-related disasters each in excess of a billion dollars – and many more disasters of lesser magnitudes. Yet the U.S. has no national climate change preparedness strategy; and Federal efforts to address the rising risks have been undermined through budget cuts and other means. Though seriously constrained by the lack of strong and unified leadership in Washington, communities and others around the country nevertheless are taking commonsense actions to address the emerging impacts of increasingly disruptive climate extremes.
Join Us for 24 Hours of Reality
This year has given way to record breaking weather extremes. From the Midwest blizzard that shut down Chicago to the Mississippi flooding, Texas drought and Hurricane Irene. It’s been a record year for billion-dollar disasters and these extremes are projected to become more frequent as the climate changes. On Wednesday September 14th (2011) the Climate Reality Project is showing 24 hours of reality on the climate crisis. While 2011 has provided a window into the extreme weather of the future, the event is showing the world in every time zone the reality of climate change, connecting the dots between extreme weather and climate change.
Earth Hour 2012 Global Official Video
Earth Hour 2011 embraced 5,251 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories and reached an estimated 1.8 billion people worldwide. Our new video, backed by acclaimed Icelandic rock band Sigur Rós, showcases the passion of this year's Earth Hour participants from all corners of the globe, celebrating the planet and taking action beyond the hour. Mark your calendar for Earth Hour 2012: 31 March 2012, 8:30 pm!
Jared Diamond: With Climate Change, Americans Have Unique Opportunity to Avoid the Fate of Ancient Maya
In a new video, Jared Diamond talks about climate change, drawing parallels between modern Americans and the Classic southern lowland Maya – who failed to take the actions that might have avoided the collapse of their civilization. However, unlike the Maya, we have the “unique opportunity” and capacity to “learn from remote places and to learn from places remote in time,” Diamond says. “And among all the things that might incline me towards pessimism, that is the biggest thing that in the end inclines me towards optimism.”
Rising ocean temperatures and acidity may prove a deadly one-two punch for the world’s corals
A recent experiment by scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama has revealed just how rising atmospheric carbon dioxide will deliver a one-two punch to coral reefs in coming decades, potentially knocking them out by preventing growth in juvenile corals.
More On Climate
WWF Experts
Lou Leonard
Managing Director of Climate Change"Our political system in America is a bit like an ocean liner…neither is good at sudden changes in direction. But there are moments in time when we must act quickly and decisively. If we are to stop the climate crisis, that time is now."
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