Notes from COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt...08 November
The 27th annual meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) began on Sunday 06 November. Sunday consisted of opening Plenary sessions, with country delegations and coalitions presenting statements. These opening plenaries do not really set the negotiation agenda. Instead, they highlight issues that country delegations want to address. For example, a high priority issue for many developing countries is "loss and damage." This issue includes discussions of the creation of an international mechanism for loss and damage (a kind of international "FEMA" or emergency management agency) and the finance needed for the international loss and damage authority. The "high level segment" began yesterday, on the 07 November. Over 100 Heads of State are at COP 27 (e.f., Presidents and Prime Ministers), with each person speaking at the high level event. The urgency of the climate crisis is a theme that gets repeated.
There are thousands of people here, including many from younger generations (I am a Baby Boomer), including Millennials and Generation Z I attended a meeting yesterday that included dozens of college students, most of when were from universities and colleges in the USA.
As I post comments, I will include links to articles that are wroth reading and sharing. This essay is from a good friend and colleague, Dr. Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Center for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University Bangladesh in Dhaka. This article appears in a recent issue of Time magazine.
https://time.com/6224791/bangladesh-teach-the-world-about-talking-about-climate-change/
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ReplyDeleteWere there any unique or niche issues presented by country delegations at the opening plenaries?
ReplyDeleteIn the article provided above, it stated: "During Barack Obama’s presidency, U.S. news outlets devoted forty times more coverage to the Kardashians than to how global warming was overheating the oceans." This statistic was alarming, and should serve as a wakeup call towards the advocacy needed for climate change.
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Role of Social Media as a Soft Power Tool in Raising Public Awareness and Engagement in Addressing Climate Change," it is stated that social media has managed to spread more awareness on the issue, but that it also has led to the creation of circles of extremists on both the climate change accepters and climate change deniers (Mavrodieva, Rachman, Harahap, Shaw).
ReplyDeleteBased on what you have experienced with your work and observation on climate change, would you say social media has been better or worse for working on climate change?
Where would the funding come from for fixing this loss and damage? Would each country pledge a certain amount per year?
ReplyDeleteMaybe an extension of 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics William Nordhaus's concept of a Climate Club might provide a foundation for negotiations on funding loss and damage - https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2020-04-10/climate-club
DeleteAfter the united states rejoined the Paris agreement are we still pledging to give help to more underdeveloped countries with respect to the climate crisis. Also do we know if after rejoining if we've made any more steps forward since we set ourselves back when we left in 2017. Is this talked about at these conferences?
ReplyDeleteIn the article you linked "What Bangladesh Can Teach the World About Talking About Climate Change", it states that U.S media is starting to report on climate change in the first weeks around COP26. Is there something you want to get covered by the media that isn't covered currently or is the act of informing enough to spur action?
ReplyDeleteWhat sorts of solutions to climate change issues has come out of the Conference of the Parties over the years?
ReplyDeleteI don't hear much about climate change and its effects on people very often, even on social media I don't see much. In the article you posted they claim that "Climate change is a life-and-death issue for Bangladesh," which for me raises the questions as to why such an issue isn't made more mainstream and all over the media?
ReplyDeleteWhat are the factors, or plenaries set the negotiation agenda. It is mentioned that opening plenaries do not set the negotiation agenda, so who or what does set the agenda?
ReplyDeleteWhat were some of the most present issues that country delegations wanted to address at this years meeting of the conference of the parties? I would guess some issues related to Co2 levels, or acidification levels in the oceans.
ReplyDeleteI read your article posted based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and I find it fascinating. I am going to Dhaka in March for a training paired with the Bangladeshi Army, so I am interested if I will see any impacts that were mentioned and emphasized in this article. I know it has been very humid and hot there for decades!
ReplyDeleteIt is mentioned that climate change is a "life-and-death" issue for Bangladesh. I am wondering if this should be said about the United States. It is mentioned that rivers in Bangladesh are flooding, corrupting much of their farmland and crops. But, is it false that the United States has been dealing with similar issues as well? (Ex. Hurricane Ian, Dallas floods, drought.). I believe this has become a global issue for sure, and I think the author of this article relating to Bangladesh has noticed that as well.
ReplyDeleteIn an article discussing Climate change's effects on agriculture, I can relate much of what has been happening in Bangladesh to a global scale. An experiment in 2019, conducting crop profits when impacted by climate change, it is said "We find that soybean yields would decline by almost 33%, followed by maize (44%), spring wheat (50%), and alfalfa (64%) by the 2031–2055 period relative to 1981–2005"(Gaurav 232). It is shown that crop production has declined over the years due to climate change effects such as drought/dry conditions, Co2 levels in soil, etc. It is scary what the future holds for plant and crop production. Climate change has the potential to harm the produce production.
