Comments on: The Power Isn’t At the UN

By: David Lewis

David Lewis — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:43:04 +0000

Consider Al Gore’s speech at Poznan where he mentioned the necessity for a new target, i.e. 350 ppm CO2 at stabilization. This is based on James Hansen’s research into past climate. What Hansen says about this target is that the commonly adopted terminology in evidence at Poznan and in the Copenhagen target is based on a mistaken belief that there is some future date where the atmosphere will contain too much greenhouse gas and the climate change will then be dangerous.

Hansen is saying he is “stunned” to be the one to be saying this, but the point at which Earth is committed to “dangerous” climate change has already been passed, and it was 325 – 350 ppm CO2. He’s saying it isn’t too late to do anything meaningful, as he advocates turning the situation around by stabilization at the lowest possible level as soon as possible and removing some greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. He’s saying its time to change the debate from all this % reductions by dates to aiming for zero net emissions as soon as possible and moving to negative emissions, if removing GHG can be said to be negative emissions. We can’t act to stave off some future “danger”, its here, in the pipeline coming right at us already, and the best we can do is limit the damage.

Whether Copenhagen results in a meaningful agreement or not doesn’t seem that important compared to bringing the US, China, India, the EU, and the rest of the world together in some agreement that will stabilize the composition of the atmosphere as soon as possible.

By: R Margolis

R Margolis — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:41:46 +0000

Another point to consider is that the carbon issue is the first time such a serious global environmental problem arose without an easy plug-in solution (i.e., we already had substitutes for lead, DDT, and CFCs when those substances were banned). This time all the solutions are relatively painful and expensive.

By: matt

matt — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:32:28 +0000

Thanks for your insight. There is no doubt that it will take nothing short of a global uprising to steer the UN Climate talks in the right direction. Fortunately there are a number of groups out there already organizing for direct action and mass mobilizations for next years climate talks that will be held in Copenhagen.

For US organizing check out http://www.copenhagen.risingtidenorthamerica.org . This is just a temporary page. A new one should be up soon.

“Let me give you a word of the philosophy of reform. The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims, have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.”

“This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” – Fredrick Douglas