Bill McKibben's Thoughts

Here's what Bill McKibben, head of 350.org has to say about COP in a recent opinion piece in Yale e360:http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2215

Two sad, but true things- "If Obama puts a realistic number on the table, Senator James Inhofe (R-Armageddon) will be on hand to take it off." (Inhofe's going to be there in Copenhagen himself)

"There are thousands of young people, about to be disillusioned by their first exposure to big time power politics." (people like us undergrads; although I'm already pretty disillusioned myself)

Yours,

Lily T

谢谢中国, Thank you China!

China has just pledged to reduce emissions by 45% below 2005 levels relative to economic development. This ambitious goal is pretty great news. Let's hope that China's actions either humiliate, scare or better yet inspire the US leadership to take similarly aggressive action here!

Having spent time in China the summer before last, I can say that when China commits to something, they go big and get the job done. For instance, China has really gotten behind renewable energy in a way that we haven't in the US. A major reason for this is that the Chinese government has been able to be supportive of renewables and push for them in a way that our Congressional government hasn't. Communism certainly has it corruption, but when China's state leaders decide to take on an initiative like renewable energy, nothing holds them back. Here in the US we have to listen to lobbies and debate every bill down to the smallest details, which has dragged out something that we need to get moving on as soon as possible.

For a full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/science/earth/27climate.html?hp

Yours,

Lily T

Lots of pre-COP Action Today!

President Obama has committed to attending COP15 on his way over to pick up his Nobel Peace Prize in December. He's also pledged to reduce emissions 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83% below 2005 levels by 2050. That's great news that he's going to attend the conference and has committed to taking a stand on this issue even though the US Congress hasn't been able to.

Others from the US government will also be attending including EPA Commissioner, Lisa Jackson, Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack and Assistant to the President, Carol Browner.

For more info check out the press release:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/20091125-obama-copenhagen.pdf

In other news, leading scientists have come out with a new report, "The Copenhagen Diagnosis" that summarizes the fact that the science has once again proven to be even worse than our worst predictions. This report is an update from the last IPCC report in 2007.

Be sure to read Elizabeth Kolbert's article about it at Yale e360:

http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2214.

My favorite quote from her article is this quote from Andrew Weaver, a researcher at University of Victoria and one of the report's authors, who clearly was not excited about the world leaders' decision to abandon hope of a binding treaty, “'Maybe they should be honest, and stand up and say, ‘You know what? As your political leaders we do not accept that we owe anything to future generations.’ I don’t think they’d ever say that, but this is what they are saying if they don’t deal with this problem.”'

To read the report yourself, click here:http://www.copenhagendiagnosis.com/

Sustainably yours,

Lily T

So, what can we still accomplish at COP?

A few leaders have some ideas: http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2213

Be sure to check what Yale grads and US leaders Fred Krupp '75 (head of EDF) and Frances Beinecke '71 (head of NRDC) have to say!

Get moving USA!

Many developed and developing countries are putting out plans to reduce emissions...check out this article from the NY times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/science/earth/20climate.html?_r=1&ref=science

We're still waiting for action from the United States...

Tell Obama to get moving on climate legislation by leaving a comment here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact