South Africa prepares to host United Nations climate change summit.
From Monday, November 28 to December 9, government delegates from nearly 200 nations will convene in Durban, South Africa for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Supreme Master Television spoke with His Excellency Dr. Zweli Mkhize, prime minister of KwaZulu-Natal, the summit's hosting province.

His Excellency Dr. Zweli Mkhize – Premier, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (M): We would like to see Durban with COP17 as being a very, very memorable event wherein the different parties were able to agree to balance the imperatives of economic development and growth with the mitigation strategies and taxation issues, and therefore, at the end of the day, take the world to a situation where we could have the deference of all these anticipated disastrous consequences that the conference is all about.

VOICE: A newly released report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has confirmed that global warming is indeed responsible for the mounting frequency of extreme weather events being seen worldwide such as severe storms and flooding. This year, a main decision is anticipated on whether to renew the legally binding Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

However, given the updated scientific evidence of increasing climate-related damage to homes and crops as well as disruption to human lives, some among the delegates and thousands of others joining to observe the meeting are calling for even stronger measures.

As stated by Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,the emission reduction goals discussed at the summits both in Denmark in 2009 and in Cancún, Mexico in 2010 are insufficient to keep global warming from reaching the extremely dangerous levels of going above a 2-degree Celsius average temperature rise.

With thanks to Premier Dr. Zweli Mkhize and all other organizers, we appreciate South Africa's gracious hosting as well as the efforts of all nations to reach a consensus on climate change in the upcoming meeting that serves best interest of humanity. May this new round of discussions be productive in leading to effective solutions that protect all life on our planet.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Durban-Climate-Conference-Whats-at-Stake-134400468.html  
http://www.cop17-cmp7durban.com/en/about-cop17-cmp7/what-is-cop17-cmp7.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mindylubber/2011/11/23/ipcc-report-confirms-what-businesses-already-know-extreme-weather-climate-change-has-economic-impacts/

Extra News
During the Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas in Bhutan on November 19, 2011, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan agree to work together on a comprehensive climate adaptation plan.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-11-himalayan-nations-climate.html
http://www.bhutanclimatesummit.org.bt/news/news_detail.php?id=61

Climatologists in Minnesota, USA report that the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is approaching a drought record after seeing the driest autumn in 141 years, with the region's international airport recording rainfall from September to November 2011 that was more than five inches below normal.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/11/18/Twin-Cities-nears-drought-record/UPI-73341321668030/