Citizens in the face of climate change: “Concerned, but not determined to act”

Published on : 11/08/2021 – 08:18

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On the front page of the press, the reactions to the assassination attempt against the Iraqi Prime Minister, on the night of Saturday November 6 to Sunday November 7.

The attack targeted Mustafa Al-Khadimi’s residence, which is located in the “green zone” of Baghdad, an ultra-secure area in the heart of the capital. An attack carried out by means of drones, which would however have caused only material damage, according to the Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman, which evokes an action “widely condemned” on the international scene, in particular by the UN and the United States – which accuse the pro-Iranian Shiite militias of being behind this attack, unclaimed. This weekend’s assassination attempt further heightens tension “in a country already on the brink of a precipice, raising fears that it will dive there for good”: the Lebanese daily Orient Day He also points the finger at the pro-Iranian Shiite militias of the Hachd al-Chaabi coalition, the big losers in last month’s legislative elections, which have since increased demonstrations of force, in particular aimed at the strong man of the country , the Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, who won the ballot and to whom they intend to signify that they will not be excluded from the next government.

In China, the Sixth Plenary Assembly of the Communist Party Central Committee begins today in Beijing. Meeting until Thursday, the 300 or so senior CPC officials will ratify a “historic resolution on the Party’s success in 100 years of struggle” – a resolution proposed by President Xi Jinping, according to The China Daily. The newspaper announced that the CCP cadres will also reaffirm China’s commitment to “continue to work with all peace-loving countries and peoples to promote the values ​​of development, justice, freedom and democracy.” Peaceful remarks which contrast with the martial warning sent by Xi Jinping to “his detractors”, summoned to “not underestimate the determination of the Chinese people to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China”. Although the resolution that the CCP cadres “is pointedly about historical issues”, it is mainly intended to “shape Chinese society and politics in the years to come,” according to the statement. The New York Times, who explains that this text, “by exalting (the role played by Xi Jinping) will strengthen his authority in view of the 20th CPC Congress, which is scheduled for the fall of 2022 and which should very probably allow him to win a new mandate five years at the head of the country “.

Xi Jinping chose not to attend COP26, but promised that China will reach its peak of CO2 emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Like other countries, China is doing a lot of promises. The problem is not only that these promises do not commit much, but also that many countries are, in fact, underestimating their greenhouse gas emissions. This is what an investigation by the Washington post, which examined reports submitted by 196 countries and found that the discrepancies between reported CO2 emissions and actual emissions can reach up to 13 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted per year. The newspaper cites the example of Malaysia, whose report suggests that its trees absorb CO2 four times faster than those in neighboring Indonesia. “A surprising claim”, which would have allowed Malaysia to subtract 243 million tonnes from its calculation for its 2016 inventory, according to The Washington Post.

Countries that publish inaccurate data and citizens not really ready to change their way of life. This is what a poll published by The Guardian, which conducted its investigation in 10 countries, including the United States, France and Germany. According to this poll, 62% of those polled see the climate crisis as the biggest environmental challenge the world is now facing, but almost half, 46% of them feel that they do not really need to change their habits. “Citizens are undeniably concerned about the state of the planet, but these results raise doubts about their level of engagement,” commented the authors of the study.

We do not leave each other on this. NPR, American public radio, reports that the astronauts who are preparing to return to earth aboard the Space X capsule, including Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, will have to wear diapers for the 20 hours of their return flight. This small annoyance is said to be due to the capsule’s toilet being faulty – a situation NASA astronaut Megan McArthur calls “sub-optimal”, but manageable. “Spaceflight is filled with many little challenges. It is just one more (challenge) that we encounter,” she said. Adventure is adventure.

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