Dickinson to Durban » Entries tagged with "Bulkeley and Newell"
Global climate change: an international problem?
As climate research improves, the term “global warming” has been scientifically amended to a more general theme of “global climate change.” While it was determined that a more logical term is climate change, the word “global” has kept through new science, research, and advancements in studies. This phenomenon has been caused by, and will affect humans, as well as the natural world on a global scale; but, how truly international is this issue? And, will the effects of climate change be solved through global action? At first, these questions may seem relatively easy to answer. It is global climate change, after all; however, the states’ role in combating changes in climate is more complex. Harriet Bulkeley and Peter Newell suggest that the framework of climate change on an international scale should be … Read entire article »
Filed under: Climate Change
Who’s Got the Power?
Climate change is an expansive issue that needs reform on many levels from the individual choices we make to the framework of world politics. Bulkeley and Newell argue in Global Institutions: Governing Climate Change that on the political level the nation state is not as important as it is perceived to be and that there are other important actors in climate change politics. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), the IPCC, and large corporations do have significant influence on climate politics, but are they more important actors than nation states? NGOs did help shape negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol through the Climate Action Network (CAN) and the European Union. The UNFCC does have measures to check the parties who signed the treaty and the IPCC’s reports do have influence among the leaders, but what … Read entire article »
Filed under: Climate Change
Climate Change, Politicized. Nations, Polarized.
In the world today, it is impossible for issues of climate change’s magnitude to be isolated from politics. The government is the body within the United States and most other countries which has the power to impose regulations on the people within its jurisdiction. Thus it is the government which needs to create and uphold standards of environmental protection in order for people to actually change their ways of life. Ironically, now more than ever in recent history, the United States government is polarized on almost all large issues, especially climate change. This division results in discussions which end with the decision that “more research is needed” rather than a call to collective action to prevent the predicted disastrous effects of climate change from occurring. In addition to the fact that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Climate Change
Climate Politics: Beyond Nation States
The politics that surround climate change are incredibly complex. What adds to this complexity is the number and variety of actors who do or should participate. The decision making process for climate change policies on the international level involve not only states but coalitions of states, organizations through the UNFCCC, and a myriad of non-state actors. The non-state actors are sometimes not given the credit they deserve for how much influence they have in the process. In Governing Climate Change by Harriet Bulkeley and Peter Newell, the authors agree that, “non-state actors are central to the governance of climate change”(34). The most obviously needed non-state actors for climate change are the scientists who study climate and discovered that anything was even changing in the climate. No matter if they agree … Read entire article »
Filed under: Environmental Politics
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