Beyond the Negotiations

Has US given up on keeping warming below 2 degrees?

Nathan Thanki August 7, 2012 0 Comments

As we are now only 3 weeks away from crucial climate change negotiations in Bangkok (which will set the stage for this years 18th Conference of the Parties, in Doha), US Special Envoy on climate change - Todd Stern - has dropped a bit of a bomb during a speech at Dartmouth. Rather than stick to what the science demands, and limit global warming to 2 degrees celcius, Mr Stern is advocating for a...

Financing Adaptation: Who Will Pay?

Nathan Thanki July 18, 2012 0 Comments

by Nathan Thanki and Graham Reeder Given that we’re now experiencing another summer of bizarre weather events, including deadly heat waves, wildfires, and storms in the US, and increased chances of another El Nino year, many in the US are finally opening their eyes to what scientists have been telling them for years: climate change is real, but not only that, it is happening now. Climate...

Cross post: Rio+20 fails to deliver on Health and Migration issues

greeder July 10, 2012 0 Comments

-Cross posted from the International Centre for Migration Health and Development (ICMHD) at http://icmhd.wordpress.com/ Rio+20 fails to deliver on Health and Migration issues As the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20 or the Earth Summit, wrapped up at the end of last week, responses from experts, media and civil society ranged from lukewarm notes of...

A Green-washed Performance

COA Admin July 5, 2012 1 Comment

Post-Rio reflections, submitted to Northern News Services, Canada By Nimisha Bastedo I was swallowed whole by the institution that spreads hope throughout the world with its blue helmets and international declarations –The United Nations. It spit me back on the streets of Rio de Janeiro feeling disillusioned, blinking in the sunlight of the real world, after dwelling in the windowless...

Sustainable Development And The Political Treadmill Of No Will

jvelez July 2, 2012 0 Comments

By Julian Velez Rio+20 was supposed to renew political commitment to Sustainable Development (SD) and poverty eradication by integrating the social, economic and environmental “pillars,” or dimensions. It was a conference that was supposed to build on previous agreements to bring the Sustainable Development agenda to the next step. But the spotlight of the conference was taken by the...