It’s Getting Hot In Here

As the estimated death toll in Burma rises to 100,000, it’s hard not to reflect on the incredible injustice of the situation. Cyclone Nargis, considered a once-in-500-year storm, struck the Irrawaddy Delta this past Saturday, pushing a wall of water through a largely deforested mangrove swamp and inundating some of the most densely populated parts of the low-lying country.

Initially, experts estimated the death toll to be in the tens of thousands, but revised the number as it became clear that despite international aid efforts, families were starving and that many had perished in the surging waters. In addition, recent reports show the ruling military Junta, which a few months ago brutally cracked down on peaceful opposition demonstrations led by Buddhist monks, seized recent UN and international aid shipments intended for those affected by the storm and subsequent floods. In response, the UN has temporarily suspended direct aid to Burma, citing corruption and theft of donated food and supplies. Continue reading ‘Climate Justice = A Human Right’

Tropical Cyclone Nargis slammed into Burma this weekend, leaving as many as 60,000 missing or dead and millions displaced. A massive sea surge, shown here, engulfed the low-lands and stretched tens of kilometers inland as far as the capitol, Rangoon, in the red box.

For more information on the path and effects of the storm, click here.

From the scientific community, is this a sign of climate change? No singular weather event can be called climate change, but whether there is a measurable increase in the frequency of such storms as this, Katrina and Gonu on the Arabian peninsula last year is still an object of contention. See the National Post for arguments on both sides, but I think we’re all pretty clear that there’s more of this coming.

Lastly, a recent report noted that climate change will affect tropical species as much as arctic ones. The loss of wetlands and rich coastal ecosystems is yet another worry.

You would expect the climate change talks to have taken off with a “Bang” here in the capital of Thailand. Yet the sense amongst most observer groups is that there are no negotiations really taking place. The biggest challenge is carrying forward the energy of the Bali Action Plan which came out of intense final hour negotiations back in December 2007. It is already nearing the last day and it is becoming obvious that the delegates are losing track of time. And there are very heavy issues on the table including: adaptation (how we will finance technology for adaptation, do we couple it with mitigation, how do we determine which nations are the most vulnerable), mitigation (what does measurable, reportable, verifiable emissions reduction targets mean?), Finance (which instruments will be utilized for mobilization and control of funds, and more importantly where will we get the massive amounts of funding required?), etc.

“You can fly, to any city in Thailand. I hope you get a chance to explore this beautiful country before you all leave,” stated the deputy Prime Minister of Thailand during his opening plenary address. I noticed more than a few people smirk in the room. One of the key issues being discussed here are the roping in of various industrial and cooperative sectors into the negotiating process–one of the most important being bunker fuels from aviation and shipping–emissions from the former having continued to rise at 3% each year while the latter’s emissions have doubled since 1990. A presentation today by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the primary organization held responsible for checking the growth of emissions from this industry/sector revealed some of the key challenges to addressing the problem.

Challenges include things like access to and quality of data, methodology, comparability and the problem of emissions from transboundary and multinational  flights and those crossing areas outside national jurisdiction were of key concern.  However the presentation (which was quite poorly put together with only 3 slides) left a lot to be desired regarding actual moves to check the growth of emissions coming from the sector–and the main culprits having not checked the growth of emissions are the ICAO and IMO (International Maritime Organization). The aviation sector is expanding rapidly in the emerging economies (and rightly so, considering the new found wealth in these nations). Those with vested interests in trade would have business as usual with regards to curbing emissions in this sector–Panama, Singapore, and China again, being some of them. Curiously, small island states as well, as their remoteness requires a heavy reliance on both shipping and aviation for survival.  New Zealand made a point to address this latter issue and stated the need to consider geographical remoteness and national circumstances when drafting final policy.

The debate on forests has been reopened as the issue of carbon stocks is taken up once more. This time it comes under LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry). While NGOs are wanting appropriate accounting of emissions from peat and degraded forests, governments are talking of carbon harvested products (timber products) serving as carbon sinks!

To speak a little about the US here at the talks. According to various NGOs, there has been more engagement with the US congress this time on the issue of climate change. It is expected that there will be a steady 4-5 negotiators monitoring all related international talks from now on. We’ve also heard that both Obama and McCain are pledging to be a part of this deal.

For the 1000 delegates convening here from 190 nations around the world, time is running out in this “City of Angles.” Where is the divine intervention that is needed to move this process along?

