Tuesday 7 July 2009

CO2 and population growth

I came across this on a blog Skepecology from one of my old colleagues Chris Gerrard. It is an animation showing population growth and CO2 emissions across the globe, pretty frightening....

Thursday 2 July 2009

The Road to Copenhagen




On the 26th June the Department of Energy and Climate Change launched their document 'The Road to Copenhagen'. The introduction states the following:

"In December 2009, Denmark will host a major United Nations conference in Copenhagen. At this conference, a meaningful global agreement must be reached to tackle climate change for when the current Kyoto protocol - governing reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases - expires in 2012.

Climate change is a global threat, and Copenhagen represents our best opportunity yet to tackle it effectively. The UK Government is aiming to reach an ambitious agreement at Copenhagen, supported by effective domestic action. Together with our EU partners we have already made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, with an offer to reduce emissions by 30% if an ambitious global deal is agreed. "

The UK document is very closely based on the Stern Review which commissioned by the UK Treasury and published in 2007. This is a document all about the economics of climate change and it is hard going! However Nicholas Stern has fortunately published a book this year entitled 'A blueprint for a safer planet' which summaries the Review in layman's terms. This book is pretty hard work but the effort is definitely worth it.

It makes the case for global cuts in emissions by 2050 of 50% - argues why the developed countries need to cut by 80%. It sets out how the cap and trade system would work and why it would be effective.

It sets out how a global fund is needed to stop deforestation and why technologies to combat change must be shared. In addition he makes the strong link between solving climate change and solving global poverty.
I was left with the feeling that there is a plan which would work - this is the plan essentially in the DECC document but my goodness it is complex and needs the whole world to pull together and make it work rather than playing brinkmanship politics. The challenge of Copenhagen.