Tag: UN Climate talks

RadioActive 11/21/13

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: The 19th Conference of Parties(COP) to the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change conclusion and analysis

Key Discussion Points:

a) The UN climate talks in Warsaw were meant to build towards a goal of a binding agreement in 2015, but even this modest directive has disintegrated. Today, established environmental groups and other social movement representatives walked out of the COP 19, saying they felt not enough was being done. They say they will focus on building a movement to pressure on governments for the next conference.
b) Main areas to be addressed at the climate talks are the mitigation of climate change, adaption to the increasing extreme weather effects and funding for countries who are the hardest hit, the least able to afford it, and have had the least contribution to carbon dioxide levels. On Wednesday, members of the G77 and China temporarily walked out negotiations on “loss and damages”, responding to the lack of engagement by developed countries, who want to put off the issue until 2015.
c) With all the current carbon dioxide emissions reduction goals submitted by party countries, there is still a projected mitigation gap of 8-13 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. To hold the planet to 2 degree Celsius, CO 2 emissions can’t exceed 44 gigatonnes by 2020. With the current party goals, the planet will be at 52-58 gigatonnes at 2020.

Guest:
A) Janet Redman, the Institute for Policy Studies, director of the Climate Policy Program.

http://www.ips-dc.org/
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/21/mass-walk-out-un-climate-talks-warsaw
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/nov/20/climate-talks-walk-out-compensation-un-warsaw
http://climate-connections.org/
http://allafrica.com/stories/201311210409.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/201311210463.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/climate-change-fight

RadioActive 11/14/13

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Climate Change and Increasing Storm Intensity

Key Discussion Points:
a) As the 19th round of UN climate talks open in Poland and the Philippines reels from Typhoon Haiyan, climate scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Kevin Trenberth, talks about how global climate change effects the intensity of extreme weather, like typhoons.
b) Trenberth discusses the science behind how rising temperatures and rising sea levels effects the severity of storms, how carbon outputs effect ocean acidification,
c)and some of the recommendations for mitigation outlined in a recent report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Guest:
Kevin Trenberth, climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

RadioActive 12/30/10

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Topics: UN Climate Talks, Tar Sands- IEN, Arctic- Indigenous

Today we hear two interviews recorded at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change this month in Cancun, Mexico. We talk with Melina Laboucan-Massino from the Indigenous Environmental Network on the effects massive tar sands extraction has on the people and environment in Canada; and we hear from Patricia Cochran, the director of the Alaskan Native Science Commission and the co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples Network on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

What are the environmental and health effects in indigenous and other communities in Canada from tar sands extraction?What is the effect of sea level rise on indigenous communities in Alaska? What were some of the issues and results of the UNFCCC meetings in Cancun , Mexico?

Guests:
Melina Laboucan-Massino, the Indigenous Environmental Network www.ienearth.org
Patricia Cochran, the director of the Alaskan Native Science Commission and the co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples Network on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.