definition from wiktionary, the free dictionary - first attested probably in 1472. - from middle english absurdite, then from either middle french absurdite, or from late latin absurditas ( “ dissonance, incongruity ” ), from latin absurdus + + - itas. - surface analysis : absurd + - ity - ( obsolete, rare ) dissonance. [ attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the late 17th century. ] - ( countable ) that which is absurd ; an absurd action ; a logical contradiction. [ first attested in the late 15th century. ] - his travels were full of absurdities. - johnson - ( uncountable ) the quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment. [ first attested in the early 16th century. ] - the absurdity of the actual idea of an infinite number. - john locke - 1992, rudolf m. schuster, the hepaticae and anthocerotae of north america : east of the hundredth meridian, volume v, page viii - neither [ jones ] [ … ] nor i ( in 1966 ) could conceive of reducing our " science " to the ultimate absurdity of reading finnish newspapers almost a century and a half old in order to establish " priority. " the quality of being absurd an absurd action - the translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. see instructions at help : how to check translations. - ^ 1984, urdang, laurence editor, the random house college dictionary, new york, ny : random house, inc., isbn 0 - 394 - 43600 - 8, page 7 : - ^ 1976, gove, philip babcock editor, webster ' s third international dictionary of the english language unabridged, springfield, ma : g. & c. merriam co., isbn 0 - 87779 - 101 - 5, page 8 : - 2003, brown, lesley editor, the shorter oxford english dictionary, edition 5th, oxford, uk : oxford university press, isbn 978 - 0 - 19 - 860575 - 7, page 10 :


from middle english sesoun, seson ( “ time of the year ” ), from old french seson, seison ( “ time of sowing, seeding ” ), from latin sationem, accusative of satio ( “ act of sowing, planting ” ) from satum, past participle of serere ( “ to sow, plant ” ) from proto - indo - european * seh₁ - ( “ to sow, plant ” ). akin to old english sawan ( “ to sow ” ), old english sæd ( “ seed ” ). displaced native middle english sele ( “ season ” ) ( from old english sæl ( “ season, time, occasion ” ) ), middle english tide ( “ season, time of year ” ) ( from old english tid ( “ time, period, yeartide, season ” ) ). season ( plural seasons ) - each of the four divisions of a year : spring, summer, autumn and winter ; yeartide. - a part of a year when something particular happens : mating season, rainy season, football season. - ( obsolete ) that which gives relish ; seasoning. - 1599, william shakespeare, much ado about nothing, act 4 scene 1 - o! she is fallen - into a pit of ink, that the wide sea - hath drops too few to wash her clean again, - and salt too little which may season give - to her foul - tainted flesh. - 1605, shakespeare, the tragedy of macbeth, iii, 4 - you lack the season of all natures, sleep. - ( cricket ) the period over which a series of test matches are played. - ( north america ) a group of episodes of a television or radio program broadcast in regular intervals with a long break between each group, usually with one year between the beginning of each. - the third season of friends aired from 1996 to 1997. - ( obsolete ) an extended, undefined period of time. - 1656, john owen, the mortification of sin - so it is in a person when a breach hath been made upon his conscience, quiet, perhaps credit, by his lust, in some eruption of actual sin ; — carefulness, indignation, desire, fear, revenge are all set on work about it and against it, and lust is quiet for a season, being run down before them ; but when the hurry is over and the inquest is past, the thief


, indignation, desire, fear, revenge are all set on work about it and against it, and lust is quiet for a season, being run down before them ; but when the hurry is over and the inquest is past, the thief appears again alive, and is as busy as ever at his work. usage notes in british english, a year - long group of episodes is called a series, whereas in north american english the word " series " is a synonym of " program " or " show ". derived terms terms derived from season quarter of a year - korean : ( ko ) ( gyejeol ) - sorani : وهرز ( ku ) - lao : ( lo ) - latvian : gadalaiks ( lv ) m, sezona ( lv ) f - lithuanian : metu laikas ( lt ) m - luxembourgish : joreszait ( lb ) f - malay : musim ( ms ) - malayalam : please add this translation if you can - marathi : please add this translation if you can - navajo : ninahahaah - nepali : please add this translation if you can - norwegian : arstid ( no ) m and f, sesong ( no ) m - occitan : sason ( oc ) f - oriya : ( or ) - pashto : please add this translation if you can - persian : موسم ( fa ) ( mausam ) - polish : pora roku ( pl ) f - portuguese : estacao ( pt ) f, sazao ( pt ) f - romanian : sezon ( ro ) n, anotimp ( ro ) n - romansch : stagiun ( rm ) f, stagiun ( rm ) f, staschung ( rm ) f - russian : время года ( ru ) ( vremja goda ) n, сезон ( ru ) ( sezon ) m - scots : saison - scottish gaelic : aimsir ( gd ) f, raith ( gd ) f - serbo - croatian : godisnje doba ( sh ) n doba ( sh ) n - slovak : rocne obdobie ( sk ) n - slovene : letni cas ( sl ) m - spanish : estacion ( es ) f - swahili : msimu ( sw ) - swedish : arstid ( sv ) c


: rocne obdobie ( sk ) n - slovene : letni cas ( sl ) m - spanish : estacion ( es ) f - swahili : msimu ( sw ) - swedish : arstid ( sv ) c - tamil : please add this translation if you can - telugu : please add this translation if you can - thai : ( th ) - turkish : mevsim ( tr ), sezon ( tr ) - ukrainian : пора року ( uk ) ( pora roku ) f - urdu : موسم ( ur ) ( mausam ) m, فصل ( ur ) ( fasl ) m, رت ( ur ) ( rut ) f - vietnamese : mua ( vi ) - volapuk : sasun ( vo ) - welsh : tymor ( cy ) m - west frisian : jiertiid ( fy ) c - yiddish : פון יאר ( yi ) ( tseit fon yar ) part of year with something special ( obsolete ) that which gives relish season ( third - person singular simple present seasons, present participle seasoning, simple past and past participle seasoned ) - ( transitive ) to flavour food with spices, herbs or salt. - ( transitive ) to make fit for any use by time or habit ; to habituate ; to accustom ; to inure ; to ripen ; to mature ; as, to season one to a climate. - ( transitive ) hence, to prepare by drying or hardening, or removal of natural juices ; as, to season timber. - ( intransitive ) to become mature ; to grow fit for use ; to become adapted to a climate. - ( intransitive ) to become dry and hard, by the escape of the natural juices, or by being penetrated with other substance ; as, timber seasons in the sun. to make fit for any use by time or habit to prepare by drying or hardening


this is mainly a philosophical problem : what are opposites? you can only have opposites if you have a frame of reference. in one context, the opposite of man can be woman ; in another, it can be beast or nature or child, and so on. metaphorically speaking, you need a mirror to reflect against, or a hinge to pivot around. you need to reduce the number of options to two for there to be an opposite. in many cases, using a negation can be an obvious way to do this, because you basically divide the entire spectrum of possibilities into x and " not x " : unfriendliness can be the opposite of friendliness, and unloved can be the opposite of loved. it could be said that a negation provides a mirror. so you could say the opposite of schadenfreude is not schadenfreude, which would mean simply the absence of schadenfreude. however, the more specific a word or concept is, the more other possibilities you are grouping under " opposite " by simply using a negation : there are many kinds of not - schadenfreude, you could say. that is why it doesn ' t seem a very satisfying kind of opposite in this case. we could instead decide to focus on the aspect joy, and mirror it along the spectrum of " good " versus " bad " emotions. even then, there seem to be two options : anger and sorrow. you could be sad about someone else ' s misfortune, or angry. so the spectrum of good v. bad emotions is not even specific enough. both could be used as opposites. the aspect of misfortune could be used as well, and we could choose the spectrum of good versus bad things happening to someone else. then the opposite good fortune would be fitting, so you could be happy about someone else ' s good fortune. what we did here was pick just one element of meaning expressed by the word and find some frame of reference in which to mirror it. if you take several elements at once and mirror them each, like feeling angry ( or sad ) about the good fortune of others, then you have less of the original meaning left ( neither joy nor the other ' s misfortune ), and so it is less recognizable as an opposite. but you could still consider it an opposite. no doubt other opposites could be created, such as eh... the most commonly used english word used in german (


galls on oak there are a variety of gall - forming species of small wasps that commonly infest oak, quercus spp., trees in pennsylvania. most leaf galls on oak cause little or no harm to the health of a tree. however, twig or branch galls may cause injury or even death to a heavily infested tree. two common species of twig gall - producing insects are the horned oak gall wasp, callirhytis cornigera ( osten sacken ), and the gouty oak gall wasp, c. quercuspunctata ( bassett ). these species are in the insect family cynipidae. both the horned oak gall wasp and the gouty oak gall wasp are known to occur from southern canada to georgia. each of these galls may be diagnosed by their unique characteristic size, shape, and color. figure 1. a horned oak gall on a twig. galls are abnormal plant growth or swellings comprised of plant tissue. galls are usually found on foliage or twigs. these unusual deformities are caused by plant growth - regulating chemicals or stimuli produced by an insect or other arthropod pest species. the chemicals produced by these causal organisms interfere with normal plant cell growth. the horned oak gall wasp, c. cornigera, attacks the twigs of pin, scrub, black, blackjack, and water oaks. the gouty oak gall wasp, c. quercuspunctata, develops in the twigs of pin, scarlet, red, and black oaks. both of these woody twigs galls on oak look similar, but the horned oak gall has small horns that protrude from around the circumference of the gall ( figs. 1 & 2 ). one adult gall wasp emerges from each of these horns. figure 2. a gouty oak gall on a twig. the life cycles of the various gall - forming wasps are highly variable. two or more years are required for gall wasps that develop in woody twig galls to reach maturity. gall - forming wasps usually overwinter as adults in protected places away from the host tree. as the buds break in the spring and the leaves begin to expand, these small wasps start to lay their eggs in expanding plant tissue. during the egg - laying process or early larval - feeding period, specialized body glands secrete growth - regulating chemicals that interact with certain plant chemicals to produce these abnormal growths. after a brief period of cell growth, gall


in expanding plant tissue. during the egg - laying process or early larval - feeding period, specialized body glands secrete growth - regulating chemicals that interact with certain plant chemicals to produce these abnormal growths. after a brief period of cell growth, gall development stops completely. the insect is confined within “ its house ” and feeds only on gall tissue during the remainder of its development. once these galls are formed, they do not continue to use nutrients from the host plant. in general, most leaf galls on oak in pennsylvania do not affect the health of the host tree. a few can cause leaves to drop prematurely, or distort them so that photosynthesis ( the plant ’ s food - making process ) is interrupted. galls generally are aesthetically objectionable to homeowners who find them unattractive and fear that galls will cause damage to the health of their oak trees. chemical control is seldom suggested for management of leaf galls on oak. cultural methods of control may be effective in reducing the impact of these insects. some fallen leaves may harbor various life stages of gall - producing pests. therefore, it may be useful to collect and destroy all infested leaves. some of these pests overwinter in twigs and branches of oak. where such woody galls are detected, prune and destroy the infested plant material when the galls are small and have just started to develop. once a gall begins to develop, it is almost impossible to stop or reverse its development. unless registered insecticides can be applied when gall wasps are flying, they offer little or no effective measure of control. lack of serious plant damage from leaf galls and the difficulty in proper timing of insecticide applications pose a strong argument against the use of insecticides to reduce galls on oak. pesticides are poisonous. read and follow directions and safety precautions on labels. handle carefully and store in original labeled containers out of the reach of children, pets, and livestock. dispose of empty containers right away, in a safe manner and place. do not contaminate forage, streams, or ponds. authored by : gregory a. hoover, sr. extension associate revised march 2004 penn state college of agricultural sciences research, extension, and resident education programs are funded in part by pennsylvania counties, the commonwealth of pennsylvania, and the u. s. department of agriculture. visit penn state extension on the web : http : / / extension. psu. edu where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by


counties, the commonwealth of pennsylvania, and the u. s. department of agriculture. visit penn state extension on the web : http : / / extension. psu. edu where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by penn state cooperative extension is implied. this publication is available in alternative media on request. the pennsylvania state university is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by university policy or by state or federal authorities. it is the policy of the university to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. the pennsylvania state university prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at the pennsylvania state university. direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the affirmative action director, the pennsylvania state university, 328 boucke building, university park, pa 16802 - 5901 ; tel 814 - 865 - 4700 / v, 814 - 863 - 1150 / tty. © the pennsylvania state university 2013


photograph by donna eaton a hippo peers from a plant - covered pool in kenya ’ s masai mara game reserve. these massive mammals keep cool by submerging their massive bodies in african ponds, rivers, and lakes for up to 16 hours a day. though they can hold their breath for perhaps half an hour if necessary, hippos typically leave the tops of their heads above the surface. at night hippos leave the water and roam overland to graze. if caught on land too long during the heat of the day the animals can dehydrate quickly. photograph by craig arnold a zambian hippo sends an aggressive message by displaying sharp canine teeth that can reach 20 inches ( 51 centimeters ) in length. bulls use this open - mouthed “ gaping ” display while standing face to face with one another in order to determine which animal is dominant. sometimes a show of strength is not enough and the behavior leads to potentially fatal battles. hippos are dangerous to humans as well. photograph by amanda cotton manatees cruise slowly in shallow, warm coastal waters and rivers — like florida ’ s gin - clear crystal river, pictured here. the massive mammals ( up to 1, 300 pounds or 600 kilograms ) are born underwater and never leave the water as long as they live — though they surface to breathe every few minutes. also known as sea cows, they are insatiable grazers, browsing on a variety of aquatic grasses, weeds, and algae. several different manatee species live along the atlantic coast of the americas, africa ’ s west coast, and the amazon river. photograph by danny brown the muskrat is a common denizen of wetlands, swamps, and ponds, where it dens by tunneling into muddy banks. this large rodent has a body a foot ( 30 centimeters ) long and a flat tail that nearly doubles its length. muskrats are well adapted for the water and begin swimming at only ten days old. perhaps best known for their communication skills, muskrats exchange information with one another and warn off predators with their distinctive odor, or musk. photograph by sergey gabdurakhmanov the world is home to many seals but only one truly freshwater species — the baikal seal. this seal inhabits the russian lake of the same name, which is the world ’ s deepest. though new generations of baikal seals are born each year at rookeries like this one, the species does face serious threats. illegal hunting is an issue, as is widespread pollution from paper and


the same name, which is the world ’ s deepest. though new generations of baikal seals are born each year at rookeries like this one, the species does face serious threats. illegal hunting is an issue, as is widespread pollution from paper and pulp mills and other industry around the lakeshore. amazon river dolphin photograph by kevin schafer the charismatic amazon river dolphin uses echolocation to track down fish and crustaceans in murky river waters. during annual floods the dolphins actually swim through flooded forests to hunt among the trees. often pink or very pale, the dolphins are relatively easy to spot. the bright hue and the boto ' s natural curiosity around boats have made the dolphins easy prey for fishermen who target them ( illegally ) for use as catfish bait. populations have experienced serious declines in recent years ; among traditional amazonian peoples the boto was long considered a supernatural being that was able to take human form. photograph by mark godfrey the world ’ s biggest rodent, the capybara, grows to more than 4 feet ( 130 centimeters ) long and tips the scales at up to 145 pounds ( 66 kilograms ). these water - loving mammals reach such size by grazing on grasses and aquatic plants. capybaras are physically well adjusted to their watery environs. they have webbed toes to help them swim well and can dive underwater for five minutes or more. capybaras are found in central and south america, populating lakes, rivers, and wetlands from panama south to brazil and northern argentina. the nature conservancy is working with partners to protect habitat for the capybara, including the watery llanos grasslands. the group is working with local landowners to create private reserves in critical habitat areas and helping bring more resources to a 63, 000 - acre ( 25, 500 - hectare ) public protected area in the province of casanare in northeastern colombia. photograph by juan alvarez the capybara ’ s eyes, ears, and nostrils are situated high on its head so that it can remain above the surface while the animal swims. the social mammals travel and live in groups dominated by an alpha male and defend their feeding and wallowing territories. humans hunt ( and raise ) capybaras for their leather and their meat — which is especially popular during lent because some south american catholics consider the animal, like fish, an acceptable alternative to beef or pork. photograph by mike paterson beavers are environmental engineers second only to humans in their ability to dramatically reshape the landscape to their liking. using their


lent because some south american catholics consider the animal, like fish, an acceptable alternative to beef or pork. photograph by mike paterson beavers are environmental engineers second only to humans in their ability to dramatically reshape the landscape to their liking. using their powerful jaws and teeth, they fell trees by the dozens to create wood and mud dams, 2 to 10 feet ( 1 to 3 meters ) high and more than 100 feet ( 30 meters ) long. beaver dams block brooks and streams to flood fields and forest alike. the resulting ponds, which can be enormous, are then graced with a branch - and - mud lodge, which the beavers enter via secure underwater passages. photograph by derek dafoe though they are clumsy on land, beavers glide in the water with finlike webbed feet and rudderlike tails, which help them swim along at some 5 miles ( 8 kilometers ) an hour. the mammals also boast a sort of natural wet suit in the form of their oily and water - resistant fur. beavers eat aquatic plants, roots, leaves, bark, and twigs. their teeth grow throughout their lives so wood gnawing is actually necessary to keep them from growing too large and curved. a single beaver gnaws down hundreds of trees each year — typically dropping a 6 - inch ( 15 - centimeter ) diameter tree in just 15 minutes. photograph by lee streitz this sleepy river otter also has a playful side. these water - loving mammals seem to take pleasure in sliding and diving and can swim gracefully with their webbed feet and paddlelike tails. otters have specialized nostrils and ears that close in the water, as well as water - repellent fur. young otters begin to swim when they are only about two months old. river otters live in burrows by the edge of rivers or lakes in close proximity to the fish they feed on. photograph by stephen babka the platypus is an improbable mishmash of an animal : it has a furry, otterlike body, a ducklike bill and webbed feet, and a beaverlike paddle tail. like those other animals platypuses swim well and spend much of their time in the water. unlike otters or beavers, they lay eggs — one of only two mammals known to do so. male platypuses also have venomous stingers on their rear feet. these animals burrow near the water ’ s edge and feed by digging underwater for worms, shellfish, and insects. help save


only two mammals known to do so. male platypuses also have venomous stingers on their rear feet. these animals burrow near the water ’ s edge and feed by digging underwater for worms, shellfish, and insects. help save the colorado river you can help restore freshwater ecosystems by pledging to cut your water footprint. for every pledge, change the course will restore 1, 000 gallons back to the colorado river. sandra is a leading authority on international freshwater issues and is spearheading our global freshwater efforts. he ' s paddled the colorado river from its headwaters to the delta, in an effort to bring awareness to this mighty river at risk. for more than 15 years, osvel hinojosa huerta has been resurrecting mexico ' s colorado river delta wetlands. water currents, by sandra postel and others a year in the making, this video highlights nature ' s splendor. a wetland flourishes in mexico thanks to a treatment plant. scientists investigate the impacts of " micro plastics " on lake ecosystems. special ad section the world ' s water ng ' s new change the course campaign launches. when individuals pledge to use less water in their own lives, our partners carry out restoration work in the colorado river basin. a special series on how grabbing water from poor people and future generations threatens global food security, environmental sustainability, and local cultures.


soaring himalayan griffon vulture august 27, 2009 the himalayan griffon vulture ( gyps himalayensis ) flies over large swaths of central asia including the himalaya, pamir and tien shan mountain ranges. weighing in at 20 - some pounds ( 12. 5 kg ) and with a wingspan of about 10 feet ( 3 meters ) they are the second largest old world vulture. their large wingspan helps them stay aloft for hours at a time as they soar on rising convection currents of heated air called thermals. this gives it a perfect platform for observing the land below for a potential meal. like other vultures this one helps to keep the planet in sustainable harmony by eating anything dead and rotting it finds. the himalayan griffon is not considered to be endangered. this particular bird is soaring effortlessly on thermals high above a flutter of buddhist prayer flags near a sky burial site at ganden monastery tibet. this monastery was established early in the 15th century. it was the first, and for many centuries, the main monastery of the gelug ( geluk, " yellow hat " ) sect which is now the main sect in tibet. it was destroyed during the cultural revolution and has since been rebuilt. photo details : canon eos 20d ; 18 - 55mm lens ; 51 mm focal length ; iso 400 ; 1 / 400 at f / 16. photo taken july 11, 2009.


strategy on climate change for 2020 and beyond the commission assesses the costs and benefits of combating climate change and recommends a package of measures to limit global warming to 2° celsius. some of the measures apply to the eu, such as the binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and measures on energy, and others have a broader international scope, such as negotiating an international agreement. communication from the commission, of 10 january 2007, entitled : " limiting global climate change to 2 degrees celsius - the way ahead for 2020 and beyond " [ com ( 2007 ) 2 final - not published in the official journal ]. strong scientific evidence shows that urgent action to tackle climate change is imperative. new research has confirmed that the climate really is changing and there are signs that these changes have accelerated. impact analyses are beginning to quantify precisely what the cost of inaction or of simply pursuing current policies will be. in 2005, the commission laid the foundations for an eu strategy to combat climate change. this document now sets out more concrete steps to limit the effects of climate change and to reduce the risk of massive and irreversible disruptions to the planet. these short - term and medium - term measures target both developed countries ( the eu and other industrialised countries ) and developing countries. the eu and its member states have confirmed their target to limit the global average temperature increase to 2° celsius compared with pre - industrial levels, the point beyond which the impact of climatic change is believed to increase dramatically. research shows that stabilising the level of greenhouse gases at 450 ppmv ( parts per million volume of co2 equivalent ) would lead to a 1 in 2 chance of reaching the target of a 2°c rise ( compared with a 1 in 6 chance if levels reach 550 ppmv, and a 1 in 16 chance if levels hit 650 ppmv ). costs and benefits of future policy choices recent research, such as the peseta study carried out for the joint research centre and the stern review, points out the hefty economic and social costs of failing to take sufficient action to combat climate change. the stern review estimates this cost at between 5 and 20 % of global dgp. climate change will cause widespread damage to populations, ecosystems and resources, as well as to infrastructure and living conditions, ranging from an increase in mortality and disease linked to changes in temperature, damage caused by more frequent flooding and a rise in sea level, increasing desertification in southern countries and scarcer fresh water resources. the peseta study


infrastructure and living conditions, ranging from an increase in mortality and disease linked to changes in temperature, damage caused by more frequent flooding and a rise in sea level, increasing desertification in southern countries and scarcer fresh water resources. the peseta study focuses in particular on the impacts in europe on agriculture, public health, tourism, river basins and coastal systems. according to the impact assessment carried out by the commission, the investment needed to maintain the level of greenhouse gases at 450 ppmv would cost about 0. 5 % of global gdp over the period 2013 - 2030. global gdp growth would only fall by 0. 19 % per year up to 2030, a fraction of the expected annual gdp growth rate ( 2. 8 % ). the commission also stresses that the global cost needed is overstated, since it does not account for the benefits of combating climate change. effectively tackling climate change would in fact produce significant benefits, including fewer damages by avoiding problems. in the same way, reducing our consumption of fossil fuels ( especially oil and gas ) will help cut costs in importing these resources and substantially improve the security of energy supply. similarly, reducing co2 emissions will help improve air quality, which will produce huge health benefits. what ' s more, most studies show that mitigation policies would have positive effects on employment, for example in the field of renewable energy and cutting - edge technology. the benefits of combating climate change will not stop at eu borders. similar benefits can be expected in other countries if they adopt similar measures to europe, especially regarding the security of energy supply and air quality. action in the eu the eu has already proved, through internal policies, that is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without undermining economic growth. the commission stresses that there is the potential to further reduce emissions considerably and echoes its commitment to pursue and extend current measures and to adopt new measures. the commission suggests that the eu should adopt targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. it calls for the eu to set the target in international negotiations of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries by 30 % ( compared to 1990 levels ) by 2020. until an international agreement is made, and without prejudice to the position it will take in these negotiations, the eu should immediately make the resolute and independent commitment to reduce its own emissions by at least 20 % by 2020. at the march 2007 european council, member states also strongly backed these targets. in line with the strategic analysis of the eu ' s energy policy, the commission recommends taking the following measures on


to reduce its own emissions by at least 20 % by 2020. at the march 2007 european council, member states also strongly backed these targets. in line with the strategic analysis of the eu ' s energy policy, the commission recommends taking the following measures on energy : - improving the eu ' s energy efficiency by 20 % by 2020 ; - increasing the share of renewable energy to 20 % by 2020 ; - developing an environmentally safe carbon geological storage policy. the commission believes that the european union emissions trading scheme ( eu ets ) needs to be strengthened by taking measures such as the following : - increasing the duration of quota allocations to over five years, as it is now ; - extending the scheme to other gases and sectors ; - aligning allocation procedures across member states and - linking the eu ets to compatible mandatory schemes in other states ( such as california and australia ). in order to limit emissions in the transport sector, the commission asks the council and parliament to adopt, where necessary, proposals to include aviation in the eu ets and to link taxes on tourism vehicles to their co2 emissions. there are also plans to reduce co2 emissions from cars to reach the target of 120 grams of co2 per kilometre ( g co2 / km ). the commission also stresses the need for consumers to do more, to cut the emissions produced by freight transport by road and maritime transport and to address biofuels. the document suggests cutting co2 emissions in other sectors, such as by improving the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings. it also recommends reducing other gases, notably by adopting and strengthening measures on agriculture and forestry, setting limits for methane emissions from industry and gas engines and including these sources of emissions in the eu ets, stricter measures on fluorinated greenhouse gases and tackling nitrous oxide from combustion and large installations. it is also important to rapidly mobilise funds for research on the environment, energy and transport under the seventh framework programme and to increase the research budget after 2013 to promote the development of clean technology and increase our knowledge of climate change. the action plans on energy technology and environmental technology must be fully implemented. the document also notes that the strategic guidelines on cohesion should be applied, which promote sustainable transport and energy and environmental technologies. the battle against climate change can only be won through global action. international negotiations must move beyond rhetoric towards negotiations on concrete commitments. the commission believes that developed countries must commit to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by 30 % compared to 1990 levels by 2020, as part of a post - 2012 international agreement


won through global action. international negotiations must move beyond rhetoric towards negotiations on concrete commitments. the commission believes that developed countries must commit to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by 30 % compared to 1990 levels by 2020, as part of a post - 2012 international agreement. developed countries also have the technological and financial capacity to reduce their emissions, which is why they should make most of the effort over the next decade. emissions trading schemes will be a key tool to ensure that developed countries can reach their targets cost - effectively. the growth in developing countries ' economies and emissions makes it essential for them to start reducing the rise in their emissions as soon as possible and to cut their emissions in absolute terms after 2020, since by 2020, these countries will be responsible for over half the greenhouse gas emissions. many developing countries are already making efforts that result in significant reductions in the growth of their greenhouse gas emissions, through policies addressing economic, security or local environmental concerns. developing countries have many strategic options where the benefits outweigh the costs, such as improving energy efficiency, promoting renewable energy, adopting measures on air quality and recovery of methane from sources such as waste. the following elements should be part of the process to step up action in these countries : - streamlining and expanding the clean development mechanism under the kyoto protocol to cover entire national sectors ; - improving access to finance via a combination of the various mechanisms available so that developing countries can build the facilities to generate the cleanest energy possible ; - introducing emissions trading schemes for certain industrial sectors where the capacity exists to properly monitor emissions ; - countries that reach a level of development similar to that of developed countries should make a quantified, appropriate commitment ; - no commitments for least developed countries. lastly, a future international agreement should address issues such as further cooperation in research and technology development, halting deforestation and restoring forested areas, adapting to the inescapable impacts of climate change and concluding an international agreement on energy efficiency standards. this communication follows up on the 2005 communication laying the basis for a future climate change strategy. the measures proposed in this strategy are closely linked to the " energy package " published by the commission in january 2007, which defines a new european energy policy and sets out clear, quantified targets. according to scientific research, the currents levels of co2 and methane in the atmosphere are the highest they have been for 650 000 years, which causes a significant acceleration of the greenhouse effect. to stabilise global warming at an average of 2° celsius, global emissions must fall by almost 50 % compared to