COP-27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, was unique not only because it was in Africa but also because it felt like a COP for Africa. The continent of Africa and much of the Global South has long been left behind in almost every modern-day metric and index - GDP, HDI, Gini, etc. These countries are grappling with poignant issues of food, …
Continue reading Will more energy be a strength or weakness? Global South Perspectives from COP-27
Since 1995, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has hosted the yearly Conferences of Parties (COP) to facilitate international climate policy. Organizations from around the world gather to set the agenda for coordinated action on climate change. Marking its 25th meeting, COP25 suffered multiple setbacks beginning during the planning stages and continuing …
The world is faced with an unconventional, unprecedented challenge – that of climate change – and needs unconventional ways to overcome it. The intersection of climate, finance and technology is doing just that, by turning to blockchain for climate finance. This was the hot topic at several discussion sessions at COP 24, and therefore, this …
The 2017 UN Framework Conference on Climate Change—Conference of Parties (COP 23)—was commonly considered a more “technical” COP with respect to the landmark COP 21, which resulted in the Paris Agreement (PA). The importance of the COP 23 lay in the Parties formulating the “rulebook” for the successful implementation of the several mechanisms established in …
(Photo above from Delegate Advisor Matt Irish of the plenary at COP23.) On Monday, November 6, 2017, the delegation from Fiji will and formally commence the 23rd United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of Parties, where the nations of the world discuss, debate, and develop worldwide action on climate change. Among …
In a time of high frustration over the state of US political engagement with climate change, it’s important to acknowledge the progress being made around the world on climate change and the environment. Even if, as Ed Waisenen noted in Climate Blue’s last blog post, environmental progress is stalled or reversed at the national level, …
Continue reading Climate Progress Doesn’t Have to be Limited by Politics
Today in the morning, US Secretary of State John Kerry paid a visit to COP 22. In his remarks he talked about the danger as well as the thrill of preaching to the choir, aka the attendants of the conference. With a sense of optimism, he lauded the COPs for their progress in achieving steps …
“We could have saved [the Earth] but we were too damned cheap.” -Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., A Man Without a Country. Recently, I became aware of a Pew Research Center poll that found overwhelming support for requiring better fuel efficiency for vehicles (79%), funding for alternative energy (74%), and strong support for spending more on mass …
Continue reading The Business of Free. Something to learn for climate change?
Most greenhouse gases that people emit come from fossil fuels, so understanding how much fossil fuels we're likely to burn in the coming decades is a crucial climate issue. I've been learning a lot about "peak oil" and related ideas lately, and have been having some heretical thoughts—or at least they feel heretical to me, …
I love this short post from James Kwak over at Baseline Scenario. "Nice Economy You’ve Got There . . ." That, I believe, was a line from Nemo in a comment long ago, on how the megabanks were holding the federal government hostage by threatening to collapse and take the financial system with them. The …
Continue reading Limit Mountaintop Removal, and the World Will End…
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