Cities from around the world to sign climate pact
Over sixty cities from all around the world will sign a voluntary pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions this weekend, Mexico City authorities said Tuesday. Over sixty mayors will sign the document to be presented to a UN worldwide climate conference in the Mexican beach resort of Cancun from November 29 to December 10, said city environment secretary Martha Delgado.
"For the first time we'll sign a deal to establish targets to reduce emissions in the atmosphere, which the most important countries in the world have refused to do," said Mexico City mayor Marcelo Ebrard.
Paris, Seoul, Dakar, Montreal, Porto Alegre and Stuttgart would be among those taking part in the pact, officials said. Mexico City will host a world summit of local and regional leaders, including more than 1,000 participants from 90 countries, from Thursday to Saturday, ahead of a world climate summit of mayors on Sunday. The climate accord, set to be signed on Sunday, will appear in a public register and on the Internet, Ebrard said.
The United States on Thursday announced the formation of a coalition to cut pollutants that speed up warming and harm health.
A new study has determined that the release of greenhouse gases jumped by the biggest amount on record. These gases are root cause of global warming.
Arctic Sea ice melted this summer to the second lowest level since record-keeping began more than 50 years ago
The protective ozone layer in the Arctic that keeps out the sun's most damaging rays, ultraviolet radiation, has thinned about 40% percent this winter, a record drop.
A rapidly warming climate is reshaping Denali, Kenai Fjords and other national parks comprising the crown jewels of Alaska's heritage as America's last frontier.