I recently attended a talk by a visiting Chinese professor of environmental history. The talk was on China’s attempts thus far to green the upcoming Bejing Olympics taking place this August. China was denied hosting the summer Olympic games the last go around largely due to Australia’s proposal emphasizing the importance of “greening” the games. China went back to the drawing board and came up with an ambitious green Olympics proposal, winning the bid this time around.

The visiting professor’s talk was largely positive, focusing on Bejing’s green building practices (one stadium is built to attract nesting birds and the aquatics center uses mostly recycled water) as well as efforts to reduce waste and better the water and air quality. (Those Olympic athletes tend to breathe a lot of air and drink a lot of water).

The professor finished his talk with a question: What will it take to keep Bejing on the right track once they have finished preparing for the Olympics and the international community is no longer scrutinizing its efforts?

One answer is a continued sharing of technology and information on renewable energy development. Here in Washington state, Governor Christine Gregoire has opened up those talks, meeting with Chinese officials to facilitate a transfer of clean, renewable technologies. This thinking, that developed countries must share the knowledge and technologies to help developing countries move towards clean energy, was also one of the few positive things to come out of the Bali talks. It is also extremely important in countries like China with its vast supply of cheap coal.

Continue reading ‘Bejing’s Green Olympics’

The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report (HDR) is probably the most widely read document published by the UN every year. But the reports are not widely read by young people, which is why the UN is inviting young people to make a short, colourful summary of it.

The process is the same as before. If you did not take part last year, what we do is to create a task force of individual young people, school groups, etc. and get them to bring to life the key messages of the HDR with opinion pieces, reports, poems and stories, paintings, cartoons and photographs - so that everyone can understand these messages. The result is a beautiful, fascinating book entirely written and illustrated, designed and edited by young people. You can view the one we did last year here the design and editing is done by the young international interns here at the world-famous Peace Child International centre, near Cambridge, UK.

Contributors can watch the book come together, page by page, online. Also, you can suggest a different story, another photograph, painting or design element, just as if you were sitting at the Editorial Meeting table.

Continue reading ‘Help Create A United Nations Youth Climate Change Publication and Video Project’

“I really like Tagore’s poem about the sun,” said Liang Xu, an independent investment consultant and my new found Chinese friend. “Let my love, like sunlight, surround you and yet give you illumined freedom.” He put such emotion into the recitation of this verse that I sat speechless in the back of the cab: first, because a man in China was expressing his appreciation for Tagore, an Indian poet and philosopher, and secondly, because he was specifically recalling a poem mentioning the sun. I was after all in Beijing for the Solar World Congress (SWC) sponsored by the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), the Chinese Solar Energy Society (CSES), many Chinese solar companies, and supported by the Chinese government. This single experience could probably sum up what is beginning to happen in China. The country is waking up to address the need to invest in renewable energy technologies, especially when the demand for energy is stretching supplies of conventional fuels thin and the impact of pollution from use of abundant coal reserves has put China under international pressure. The latter being a key worry for Beijing because it is hosting the 2008 Olympic Games despite the city’s legendary air pollution. Certainly all eyes were on China during this event as over 1,000 delegates were present from 60 different nations.

There has been much hype regarding China’s emergence into the solar arena because of their manufacturing abilities. According to CNN, China “will become the world’s dominator in solar energy industry.” With some 300 manufacturers of solar photovoltaics and approximately 3000 manufacturers of solar collector technologies, China has propelled itself into the world’s largest manufacturer of solar technologies. This has in large part helped bring down the costs of solar products in places like Europe and the US. When asked about the irony of the fact that despite China having such a large number of manufacturers but most of the products being made for export to other countries, Head of Chinese Solar Energy Society simply brushed aside the question and continue to boast of China’s ranking of largest solar product manufacturer in the world. Furthermore, upon questioning of what concrete steps the Chinese government is taking to reduce CO2 emissions, the session was nervously concluded and the moderator of the session pushed for a concluding applause. Though all of this may make it seem like there is a thin veneer for the solar cause over the reality that in China’s development ambitions, solar is still but a blip in terms of the foreseeable energy mix—after all, China is set to become the world’s largest energy consumer by 2010 according to the International Energy Agency. Continue reading ‘China Looks to the Sun’

In December of 2006, hundreds of young people converged in Nairobi, Kenya for the annual climate negotiations, COP12. We came with high hopes, but despite being based in a city adversely impacted by climate change, the plight of the African continent was overlooked, and the diplomats accomplished very little. As everyone packed their bags for trips into Masai Mara, the conference became dubbed by climate justice activists as “the climate safari.”

