Climate Change

A Message Home to the US: What Actually Happened at COP21

Morgan Heckerd December 12, 2015 0 Comments

by Morgan Heckerd Over the past two weeks 196 governments have spent hours within consultation rooms and plenary halls in efforts of reaching an agreement. They are here in Paris because they know that the era of emissions need to come to an end. The urgency of climate change is no longer a concept that they can deny. But– the developed countries have fallen short in adopting the...

Words, words, words: The Failure of the Paris Agreement

Paige Nygaard December 12, 2015 0 Comments

In reaction to the text that was released this afternoon, later passed tonight, the spirits today are all different. My heart is heavy and confused: torn between being part of a strong movement that is demanding climate justice while watching a plenary unfold that is delivering an unambitious and immoral deal made of false promises. The Paris agreement did not start here, or last year. Although...

Climate Chaos and the Externalities of Americanism

Matthew Kennedy December 11, 2015 1 Comment

“The American way of life is not up for negotiations. Period.” ~Pres. George W. Bush “To accept your rewriting of the Convention is to accept the destruction of our societies.” ~The delegation of Malaysia to the UNFCCC, COP21 The Negotiator as Mythmaker American climate negotiators are the guardians of a precious, ridiculous, and destructive ideal. Therefore they must be at...

The Need for Women and Gender Equality in the Text

Kim December 10, 2015 0 Comments

By Kimberly Lopez Castellanos Men are predominantly seen as the “head of the household,” right? So wouldn’t a lot of the burden of keeping up with the household fall on them? If this is true, why is it that women are more vulnerable throughout the world? At this moment, women are suffering from inequality because they are the ones that provide stability and security not only for themselves...

A Long Term Goal in the Paris Agreement: A Failure Without Differentiation & Equity

Paige Nygaard December 10, 2015 0 Comments

By Paige Nygaard We are getting closer and closer to the end of COP21. Anticipation is growing to seeing what disaster will unfold within the text. Will it be slightly bad? Absolutely terrible? How much will the United States be able to shift the burden of climate change to other countries while also blaming them for any bad deal in Paris? As every draft text gets released, it favors the...