Does it seem to you that world environmental politics is dominated by a series of high-level summits that never seem to accomplish anything? Do you feel like the impeding expiration of Kyoto and the inability to formally restart climate treaties holds back progress on other issues? Does it ever feel like that UN “mega-meetings” are … Continue reading »
Posted in April 2012 …
Does the Global Environmental Political System need an Overhaul at Rio+20?
Quick answer- No. Now don’t get me wrong, is the current system working? No. Are minor fixes the most effective strategy all the time? No. Are the challenges being faced daunting? Yes. But do these three add up to the need for an overhaul…I’m not so sure. It seems many are approaching the Rio+20 Conference … Continue reading »
What Endangered Species will the U.S. Support for International Protection?
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) came into force in 1975 with the declared intention of controlling trade of endangered species or products made from them. CITES uses listing procedures to establish trade relevant limitations and controls. An endangered species gets listed in the Appendices and these decisions are based upon the … Continue reading »
Photo 6- Mudslides in Brazil
Flooding throughout Brazil have killed scores and caused significant damage throughout the country. Mudslides, in particular, are one aspect that is primarily driven by land use patterns and poor environmental management (note to self: do a post on number of landslides for past 10 years, see if they are going up). The tragedy in Brazil … Continue reading »
The Energy Storage Issue: Not just a problem with Renewables
Recent years have identified that the limitation to renewable power sources is not its capacity, not its costs, not any negative externalities: the limitation on renewable energy sources is storage in the current energy grid. When energy demand increases, our current system responds by increasing production at coal or gas plants. Nature’s background on the … Continue reading »
Fukushima Nuclear Plant Continues Leaking Radioactive Water into the Ocean
This past week 12 tons of radioactive water leaked from the damaged Fukushima Nuclear power plant with some reaching the Pacific Ocean. This is over one year after the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered from the tsunami and began the variety of breakdowns it has experienced. The leak may stem from the fact that the … Continue reading »
Create a Chief U.N. Scientist: Why didn’t they have one already?
At a recent appearance, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that he is going to promote the idea of a core science body at the U.N. possibly headed by a core scientist. From the article: In a video address to the conference, Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the UN, said that he is taking … Continue reading »
The Full Cost of Global Environmental Damage
A recent study out of the Stockholm Environmental Institute has tried to affix the dollar amount of loss that continued ocean degradation will do to the global economy. The study finds that by 2050, the yearly loss to the world economy will be $428 billion and nearly $2 trillion by 2100. I couldn’t find an … Continue reading »