But many of us youth did not run off immediately, because we had met some incredible youth from the Kibera slums, one of the largest slums in the world, and they had graciously offered to take us on a tour of their community. We were shown around their homes and our eyes were opened to the realities of poverty - a world without running water or consistent electricity, where on average people made less than $1 a day, and that is now home to many Sudanese refugees. But we were also exposed to one of the most incredible organizations I have ever met - the Kibera Community Youth Project (KYCP).

This organization embodies what our movement is about: empowering young people to emerge as agents of change, taking action within their communities for the improvement of all. They train young people to assemble solar panels and distribute them around the community, allowing people to operate appliances even if their electricity is cut-off. And the panels provide a self-sustaining source of income for the organizations’ other programs. They have encouraged young people to express themselves through creative channels, setting up recording studios for young local artists to record songs of social change. And they have used community theatre to reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS in Kibera. KYCP is truly making a difference. And right now, as Nairobi is gripped with post-election violence, they need our help. Please read below an email from KCYP’s Director Fredrick Ouko, and help our brother and sisters in Kenya out by making a contribution at KYCP.net Continue reading ‘Kenyan Youth Take on Violence, Poverty, and Global Warming - Need a Little Support!’

A view from the Global South.

Editorial By Sunita Narain (Director, Center for Science & Environment, New Delhi)

Continue reading ‘Bali: The Mother of All No-Deals’

It is 8:30 pm on January 10th, 2008. I am writing from the famous Ranthambore National Park–known for its tigers–where 80% of the world’s “tiger in the wild” photos are taken. I have been on two game drives and seen no tigers. It is said that there are somewhere between 30 o 40 tigers in this 400 sq. km sanctuary. Much has been done to protect the species from certain extinction on his subcontinent of 1.03 billion people. Here the battle that will determine which India wins–the urban/”shining India” or the rural/depressed India–is being waged on the basis of land. As people are moved out of parks to make way for non-community based conservation in this part of India, on the eastern side of the country people are being bought off (forcibly) from productive farm lands to make way for an auto manufacturing plant. This single manufacturing plant is going to redefine the way the world moves–starting with the Indians.

It is 8:45 pm on January 10th, 2008 and on TV I am seeing the long awaited release of the “People’s Car” by India’s Tata Motors. The car is the cheapest the world has seen yet with a base price of Rs. 1 Lakh (US$2500)–all of this having met the Indian safety standards as well as pollution standards (Euro IV). The idea was to provide a car within easier reach of India’s burgeoning middle class and despite all the nay-sayers, Tata may have pulled this off. It is a four door car with a 33 hrs power engine and it is called the “Nano.” This name being chosen to signify the innovation possibilities (of doing a lot with a little) thanks to improvements in technology. Unfortunately the car may be diesel powered - wreaking havoc on the reduced suspended particulates achieved in cities like New Delhi through forced use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by he city’s public transport. However it is said to have fuel efficiency of 20 km/L or 50 mpg–which is just as good as any Japanese Hybrid. And if the world DOES figure out biofuels, then the diesel engine may not be so bad.

Continue reading ‘The People’s Car Arrives…’

The typhoon season is technically over in South East Asia, which gives us some time to start thinking over what has happened over the past few months. A lot was learned during 2007 in the disaster management and disaster risk reduction field. Some events showed us that we are improving in how we respond to extreme weather events; some showed that there still a lot that we need to figure out. Vietnam, where I live, was affected by five typhoons in 2007, and some of the worst floods ever experienced in the history of the country.

In the midst of record-breaking statistics, one reality became evident to me. While much has improved in curbing the economic losses of disaster and the damage to national infrastructure, the vulnerable and most affected groups in every storm continue to be the poor and the marginalized. Issues of environmental justice continue to shock me in South East Asia, and sometimes I feel lost and discouraged. While I know this reality is not unique to South East Asia, the projections for the region are particularly worrisome. Asia, the most populated continent in the world, is already experiencing increased intensity of severe weather events with greater risk of flooding, particularly in megadeltas and coastal areas. This increased intensity is a deadly mix considering the growing pressure over natural resources, particularly freshwater supplies, and the unsustainable development patterns, especially land use.

Continue reading ‘The people behind the dike: concerns from the corners of Asia’