Climate change is "a matter of life and death", South African President Jacob Zuma

But, "Canada will not make further cuts in its greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, and may begin formally withdrawing next month. Though not a surprise, the news will anger poor countries that say the rich are reneging on pledges made 14 years ago when the protocol was signed. They see the protocol as the only way to make emission cuts legally binding. Also on the first day of the UN climate summit in South Africa, the UK was criticised over support for tar sands. In the main conference hall, delegates heard South African President Jacob Zuma call for meaningful progress. "For most people in the developing world and Africa, climate change is a matter of life and death," he said. "In these talks, states, parties will need to look beyond their national interests to find a global solution for the common good and benefit of all humanity.""

'via Blog this'BBC News - Climate summit sees Canadian strike on Kyoto treaty:

DURBAN CLIMATE CONFERENCE

• Summit will attempt to agree the roadmap for a future global deal on reducing carbon emissions
• Developing countries are insisting rich nations pledge further emission cuts under the Kyoto Protocol
• Delegates also aim to finalise some deals struck at last year's summit
• These include speeding up the roll-out of clean technology to developing nations…
• … and a system for managing the Green Climate Fund, scheduled to gather and distribute billions of dollars per year to developing countries
• Progress may also be made on funding forest protection

Tip: Dealing w/ Loss & Grief: Awareness is important to make sure we're not stuck & we can process emotions & move forward

"The experience of losing something we value is a part of life no one can escape from. Loss has many shapes and forms, it could be a relationship that comes to an end, a loved one dies, a break up comes, children leave or any other sort of transition that brings about a feeling of loss. When a feeling of loss happens, learning to cope is essential to be able to bounce back. When we lose something, we go through a period of grieving process which can generally start with denial and then go to feelings of anger, sadness and then acceptance"

'via Blog this'Roya R. Rad, MA, PsyD: 7 Steps for Dealing With Loss and Grief:

Renewable Energy: China targets for Sustainable Energy with the purpose of Environmental Safety

"China's 12th five-year plan (2012-2017) has a targeted annual GDP growth rate of 7% and the development of renewable energy with an investment of $640 billion to constitute 15% of China's energy needs by the year 2020, building housing for 36 million families and the promotion of social equity and rural development. China's overall prospects are explicated given specific caveat concerning China's distinctive pragmatic and cautious approach of implementing a market system along a political control by a one party system -- its longevity and stability will be subject to conjecture.

China's successful macroeconomic management during the 2007-2009 global great recessions was marked by a rapid recovery after exports dropped by 18% causing 21 million workers to be laid off, but 98% readily found jobs as the economy bounced back up and the unemployment rate dropped to 4% with a $586 billion stimulus package directed at creating employment.

Given China's performance, it is estimated that its per capita income will converge to that of the United States by 2040. Its GDP is already second to that of the United States. China envisages a population of 1.39 by 2020"

'via Blog this'Nake M. Kamrany: China's Growing Economic Strength in the 21st Century:

Durban: COP17: Nations meet for the 17th Conference of the parties to United Nations Convention on Climate Change

"Negotiators postponed until Durban the politically freighted question of whether to extend the frayed Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 agreement that requires most wealthy nations to trim their emissions while providing help to developing countries to pursue a cleaner energy path. Also still on the agenda are the structure of, and the sources of financing for, a climate adaptation and technology fund that is supposed to reach $100 billion a year by 2020.

One of the issues that is most contentious and least likely to be resolved involves the future of the Kyoto Protocol, which requires the major industrialized nations to meet targets on emissions reduction but imposes no mandates on developing countries, including emerging economic powers and sources of global greenhouse gas emissions like China, India, Brazil and South Africa."

'via Blog this'Nations Meet to Address Problems of Climate Change - NYTimes.com:

Tip: Coffee May Cut Endometrial Cancer (Nurses' Health Study - published by Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention)

"The research, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, examined data from the Nurses' Health Study, one of the largest and longest-running investigations of factors that influence women's health. Out of the more than 67,000 women enrolled in the study, researchers found that women who drank more than four cups of coffee per day were linked to a 25 percent reduced risk of endometrial cancer. Women who drank two to three cups per day reduced that risk by 7 percent. "Women who regularly consumed coffee were at lower risk of endometrial cancer," said Dr. Edward Giovannucci. "Other studies had seen this association and because coffee lowers insulin levels and free estrogen levels, which are risk factors for endometrial cancer.""

'via Blog this'Coffee May Cut Endometrial Cancer Risk - ABC News:

Economic problems in Europe and elsewhere should not get in the way of a new pact to fight global warming

"Delegates from nearly 200 countries meet from Monday till Dec 9 in Durban as part of marathon U.N.-led negotiations on a broader pact to curb growing greenhouse gas emissions as the world faces rising sea levels and greater weather extremes. "After the financial crisis, every country has had its problems, but these problems are just temporary," Xie Zhenhua, vice-director of the National Development and Reform Commission, told reporters on Tuesday. Officials in Beijing have suggested economic turmoil in Europe and political unrest in North Africa have pushed climate change far down the list of global priorities, overshadowing next week's talks and undermining plans to provide cash and technical support to poor nations to adapt to climate change. "Climate change isn't unimportant at this stage, but it isn't so salient, and I think it will again draw the attention of the global community in 2015 after the (new round of) scientific assessments are carried out," said Xie."

'via Blog this'China: Economic woes no excuse for climate change inaction - CSMonitor.com:

Tip: Reconnect w/ Emotions thru Deep Breathing to Cure PTSD - Intrusive Thoughts, Emotional Numbness & Hypervigilance

"Science seems to be just catching up with ideas espoused by ancient practices such as yoga and meditation. "The goal of these kinds of practices is to change one's relationship to the trauma, change one's relationship to the negative emotions and intrusive thoughts that may arise as a consequence of the trauma," Davidson said. "By changing one's relationships to these disturbing emotions and thoughts, the goal is that eventually those emotions and thoughts will decrease in their intensity" "

'via Blog this'Veterans learn to use yoga and meditation exercises to reconnect with their emotions in a UW-Madison study: