Cool COP Morning: Everything is Sunny in Cancún

Maybe it’s the sunny weather, but with the COP now officially underway, delegates are sounding quite optimistic that some substantial agreements can be hammered out between countries in Cancún. Here’s a sampling of the good vibes coming out of Mexico this morning:

U.S. delegation head Dr. Jonathan Pershing says the United States and China have been sitting down over the past month to pre-game the Cancún negotiations, with some success. Pershing says the two countries, who together account for roughly half of global greenhouse gas emissions, have identified ”a lot of areas of agreement.” (The Telegraph)

Speaking of China, Indian Environmental Minister Jairam Ramesh says India and China have agreed on the contentious issue of opening up international verification of domestic climate change mitigation efforts – in other words, proving that countries are cutting emissions. He says the next step will be to bring Brazil and South Africa into the verification fold. (Business Standard)

In the drive to create a global climate fund, Pershing is pushing the jobs angle. He notes that helping communities adapt to climate change around the world can create jobs in U.S. sectors ranging from construction to agriculture. (The Huffington Post)

An editorial from The Washington Post notes the heavy lift U.S. negotiators face in Cancún in the wake of the mid-term elections, but insists progress can be made on several fronts, especially in efforts to reduce global deforestation. (The Washington Post)

Google has released  Google Earth 6 and with it comes some love for trees. The new software includes 3-D trees in urban settings and models of some of the Earth’s threatened forests. Members of the Google Earth team are at Cancún doing some workshops. If you’re there, you should check these good people out. (Google Lat Long Blog)

(Image: COP 16 opening ceremony, courtesy of UNFCC photo pool.)