Kyoto « MWW Pulse

Posts Tagged ‘Kyoto’

Adam Shake on the UN Climate Change Conference

Posted on : December 7th, 2009 | By : Adam Shake | In : UN Climate Change Conference

For 20 years, nations have gathered annually for climate talks, but it’s only been since the United States refused to ratify the treaty at Kyoto in 1997, that the world have really become aware or even interested in Climate Change.

There is new hope that the United States will step up to the plate and become a world leader at the UN Climate change Conference this year, with the election President Obama, but popular consensus is that this years conference will be more of framework for future talks, than the defining Climate Change agreement that so many are hoping for.

The two main things that will come from these talks are:

Setting targets for controlling emissions of carbon dioxide by China and the United States.
Agreeing on how much rich countries should pay for poor nations clean energy technology.

I believe that the legislation putting these targets and agreements won’t happen at this years climate talks though. Those details will be left to be ironed out in the years to come.

There has been no better time in our history, to get the worlds population behind climate change legislation, than right now. With the inundation of “the greening of our societies” in the media, in the offices and in our homes, the popular consensus is that climate change is real, it is happening now, and it is man made.

Consumers though, are a bit confused. Most of them know “how” to change, but what they don’t know is “why” they should. High level science like climate change does not impact the average 1st world consumer on a daily basis. Until this point, there has been a lot of talk about climate change legislation, and consumers have been listening, but not very carefully.

Once climate change legislation has been passed, and governments are forced to make changes in fossil fuel burning electricity generation and transportation technology, the consumer will take a more active interest. For the first time, consumers will be effected by that legislation through the costs of utilities and transportation.

I believe that consumers and businesses will be slow to accept change, but once they are educated with the “why we should change” versus the “how we can change” aspect of climate change, there will be the acceptance that we need.

While the world waits for politicians to not only agree to make change, but to implement that change, the rate of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has increased 29% since 2000. What I would like to see is not only a framework for future negotiations and legislation, but actionable items that start taking place right now. Even if these items are small, we must prove to ourselves and the world that we take this threat seriously, and are ready and prepared to act.

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Maureen O’Connor on the UN Climate Change Conference

Posted on : December 7th, 2009 | By : Maureen O'Connor | In : UN Climate Change Conference

The upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference provides the opportunity for the world to make a stand against global warming. Will a strong, meaningful agreement result from the conference? Doubtful. The problems facing the conference are both complex and many. The world’s economic woes only make the job of cutting fossil fuel emissions and slowing deforestation exponentially harder. Here in America, President Obama, who is slated to attend the conference, is prepared to propose that the U.S. commit to cutting carbon emissions by 17% by 2020. Republican opposition and will ride the recent right wing success in slowing healthcare reform, and stirring up its base to question global warming science and position any U.S. signing of a climate change treaty as an abdication of national sovereignty and a fast track to economic ruin. Expect a nasty fight.

Ratification of an actual treaty will probably be delayed until 2010. If the signing does take place at the upcoming talks, the immediate impact on business and consumers in developed nations will ramp-up over the next decade with an incremental increase in prices for consumers and regulation for businesses as the transition to a “greener” economy takes shape. Long-term cost savings on healthcare, energy and lifestyle will take a while to kick-in, but ultimately may be far-reaching. Developing nations will benefit from a tremendous influx of aid and technology to motivate their embrace of “going green” at the expense (through carbon offset credits and direct financial aid) of major greenhouse gas emitters like the U.S., China and Europe.

The upcoming Climate Treaty that will replace the Kyoto Protocol will probably bear the signature of President Obama and a long list of other major developed and developing nations – but probably not China and India – a major drawback. The treaty can be expected to set targets seeking a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, a number that will not satisfy hardcore global warming reductionists and will enrage global warming naysayers. If the global economy shows improvement in the next twelve months the treaty has a real chance; if the global recession continues or deepens, climate change legislation and treaties may fall victim to more pressing day-to-day economic concerns.

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