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Easy as pie?

“It is increasingly recognized that nation-states are increasingly limited in the degree to which they can directly effect emissions of (greenhouse gasses) and the ability of societies to adapt to climate change. While the language of international agreements often suggests that nation-states can act as containers for emissions of GHG– cutting up the global emissions pie into nation-sized pieces, setting targets and conducting emissions inventories– the GHG emitted within the boundaries of a nation-state are shaped by processes and actors operating across national boundaries…” by  -excerpt from “Governing Climate Change” by Peter Newell and Harriet Bulkeley Global climate change is a problem which is…well, global. On Earth, there is no easy way to divvy up the atmospheric commons into neat slices of pie for each nation-state to monitor and control for GHG emissions. As … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change

Am I making a difference?

As I sit at my desk, staring into the eyes of the Lorax (yes, I brought “the Lorax” with me to colege), I can’t help but feel a certain amount of resentment towards the article “Individualization: plant a tree, buy a bike, save the world?” by Michael Maniates. This resentment does not stem from a difference of opinion, rather in the fact that Maniates has sadly convinced me of how futile my daily efforts in support of the environmental movement are. Since reading the article a few days ago, I have frowned at each can I put into my recycling bin, and sighed every time I go to grab my purse made from recycled plastic bottles. I shake my head as I unplug the coffee pot and toaster, roll my eyes at … Read entire article »

Filed under: Conservation

Seeing is Believing

Although the scientific discovery of anthropogenic caused global warming has been accepted by the vast majority of the scientific community, there are some knowledge gaps which make climate change difficult for the average person to accept and believe. One of these confusions comes from the misunderstanding of the difference between climate and weather. It can be easy for someone to believe in global warming when there are record breaking heat waves in their town or state. At the same time, an unusually cold winter or bad blizzard can give skeptics the “proof” they need to say it doesn’t exist. However, these examples can neither prove, nor disprove, global warming. These seasonal variations are examples of weather, not climate. It is true that one aspect of climate change will mean greater variability … Read entire article »

Filed under: Summer Reading Responses

What makes a freedom fighter?

(In response to the prompt ” How did Nelson Mandela’s Childhood and education impact his political philosophy?”) Nelson Mandela was not always the man we know him to be today. Not every human is destined to become their country’s first African attorney, be imprisoned for 27 years, and later become the winner of a Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, however extraordinary the events of Nelson Mandela’s life were to become, they began in much the same way as many other poverty-stricken Africans of his generation. He, his mother, and siblings lived in small mud-walled huts without any of the modern amenities available at that time. Mandela spent his early years enjoying the simple games of stick fighting and meals of samp (corn porridge) and beans, while leaning to look after sheep and … Read entire article »

Filed under: Summer Reading Responses