全球第一次以太陽能汽車完成環遊世界的壯舉，為目前在波蘭波茲南舉行的聯合國氣候變遷會議，增添了一份特殊的意義。這輛太陽能車是由瑞士教師巴默（Louis Palmer）所駕駛，12月4日抵達會場，聯合國最高氣候官員德布爾（Yvo de Boer）也在最後幾公尺上車，見證這歷史性的一刻。
巴默將他的愛車命名為「太陽能計程車」。他不僅將太陽能車開進會場，也把它留在現場供各國代表團、部會首長及新聞界體驗試乘，一直到12月12日會議閉幕，他返回瑞士為止。
「太陽能計程車」已經上路約18個月，涵蓋大約54,000公里的路程，並且行經38個國家，完成了世界紀錄。巴默的這趟旅行證明了，用乾淨科技（clean technologies）來抗暖化，是確實可行的。
在會議大廳裡，各個國家、聯合國各機構以及非政府組織等都作出承諾並且發表刊物，為了限制氣候變遷而努力。
會議第一周，巴西設立了一個遠大的目標，要在未來10年間減緩其雨林消退的比率達70%。巴西是世界上第四大造成全球暖化污染的溫室氣體排放國，而巴西80%的溫室氣體排放量都來自於亞馬遜雨林以及大西洋沿岸森林的消退。
此外，環境智庫「世界資源協會」（World Resources Institute，WRI）及環境調查協會（Environmental Investigation Agency），5日也在波茲南發起了建議夥伴關係的行動，要共同對抗全世界的非法伐林、整頓現行的木材供應鏈。這些活動都跟森林消退有關，因為有樹木就能夠吸收溫室氣體二氧化碳。
這個夥伴關係所關注的重點在於已經有100年歷史的美國野生物非法交易法，此所謂的「萊西法」（Lacey Act），該法剛剛才修法完成，將適用範圍涵蓋至植物品項，包括木材跟木頭等。
世界資源協會主席拉許（Jonathan Lash）表示，「萊西法案如果能強制執行，就能夠向全世界釋放出一個強而有力的訊息，代表美國對於減少非法伐林活動，以及因森林消退而導致的氣候變遷問題是非常嚴正以待的。」世界資源協會是一個以華府為基礎的研究及宣傳組織。
環境調查協會在美國華府及英國倫敦均設有辦公室，該會執行長俾斯麥（Said Alexander von Bismarck）表示，「該法案標示了，美國這個木材最主要消費國第一次將非法伐林的木材貿易視為是一種犯罪；它提供了一個開先例的有效工具，得以去重塑一個產值1兆美元的產業面貌，有助減緩森林消退，並改善森林管理。」
For the first time, a solar-powered car has traveled around the world, arriving at the UN climate conference in Poznan Thursday with the United Nations' top climate official Yvo de Boer onboard for the last few meters to mark the historic moment.
Owner and driver Louis Palmer, a Swiss schoolteacher, will keep his "solar taxi" at the conference until it closes on December 12, offering rides to delegates, ministers and the press, before he heads back to Switzerland.
The solar taxi has been on the road for almost 18 months and has covered around 54,000 kilometers (33,550 miles) through 38 countries to claim a world record. Palmer undertook the trip to demonstrate that clean technologies are available now to curb global warming.
Inside the conference hall, countries, UN agencies and nongovernmental organizations are making commitments and launching publications in an effort to limit climate change.
Earlier this week, Brazil set an ambitious target of reducing its deforestation rate by 70 percent over the next 10 years. Brazil is the world's fourth largest emitter of global warming pollution, and about 80 percent of Brazil's global warming emissions come from clearing of the Amazon rainforest and the Atlantic coastal forest.
At Poznan today, the World Resources Institute and the Environmental Investigation Agency launched a partnership to combat illegal logging worldwide and clean up timber supply chains. These efforts are intended to limit climate change, which is linked to deforestation because trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
The partnership focuses on a 100 year old U.S. wildlife trafficking law known as the Lacey Act, which was just amended to include plant products, including timber and wood.
"The Lacey Act, if enforced, has the potential to send a powerful signal around the world that the U.S. is serious about curtailing illegal logging. Increasingly, illegal logging and deforestation contribute to climate change," said Jonathan Lash, president of World Resources Institute, a Washington, DC based research and advocacy organization.
Said Alexander von Bismarck, executive director at Environmental Investigation Agency, based in Washington and London, "The bill marks the first time that a major consuming country has made the trade in illegally logged wood a crime. It provides a precedent-setting tool to change the face of a $1 trillion industry, reduce deforestation, and improve forestry governance."
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
