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Dickinson to Durban » Climate Change

Mosaic Group to Washington DC

By: Anna McGinn ’14 Instead of rolling out of bed and heading to classes as usual, on Thursday, October 20 the students in the Mosaic program traveled to DC to meet with United States negotiators, scientists, and government workers.  Over our two days of meeting, we meet with a total of eleven speakers.  Each brought a different point of view to the table, labeling different events as successes and failures and focusing on different angles of the problems and possible solutions.  Everyone emphasized the need for immediate action on an international scale, but few expressed optimistic sentiments about the upcoming negotiations.  One speaker, Jennifer Morgan from the World Resource Institute (WRI), explained a comprehensive plan that would lead the world in the direction of international agreement on actions that need to … Read entire article »

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

Can I Get a Translator, Please?

Can I Get a Translator, Please?

  By: Christine Burns ’14 On October 20th and 21st, the Mosaic students traveled to Washington D.C. to listen to an eclectic group of well-renowned individuals in the global climate change arena. Two individuals that provided some very interesting insight were Dr. Shalini Vajjhala and Dr. Joel Scheraga from the EPA.  Dr. Scheraga has served the EPA in many positions, his current one being the Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation in the Office of International Affairs.  Dr. … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Conservation, Environmental Politics, Featured, Key COP17 Issues, Mosaic Action

Solutions from Industry

By:Esther Babson The private sector is and has been a very important player in the climate negotiations. According to Governing Climate Change by Harriet Bulkeley and Peter Newell, recent times have seen a switch in some areas to a more “positive engagement with climate governance initiatives”(92). As learned from Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, industry’s role typically involves stalling policies and negotiations around climate change. In Governing Climate Change the authors even mention Fred Singer who was a main focus in Merchants of Doubt as a scientist who raised questions about anthropogenic climate change via funds from fossil fuel companies(Bulkely and Newell, 89). Bulkeley and Newell site this strategy of challenging the science of climate change as just one of six different political strategies used to “promote … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Politics

Geo-Engineering: Solution for Our Future?

How much should we rely on technology and human interference to “fix” climate change?A group of 11 Dickinson students were able to travel to Washington DC with Professor Niemitz and Neil Leary on October 20th and 21st to meet with experts in various fields looking at the US place in regards to climate change. This unbelievable opportunity was arranged by Neil Leary and was part of Dickinson’s Africa Mosaic program, which culminates in our participating in the UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Durban, South Africa. This trip, therefore, acted as a good introduction to the level of knowledge we still need to understand better to be informed student researchers at Durban, as well as a good experience for meeting each other, and understanding how tired we are going to be … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change