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Dickinson to Durban » Entries tagged with "COP17"

Kunjani?

Maggie Rees A quick Zulu lesson… Kunjani? – How are you? Ngiphilile – I am well IMG_0229 Here in Durban, ngiphilile!  I am well! But, how are the negotiations?  Some say it is too early to tell.  After nearly a week of negotiations, things are moving rather slowly for the decision-makers.  The opening week in Durban has gone smoothly.  There has been good progress with many technical decisions that needed to be made before next week. Although some things are progressing in the negotiations, it has been noted that climate skeptics in the United States have reached a peak.  Despite the science showing temperature increases, there has been a recent rise in Americans’ denial that the climate is changing.  NOAA indicates that seven of the eight warmest years on record have occurred since 2001.  All ten … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change

3 Things…On 2 Sides of the Balance…

So as I have been running around trying to check out as many side events as possible, I have noticed three key issues in regards to the complexities faced at this conference. Whether, the side event speaker is discussing adaptation, mitigation, sustainable development, environmental equity, or policy three key holistic aspects keep coming up that add to the confusion of ultimately creating a binding agreement from these negotiations. SOCIETAL. ECONOMICAL. ENVIRONMENTAL. While these three sectors form the backbone of traditional environmental studies, I was interested to see their carrying over to policy creation. The complexities of each sector overlapping are reflected in this statement from the Climate Action Network Briefing materials in regards to expectations in Durban, “Advance and potentially agree on the modalities and guidelines for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) … Read entire article »

Filed under: Climate Change

Women and Gender Constituencies at COP17

By Claire Tighe ‘13 As a young person acting more as a RINGO (Research Institution Non-Governmental Organization) here at COP17, it’s been sort of difficult to find a place amongst all the chaos. We’re not quite YOUNGO (Youth-NGO), not quite RINGO, not Masters or Law students (we’re undergrads!). As a feminist and Women’s and Gender Studies major, one of the ways I’ve been able to find a “home” here at the COP is by attending the Women’s and Gender Caucus meetings first thing each morning. Here, official delegates and NGOs, such as WEDO, Oxfam, GenderCC, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and the Sierra Club meet to talk about the previous day’s negotiations with a focus on women and gender. This group has also split into working groups, which specifically discuss the … Read entire article »

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

It’s a Tarp: Alternatives and Addendums to REDD

By Sam Pollan, ’14 In my last post I discussed the shift of REDD from a watertight solution to a hole-ridden tarp. Emissions from deforestation related activities are a huge contributor to climate change and it only makes sense that they should be one of the primary issues addressed. This is especially true when the apparent solution is as simple as to stop cutting down trees. Unfortunately, this has more than a few social ramifications. While REDD has the potential for serious climate mitigation, I think it is also important to look at ways to address and correct problems in the current system as well as alternatives that can be done outside of REDD involving carbon sequestration through plants. Corruption is and land tenure are two troubling areas in this discussion. Yesterday I discussed “carbon cowboys” and the … Read entire article »

Filed under: Key COP17 Issues