links for 2009-12-25

• YouTube – Big Question: Feast or famine?
  (tags: environment agriculture video water health population)
• How do I know China wrecked the Copenhagen deal? I was in the room | Mark Lynas | Environment | The Guardian
  To those who would blame Obama and rich countries in general, know this: it was China's representative who insisted that industrialised country targets, previously agreed as an 80% cut by 2050, be taken out of the deal. "Why can't we even mention our own targets?" demanded a furious Angela Merkel. Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was annoyed enough to bang his microphone. Brazil's representative too pointed out the illogicality of China's position. Why should rich countries not announce even this unilateral cut? The Chinese delegate said no, and I watched, aghast, as Merkel threw up her hands in despair and conceded the point. Now we know why – because China bet, correctly, that Obama would get the blame for the Copenhagen accord's lack of ambition.

  China, backed at times by India, then proceeded to take out all the numbers that mattered. [..] No one else, perhaps with the exceptions of India and Saudi Arabia, wanted this to happen.

  (tags: cop15 environment climatechange china politics obama)
• Egypt's Opposition Misled by Fixation with Mubarak’s Son
  Egypt’s opposition groups, including both legal parties and the Muslim Brotherhood, have been in disarray since the regime introduced stifling constitutional amendments in 2007. These measures limit the oversight powers of the judiciary in elections, fail to set term limits on the presidential mandate, and ban religiously affiliated political activities.

  While opposition forces have been exclusively focused on the one issue – Gamal Mubarak’s possible ascendancy – the Egyptian regime has been carefully creating an environment which will sustain its rule. The ruling elite is no newcomer to this game. They have consistently manipulated the political process by preventing the opposition from registering candidates in elections, obstructing the campaign process, and fomenting violence on election day.

  In contrast to the ruling elite’s clear direction, the opposition has no guiding compass and is left wandering through the challenges posed by the political agenda in Egypt.

  (tags: egypt politics opposition activism mubarak gamalmubarak AymanNour muslim-brotherhood)