An Integrated Science and Policy Approach for Real Impact

I was not as impressed with this presentation because I was hoping is was actually sticking to the title but was primarily concerned with economical analysis and made many commonly thrown around assumptions used by policy makers like nuclear and biofuels are just as desirable as any other renewable energy source. Here is a breakdown of their presentation:

Numerous models out there but they can all be related within their values for:
-cost concepts (engineering costs, social costs, private costs)
- baseline assumptions (future economic development, efficiency improvements)
-assumed implementation periods

Developing Nations- How can we create a system that includes developing nations to set commitments that are still “fair”. Industrialized nations will have to reduce emissions 100% to get even remotely “fair” agreements.

-all of the policy solutions they proposed had a target of 450ppm carbon not 350
-admitted that a carbon market can only reach so many of the emission targets
-when should we set the target for emissions to peak, and whenever that is developed countries really need to get the ball rolling to reach it.

The one most scientific aspects of this talk I enjoyed was a proposal of how we really shouldn't even describe this as managing climate but even more broadly there are 9 basic earth systems we must always consider as a whole because nothing is isolated from the others:

1) Climate Change
2) Ozone Depletion
3) Atmospheric Aerosol Loading
4) Global Freshwater Use
5) Ocean Acidification
6) Chemical Pollution
7) Land System Change
8) Rate of Biodiversity Loss
9) Biogeochemical Loading: N and P supplies