Global Observatory: COP15
Global Observatory: The Global Observatory provides informed and accessible analysis and commentary by GO Experts (top scientists, economists, and policy analysts), and GO Ambassadors (business, political, and cultural leaders), including Desmond Tutu (South Africa), Sir Richard Branson (UK), General Wesley Clark (US), Maurice Strong (Canada), Juan Rada (Belgium), and Jeremy Leggett (UK). During the Copenhagen climate talks, GO daily programming will include a morning interview with a key figure in the climate issue, panel discussions of the issues and developments, and a daily wrap-up of select interviews and coverage of developments from the day from inside and outside the negotiations.
The New Chamberlains of the World
By José María Figueres
30 September 1938, London—Prime Minister Chamberlain of the United Kingdom, champion of appeasement, has just returned from Germany with a piece of paper signed by Hitler declaring his commitment to never go to war again. On September 1, 1939 Hitler invades Poland, World War II breaks out and over the next 5 years 56 million people lose their lives.
18 December 2009, Copenhagen—World ‘leaders’ flock to Copenhagen to conclude a Climate Change Agreement that beginning at Kyoto back in 1997 has been in the making for several years. Disregarding the indisputable scientific evidence put forward by the 4th IPPC report of 2007, and notwithstanding the Global Humanitarian Forum Report of June 2009 stating 300,000 lives are already being lost each year to Climate Change, some ‘leaders’ table a half-baked proposal that at best signals ‘appeasement’ with respect to the challenge at hand. Continue reading
Enhancing Low Carbon Investment
CBO: US Climate Bill Will Create $21bn in Savings Over Next Decade
Voices from Hopenhagen: Aimee Christensen
Climate Conflict: It's Inevitable
Briefing from the White House on the State of the Climate
Chavez Cooks Up a Whole Lot of Nothing
In an Era of Climate Limits, Utilities Stop Selling Juice
Disappointed NGOs Creative in Seeking Information
A Private Sector Financier's Perspective on COP15
Obama's Challenge
UN Tries to Blame Denmark for Queuing Problems at Bella Center
Canada Up in Arms After Terrible Environmental Record
Mayors Summit: Cities Are the "Epicentre of Climate Change Injustice"
Updates on the Bella Center
An Electric Revolution
The Real Value of Work
What London Brings to COP15
The Carbon Cost of Christmas
"There Is No Planet B"
Why the Oceans Matter
Press and People Not Eye-to-Eye on Tibet
Nepali Protest at COP15
On the Youth Presence at Copenhagen
General Clark: Climate Change Will Affect All Levels of Society
General Wesley Clark says money is not enough, and shares his views on how to mitigate climate change.
At Copenhagen Airport: Opinions and Reactions Leaving COP15
As the climate negotiations near their final phase, Rosie Boycott reports from Copenhagen airport to hear different peoples conclusions about the two weeks of the negotiations.
Youth Reflect on COP15
Yesterday a young Peruvian called Juan Carlos Soriano had three minutes to represent the voice of the world’s youth to the UN climate conference. In a nervous but impassioned voice he told the star-studded collection of world leaders exactly what he thought of their performance: “Instead of standing united it seems you are divided… Continue reading.
REDD Letter Days: US Announces $1bn to Curb Deforestation Emissions
Avoiding Deforestation Partners hosted a high level panel on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation yesterday, bringing together a wide range of people from businesses, NGOs and politics. The talk included an announcement by US Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack who unveiled a plan for the US to provide $1 billion in REDD funding over the next three years. This answered the call from panelists throughout the night for the developed world to step up and provide funding. Continue Reading.
To Climate Change Skeptics: 'How Will You Reconcile with God?'
By The Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham
Fifteen thousand people calling for protection of the planet seemed like a lot when we gathered in Brazil for the UN meeting in 1992. I walked on the beach and carried a sign protesting the refusal by the United States to sign the biodiversity treaty. Eventually it WAS signed, so these gatherings of the righteous do work. Now there are between sixty and one-hundred thousand in Copenhagen calling for strong greenhouse gas reductions from all nations. Continue reading
Opportunity Arises from Copenhagen
By Aimee Christensen
In Copenhagen the world's leaders came together to agree on an accord that provides a pathway forward, and breaks new ground on climate change. It sets the world's nations to work to limit warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above industrial levels, puts in place critical financing for clean technologies and to protect the most vulnerable nations from the impacts of climate, and ensures that our efforts will be verified to be providing the reductions that each nation has committed to undertake. Continue reading.
