Climate Change Triage
As the world’s population comes to grips with climate change disasters, it will become necessary to apply selectivity to resource allocation. Triage is applied in an emergency to allow the most globally beneficial use of inadequate resources. There will be severe climate disruptions, which will be left untreated because they will be recognized as able to recover autonomously. Selected climatically-induced emergencies where tax-payers’ money can reduce suffering will be funded. Last, and most sadly, there may be even situations where unlimited funds cannot reverse impacts and the limited funds are deemed better deployed on other projects.
The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change decided in December 2007 to launch a comprehensive process to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of this Convention. Among other actions, the Bali Roadmap states that Parties agree to “enhanced action on the provision of financial resources and investment to support action on mitigation and adaptation and technology cooperation.”
Discussions of responses to climate change, which to date have been focussed on mitigation (the reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) and adaptation (supporting communities to live in warmer and hydrologically more extreme climates), must now consider a fund/no fund response strategy. This website is dedicated to discussion of climate change triage.
Persuading national government
Today eminent climate scientists have told an Australian parliamentary inquiry that the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions will not achieve even a "limited" level of protection against climate change and are "much weaker" than the cuts developed countries need to make.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/global-warming/scientists-on-attack-ov...
Pascal's Paradox
French philosopher, Blaise Pascal offered a wager in 1660. Pascal pondered whether or not he should believe in God. The lack of proof forced him into a cost-benefit assessment:
- no belief and no God – well all is fine;
- chose to believe and there is no God – wasted investments (e.g. prayers, candles etc);
- chose to believe and God exists– you are saved; but
- no belief and there is a God –you are dammed for all eternity!;
Based on this Pascal said ‘of course I believe!’
Better science
The threat of global warming could be greatly diminished if nations cut emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by 70% this century, according to a new analysis by scientists at the USA's National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). While global temperatures would rise, the most dangerous potential aspects of climate change, including massive losses of Arctic sea ice and permafrost and significant sea level rise, could be partially avoided.
Wilkins Ice shelf
Penguins and scientists around the world have been watching the remaining ice bridge since last March, anticipating its collapse. Now it has broken! Why worry – well because the loss of an ice shelf can also allow the glaciers that feed into it to start flowing ice into the ocean at an accelerated rate, contributing to a rise in global sea levels. The Wilkins Ice Shelf is located on the southwestern Antarctic Peninsula, the fastest-warming region of the Earth. In the past 50 years, the Antarctic Peninsula has warmed by 2.5 degrees C.
People
Hi
I think PEOPLE are our greatest vulnerability because of the many difficulties intrinsic to just “engaging society”. The disparity between the enormity of climate change and small individual actions has to be admitted and tackled directly. In their excellent 2006 report “Warm Words” the Institute for Public Policy Research propose:
– Targeting behaviours that ‘feel like what my people do’;
– Exploiting ‘esteem-driven’ choices - encouraging people in what they CAN do or buy, not what they cannot;
Copenhagen Climate Congress 6 points
Hi
I notice a few people have posted about the Climate Change Congress in Copenhagen -- well here's my take on this impressive meeting.
SIX Key Messages from this Copenhagen Climate Congress as I heard them. They are:
Douglas Adams said it all- cars NOT shoes
“Many years ago, this was a thriving, happy planet - people, cities, shops, a normal world. Except that on the high streets of these cities there were slightly more car showrooms than one might have thought necessary. And slowly, insidiously, the numbers of these car showrooms were increasing. It’s a well known economic phenomenon but tragic to see it in operation, for the more car showrooms there were, the more cars they had to make and the bigger, environmentally worse and economically unbearable they became.
Convenor of UNFCCC COP-15 speaks out
Danish Prime Minister (PM), Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen said last month at the science Climate Change Congress:"The longer we wait, the worse it gets. At the UN climate conference in Bali in December 2007, a two-year roadmap was adopted. Copenhagen is the target. Some people and countries question whether it is realistic to agree to a global deal in nine months. I say, we must. Waiting a year or two will only make the decisions even tougher.
