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1 online resource (streaming video file) (51 min. 41 sec.) ; 313522640 bytes |
| Summary |
GREEN NIRVANANot far from the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, is the Danish island of Samso, which thinks it has the answers to tackling climate change that everyone else can learn from.The island won a government competition in 1997 to become a model renewable energy community. At that point, it relied entirely on oil and coal imported from the mainland. Now it has wind turbines providing all of the island's electricity, with the excess sold back to the Danish mainland; and 75% of the island's heating comes from solar power and biomass systems.The move has the support of the conservative locals... most own shares in windfarms, and one farmer even produces fuel from rape seed oil to run his car and tractor. Factoring in the green power it exports, the Samso Energy Academy estimates the island has now reduced its carbon footprint by an incredible 170%.George Negus visits Samso and asks how it's been done, if more places should be following its lead and how its lessons can be learned in different communities around the world.INDIA HOTS UPIndia is caught in a vicious circle in the climate change debate... like China and Brazil it's been told it's exempt from agreements to cut emissions because it's developing, but the fact the country is developing means it's coming under closer scrutiny for its pollution.The United States and Australia have suggested in the lead-up to the Copenhagen summit that nations like India need to set clear targets for reducing the future growth of emissions.But many government officials in India are outraged that countries like the USA have not committed themselves to any serious cuts, but are lecturing India on its responsibilities... some even describe it as bullying.Dateline has been speaking to Indians already feeling the effects of global warming, like the residents of an island disappearing under rising sea levels through no fault of their own, and those whose increasingly westernised lifestyles are adding to the pollution problem.Reporter Amos Roberts asks what India is doing to tackle the problems, and if rich countries should be allowed to tell poorer countries what they should be doing.INTERVIEW WITH CONNIE HEDEGAARDThe Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard, faces a daunting task... she's hosting the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and says failure to reach agreement over the future 'is not an option'.It's the 15th conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and never before have the stakes been so high, with pressure for the 192 countries taking part to reach agreement on when and how greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced.Mrs Hedegaard has spent much of the past year meeting world leaders in the lead-up to the summit. Almost every government attending wants binding targets for reducing emissions and agreement on how they will achieve them, but with so many details to be agreed, it remains to be seen if a consensus can be reached... the United States has especially faced criticism for not making enough commitment. Another intrinsic part of the deal is to include a commitment from developed countries to pay for measures in developing countries to adapt to climate change and cut emissions, but the global financial crisis has put a question mark over the costs involved... 130 developing countries say they'll walk out if the richer countries don't cooperate.George Negus speaks to Connie Hedegaard and asks exactly what she wants from the 'Hopenhagen' conference, as it's become known, and just what happens if a deal isn't worked out |
| Event |
Broadcast 2009-11-22 at 20:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: NC |
| Subject |
Climatic changes -- Government policy.
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Emissions trading.
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Greenhouse gases -- Environmental aspects.
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Renewable energy.
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China.
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Denmark -- Copenhagen.
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United States.
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Streaming video
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Anderson, Erik, contributor
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Hedegaard, Connie, contributor
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Hermansen, Soren, contributor
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Mahler, Mogens, contributor
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Narain, Sunita, contributor
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Negus, George, host
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Pershing, Jonathan, contributor
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Ramanathan, Veerabhadran, contributor
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Ramesh, Jairam, contributor
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Roberts, Amos, reporter
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Saha, Pradip, contributor
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Saran, Shyam, contributor
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