Climate Politics
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Walking the tightrope on climate action: getting to success in 2010
John Kerry delivered a speech in Copenhagen yesterday. It was inspiring, but look past the uplift and it reveals just how tricky the path forward will be. Here’s the needle Obama and Kerry are trying to thread: 1. Copenhagen talks end in substantial political agreement. That means developed countries will need to offer enough financing […]
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Getting at the roots of unsustainable U.S. ag policy
Cross-posted from Civil Eats. Around one third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the way we produce, process, distribute, and consume the food we eat according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Meanwhile, farmers the world over will be the most affected by climate change, as higher carbon in the atmosphere and […]
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Only the numbers count — and they add up to hell on earth
Cross-posted from the Guardian. COPENHAGEN — The Bella Center is a swirl of chatter, the streets of Copenhagen are a swirl of protest. Depending on what hour you listen to the news bulletin, the U.N. climate negotiations have “come off the rails” or are “back on track” or have “stalled” or are “moving swiftly.” Which […]
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VIDEO: Activists beaten by police after march from Bella Center
Youth activists were beaten by police this morning in Copenhagen after they marched out of the Bella Center, shouting “Reclaim power!” and “Climate justice now!” During the second week of the COP15 talks in Copenhagen, the number of activists allowed to attend the talks has been drastically reduced. By Friday, when President Obama arrives, the […]
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Counting the world’s capacity for emission reductions
Delegates in Copenhagen are struggling through the difficult start of the second week of talks, with charges and counter-charges that one party or another is not doing their part to save the planet and the future of humanity thick on the ground. This is not atypical in the history of the U.N. climate meetings, but […]
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Two moves by the U.S. and China that could unlock the Copenhagen chess game
Co-authored with Barbara Finamore, NRDC’s China Program Director The Copenhagen climate summit is coming to its moment of truth, and all eyes will be on the United States and China. Together these two countries account for 42 percent of world CO2 emissions. One is responsible for the largest share of past emissions; the other for […]
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Not waiting on Copenhagen
As the leaders, and eyes, of the world converge on Copenhagen, questions are swirling like storm clouds. Will developed countries agree and commit to a meaningful greenhouse gas emissions reduction target? Will Those Most Responsible pony up some serious dough for a “Green Fund” to help those most affected develop clean energy supplies and climate […]
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Copenhagen cops cast pall over the city
Danish police in riot gear.Photo: Courtesy Matthew McDermott via FlickrCOPENHAGEN — Snow is falling in Copenhagen this afternoon, a quiet symbol of peace in what has turned into an unlikely police state. Sirens wale. Helicopters graze the skies. The Danish police are out in force. They patrol the city on motorcycles and bikes, in vans […]
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Things have changed
With so much angst afoot in the green world, it’s easy to lose perspective on just how different this administration is from the previous one. Two examples in my inbox today drive the point home. First, the president said this today: You know, our nation’s buildings, our homes and our offices, consume almost 40 percent […]
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Gore proposes climate action timeline
Al Gore speaking to delegates at the Copenhagen climate conference is hardly big news in green circles, but the former VP and No. 1 climate crusader did manage to make a bit of news with his remarks Tuesday. First, he talked optimistically about there being sufficient votes in the U.S. Senate to pass a climate […]
