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Dickinson to Durban » Entries tagged with "COP17"

Kyoto As A Symbol

Claire Tighe ’13 Anyone with common sense at this conference would agree that signing on to the Kyoto Protocol would not mitigate enough GHG emissions to prevent catastrophic climate change. Even though, as Dr. Pachuari of the IPCC stated during our breakfast yesterday, science and the COP negotiations have become ever disjointed, most parties present here understand that attempting to mitigate, is not enough. So why are different groups, such as CAN, YOUNGO (see their interesting Ode to Kyoto video), and AOSIS holding on so tight to pushing through a second committment period of the Kyoto Protocol (hereafter referred to as KP2)? Because it’s a symbol. To anyone without the financial means to mitigate and adapt to climate change, agreeing to a KP2 means that they are committed to the UNFCCC process. … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Environmental Politics, Featured, Key COP17 Issues, Mosaic Action, Student Research

AOSIS Increases Urgency

Claire Tighe ‘13 Just tuned into a press briefing hosted by AOSIS to hear about their progress in the last two weeks. What is the state of their demands for the outcomes of COP17? Have these changed over the last two weeks? What about since the last few COPs? What is left to be done? According to the vicechair of AOSIS, their negotiating positions have not changed much since 2009, as they still use the “Protocol Approach,” which advocates for a second commitment of the Kyoto Protocol (KP). However, since the last two COPs, AOSIS has increased the level of urgency with which they approach the negotiations. They do this by highlighting scientific findings that predict catastrophic climate change, particularly for the most vulnerable (small island states). According to AOSIS, their negotiating … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Environmental Politics, Featured, Key COP17 Issues, Mosaic Action, Student Research

ROOOOAAARR!!!! I want climate justice now!

By Dani Thompson Today, Sam Parker, Maggie Reese and I casually met up with volunteers from tck tck tck and Climate Action Network (CAN) on the Addington each in Durban. Oh? Did I mention we were also joined by over 2,000 South African school kids? The gathering was an action dubbed “Africa Roars”. It was a mass gathering of people “roaring” for climate change by forming a giant lion head in the sand. The shape of the lion also represented a the need for youth to be courageous in demanding climate justice! Now that I have told you the passion and care which went into the planning of this action, and a picture to prove that it was actually completed, I will tell you what it was REALLY like to be  a … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Justice

Costa Rica: “The beacon of common sense”

Costa Rica: “The beacon of common sense”

By Anna McGinn ‘14 The Climate Vulnerability Forum (CVF) is a group of countries that group themselves together, not as an additional negotiating block, but as a group of countries with a common interest in protecting the most vulnerable countries of the world.  The first meeting of this group was held in 2009 in the Maldives before COP15.  They continue to meet every year before the COP to solidify their shared perspective on the negotiations.  Yesterday, … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Environmental Politics, Key COP17 Issues, Mosaic Action, Student Research