Despite how exciting it is to be here at the conference, it’s surprising how out of the loop I feel. Granted, our observer status gets us into hundreds of events hosted by governments, IGOs, NGOs and corporations, where we rub shoulders with high level officials, scientists, and even Al Gore,; however, we have no access to the actual negotiations. I find myself relying on my old standby, nytimes.com to let me know what’s happening! (more…)
Archive for December, 2009
Can’t see the forest for the trees (not a REDD reference, sorry!)
Tuesday, December 15th, 20091+1 = 3 (and bad news for the oceans)
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009I apologize for the lack of post yesterday; as Yves wrote yesterday, we had a terrible time getting registered for the conference! (I didn’t get in until 1:30, and I was one of the lucky ones.)
Today we had the pleasure of meeting Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Administrator of NOAA. She invited us to attend her and her colleague’s session on the impacts of climate change for oceans and ecosystems. It was the first science based lecture I attended (most of mine have been focused on global poverty… will blog about it soon!), and quite frankly, the most depressing.
The people came from all over, but the cameras were all Japanese
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009I woke up this morning (at regular intervals characteristic of jetlag) to find myself filled with the spirit of, to quote numerous billboards around the capital, “Hopenhagen”. If all went smoothly I would be registered as a Non-Government Observer (NGO) observer at the COP15 before mid-morning. After an auspicious start with a truly magnificent breakfast buffet, I left for the Bella Center and quickly discovered I wasn’t the only one excited about the second week of climate action.
Where do we go from here?
Monday, December 14th, 2009
When scientists and policy-makers go searching for the source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the finger is almost always pointed at developed nations. This blame is not without reason, and the goal of these developed countries must now be to quickly shift their economies from a base of fossil fuels to carbon neutral energy. The discussion of this transformation usually centers around two areas: carbon mitigation and renewable energy development. Carbon mitigation involves the continued emission of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels, the capture of the emissions at the point of release, and final sequestration of that carbon dioxide; there is even interest in sequestering carbon dioxide that was released by past industrial activities. The other promise of technology in a post-Copenhagen world is in the development of renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and and geothermal. As we have seen from the current renewable energy industry, a mix of public and market development will have to guide these technological developments, but they are nonetheless essential as developed economies continue to globalize.
Young men in Ferraris
Monday, December 14th, 2009I should probably explain the meaning behind “Tiny Tim”. I said that I wanted to investigate the overlap between climate change and global poverty. Tiny Tim is a good example of a resilient yet unfortunate bloke, who despite his physical disadvantages, is able to help induce a change of enormous magnitude in Scrooge. Tiny Tim may lack a lot of basic capabilities in his life, but his outspoken presence contributes in a large positive way toward improving society. (more…)
We’re on a boat
Monday, December 14th, 2009Finally, we have arrived in Copenhagen and are settling in on our boat hotel. (There are so many people at the conference, the city is filled to capacity, so they rented boats. Apparently Greenpeace has one too, but we haven’t seen it yet.) (more…)
How full is your glass?
Thursday, December 10th, 2009When talking about the climate change conference in Copenhagen, people generally fall into one of two groups. On one side of the table, there are the optimists who gleefully hold their proverbial half-full glasses. Seated on the opposite end, the pessimists exchange forlorn glances and rueful shakes of the head.
Then there’s me. And I’m trying hard not to spill my cup. (more…)
Countdown to Copenhagen
Friday, December 4th, 2009Hello world! Thanks for following our blog. All of us are powering through final papers and exams as we anxiously await our departure for the COP15. Over 15,000 people have registered for the conference and hotels are booked for miles outside the city. As news of hope and cynicism for the Copenhagen venture flows in every day, I gain an enhanced gratitude for the opportunity to attend what could potentially be one of the most memorable and important international summits of the century. Each of the Rice delegates will focus on a specific aspect of the neogtiations to research during our stay. I’ll fill you in on my line of work now. (more…)