COP15 ended today with a political agreement to cap temperature rise to 2°C, reduce GHG emissions and raise financial assistance to developing countries (to $30 billion over the next three years) to adapt and mitigate against climate change. Many stake holders were disappointed that the meeting ended without reaching a legally binding agreement to reduce GHG emissions, which was no surprise to most experts. Many criticized this agreement as low in ambitions, poor on targets and vague on money. However, it represents a small but important step to move in the right direction, where countries recognize joint and differential responsibilities tailored to their economic and geopolitical capabilities and constraints. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Global Warming and Global Whining
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009If you are not represented at this table, you might be part of the menu
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009Copenhagen is a very exciting place right now, with many contrasts. One of the jewels of this beautiful city is Tivoli, a sort of “Disneyland in Las Vegas” with lots of bright and colorful lights. I wonder what its carbon footprint is. Probably a lot less than it appears, due to the prevalence of wind energy here. The Bella Center, the main site for COP15, is densely packed with people of unparalleled cultural and philosophical diversity and competing interests. A friend once told me that political negotiations get more vicious when the stakes are lower. Here, it is quite the opposite.
(more…)
Joining the blog
Monday, December 21st, 2009Hello everyone,
Due to technical issues, I was unable to post until now, but better late than never!
Before leaving for Copenhagen, I had high hopes for the impact Copenhagen would leave on the world, and still do. Realistically, I did not think any great change would take place in a single week after years of carbon emission. However, in negotiating ways to mitigate and adapt to global warming, I could see great change in the future. (more…)
Climate Crackdowns
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Things are getting pretty weird at the Bella Center. Events are closing up and locking down. Key heads of state are arriving on their private jets. Evo Morales is still wearing really ugly sweaters? Will there ever be any progress on a binding agreement?
Welcome
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009Climate is a complex system, global politics even more, and economics also has its thing. You put them all together and you have the UNFCCC. The students will write on specific topics of their choosing. Before taking off to Copenhagen, I gave them a set of readings so they could build a solid background on the issue. The readings include news and articles from CNN, BBC, The Economist, Science, Nature and ES&T magazines, as well as website, specialized reports and peer-reviewed article contents. I myself learnt a big deal reading through those pieces, and thought I post “my digestion” here.
In the section “Basics” I have tried to give answers to some of the questions most of us have. I don’t always quote my source, but I can provide it on an individual basis if anyone is interested or you can try to find it at the section “Learn More”, where I give you the links to the original sources and other more elaborate analyses. You can also find links to most of the COP15 logistics-related websites. My sections are always under construction and you can contribute to expand them. I encourage you to submit your questions, since I or some of the students might be able to answer them. I also encourage you to suggest sources of information if you think they can help. Since we are trying to be productive, please do not send anything on the science of climate change. COP15 is about policy and assumes climate change is happening and caused in part by anthropogenic GHG emissions, which we should reduce. The debate goes on both at the scientific and at the layman spheres (although at different levels). The first has a forum at the IPCC, a body that comprises numerous scientists including many members of the National Academies of Science, NOAA, NASA, etc. I leave it to them to decide and they have decided it is happening based on many different sets of data and analyses (not only the controversial ones from the University of East Anglia). The layman debate inevitably lags behind in terms of information and is mostly based on immobile personal ideological biases, which is not what I want to discuss here. There is plenty on the Internet where to find answers to common skeptical questions. I can recommend this for a start: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8376286.stm.
If you really want to learn about what precedes and goes on at the amazing effort of COP15 you should be able to find useful information here.
I hope that is the case.
Rosa