More Analysis from Global Observatory:
Acting on a Local Level to Address Climate Change
Rosie Boycott: Post Copenhagen, we seem to be heading to a world where politics cannot find the solution. Binding agreements have eluded us. It seems clear that we need to look for bottom up solutions rather than counting on our leaders to regulate the world towards a safer, carbon-free future.
COP15 Failed. But We Can Still Help the Impoverished
Anders Wijkman: If we cannot make the whole world agree, groups of nations can take the lead and spearhead change – both on emissions reductions, technology innovation and increased support for the poor and disadvantaged.
Post-COP15, What is the role for private sector finance?
Kasia Yanosek: Despite not having the teeth of a binding agreement, the Copenhagen Accord provides an entry point for private sector engagement in the weeks and months to come in the UNFCCC process.
The Daily Vlog:
Global Observatory Executive Director Aimée Christensen sums up the details of the Copenhagen Accord.
The Global Observatory is communicating climate change, answering the questions: "What is going on?" and “Why is it important?” GO leaders and experts provide news, analysis, and opinion, with content for broadcast, print, and online media.
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Read the GO Ambassadors' Reactions to the Day's News:
Mark Sokolove: Negotiations Must Focus on Clean Energy
Chip Comins: Of Carbon and Spirit
Geoffrey Lipman: Crunching Numbers
Tom Brookes: The Cost of a Failed COP15
Dr. Calestous Juma: Africa Emerges United
Tzeporah Berman: Canada's Scandalous Record
Howard Gould: Reasons for Optimism
Geoffrey Lipman: Reducing Carbon Emissions in Travel and Tourism
Ashok Khosla: To Survive or Not to Survive?
Bo Ekman: Failure Is Not an Option
Read all GO Ambassadors Posts
GO's Complete Coverage of COP15:
Blog
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Video
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Views from the Ground
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The Inside Observer
The GO Program at COP15:
The Complete GO Calendar [pdf]
Featured Video
Big Bucks in Clean Energy
Business man and social entrepeneur Jack Hidary sees green energy from a capitalist point of view, and explains the business potential in solar energy.
GO Interview
The Most Important Number You'll Ever Say
Bill McKibben, Founder of 350.org: "The idea that you need to dumb down the science or people won’t understand is nonsense as well. We used a fairly obscure scientific data point—350 parts per million CO2—as our global rallying cry. People understood what it meant: that we have too much carbon in the atmosphere already, that we need to reduce it quickly, that half-measures are useless."
Continue Reading
Featured Interview
GO Talks With Bradley Whitford
"Global warming is a victim of today’s news cycle... When doing a story the first half of the show would be holocaust survivors followed by holocaust deniers because you want to present both sides to every story. Yes, there are two sides to every story but there is also the truth."
Featured Video
The Importance of Hope
Hopenhagen ambassador David Kroodsma speaks about the importance of communicating hope when change is needed - not least when there is a feeling of despair.
Ambassadors Blog
James Hoggan on the Truth About Climategate
Author of "Climate Cover-Up" James Hoggan explains the politics of misinformation and the financial mechanisms behind "climategate."
Read Hoggan's post, "Mainstream Media Misdirected in Stolen Email Story"
The Inside Observer
18 Dec: The Insider is hearing the President has true conviction about the climate change issue, and believes the clean energy economy is central to America's economic growth. Word is the talks are moving now, but without an early move by President Obama, the talks would not have been dislodged from their stalemate over China's position on transparency, and the targets and timetables for action. On Friday afternoon, President Obama burst into a room of Chinese, Indian, and South African negotiators, moved past Chinese security officials and said he did not want them negotiating in secret. The talks that followed finalized the pieces of the deal now being reviewed. Read all Inside Observer posts.