Dickinson to Durban » Archive
USA, China, EU not on the same page for Long Term Action
By Timothy Damon ’12 Earlier today I sat in on the open meeting of the Ad hoc Working Group for Long Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA), a body tasked with looking ahead and considering the future trajectory of activities under the UNFCCC process. There I had the opportunity to witness a brief exchange between several major players, including the USA, EU, and China. I will recount this episode and provide some analysis. Shortly after I entered the room, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Climate Change, Key COP17 Issues
Ready or not…
As COP17 looms ever closer, one must ask what outcome is reasonable to expect. According to a document released early this month, the UN has officially identified several important items it is placing its hopes on for the Conference: 1. Building institutions to aid the response of developing countries to climate change; 2. Agreeing on a pathway for realizing emissions reductions down the road; 3. Figuring out what will become of the Kyoto Protocol. Let’s take a quick look at … Read entire article »
Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Politics, Key COP17 Issues
Durban’s Challenge
By Timothy Damon ’12 With a population of more than 3.5 million people and an area of more than 2,300 km2, Durban is one of the most significant urban and economic centers in South Africa. A port city, it is on the front lines of climate change – at risk from storm surge and sea-level rise in addition to heat waves and air pollution. The local government has initiated some steps to address these hazards, but … Read entire article »
Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Politics
Why America hasn’t been “Aspirational”
By Timothy Damon ’12 Why hasn’t America set a dramatic GHG reduction target as a sign to the rest of the world that it “means business” on climate change? Certainly our friends in the European Union – who have taken some ambitious stances of their own – would appreciate such a move, and countries like China actually expect this before they are likely to lift a finger themselves. So, if it could do so much good … Read entire article »
Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Politics, Featured
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