ReplyDeleteHere is the Link for this article : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/agec.12551
DeleteWhat can the United States do more of in order to collaborate with the UN as well as lower carbon emissions nationally. According to epa.gov, the United States emitted a total of 5,981 million metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere and this is extremely concerning. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=Land%20Use%2FForestry-,Overview,of%20these%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions.
ReplyDeleteWhat specific issues are being discussed at this years climate conference and what steps can citizens take daily to help to solve these issues. Ex: using less straws etc..
ReplyDeleteHow is it ensured that these smaller potentially less developed countries that are more likely to be feeling the effects of climate change are able to be heard and valued at the same level as larger countries?
ReplyDeleteAre there many countries that are refusing/ more hesitant to take actions to slow the effects of climate change due to them being positively impacted by the effects of the climate?
ReplyDeleteWhat are some issues we have to address before we can truly attack climate change?
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ReplyDeleteIn an article by the Washington Post discussing the short comings of the Climate conference Ishaan Tharoor stated: "Some wealthy nations have failed to fund a planned vehicle of financial aid for developing countries, many of which are experiencing the front-line effects of a warming planet with limited capacity to mitigate against them. And in a year of economic instability and energy price volatility, many countries have sunk public funds into the cultivation and acquisition of carbon-emitting fossil fuels." What are some practical goals to address climate change in a time when the access and price of energy and fuels is so variable?(Link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/11/09/cop27-climate-alaa-prison-strike-sissi/)
ReplyDeleteHow effective are these conferences? How much greenwashing occurs during these events?
ReplyDeleteHow can we reduce the carbon admissions of our foods systems while making it economically viable for developing countries to adopt these new techniques and practices?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the expected outcome of these conferences? How do they positively affect the climate crisis? What actual action is done?
ReplyDeleteSince climate stories only accounted for around 1% of total news coverage by ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News in 2021, how can we increase awareness about this issue?
ReplyDeleteClimate change can be a life or death issue. In many instances it can worsen lung function, increase exposure to viruses, increase the frequency of extreme weather events, and disrupt the availability of food. https://www.epa.gov/climatechange-science/frequently-asked-questions-about-climate-change#health
ReplyDeleteOn an individual level, what can someone do to help the climate crisis? What are some little things, and what are some larger things?
ReplyDeleteIn the United States alone, we could prevent tens of thousands of deaths per year and billions of dollars in damages if there was a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/29/
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that so many people "don't believe" in climate change? What arguments would work best in persuading these people that climate change is a pressing issue?
ReplyDeleteWhat are the best points you have gotten out of this conference? Around how many people attended?
ReplyDeleteThe article shared is very eye opening. I like that the author mentioned the first step of action that should be taken. The author writes, "There are many solutions, starting with rapidly phasing out fossil fuels and electing politicians who will make that happen." I think this is very necessary info that can help people realize that change is possible, we just have to take steps towards it.
ReplyDeleteI found it great that the article shared mentioned how important media presence is in issues such as climate change. The article says, "During Barack Obama’s presidency, U.S. news outlets devoted forty times more coverage to the Kardashians than to how global warming was overheating the oceans,". People gain a lot of their info from social media, the news, and T.V. so it's important that crucial issues are covered in these areas to spread awareness.
ReplyDeleteI found an interesting article titled "Climate Change is hitting the planet faster than scientists originally thought." Even the title of this article is already devastating. We are running out of time to lessen the impact. The article speaks a lot about the effects of climate change, which are important in calling attention to the issue. It explains that climate change has "already caused death and suffering and will continue to do so." Additionally, it says, " Between 3.3 billion and 3.6 billion people — more than 40% of the world’s population — live in places and in situations that are “highly vulnerable to climate change”,". This article is very eye opening. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00585-7
ReplyDeletehttps://reporterre.net/Coca-Cola-EgyptAir-les-sponsors-controverses-de-la-COP27#:~:text=Coca%2DCola%20et%20ses%20bouteilles,ONG%20Break%20Free%20From%20Plastic.
ReplyDeleteControversial Sponsors of COP27. Your comments?
At the conference has there been any conversation over pesticide usage? I believe this is a pressing concern that needs to be advocated for as pesticides not only pollute our soil and waters, but they also can cause cancer in the end-user. However, my guess is there are larger issues to overshadow it at this convention. Two fascinating articles on pesticides are linked below.
ReplyDeleteAlavanja, Michael CR, Matthew K. Ross, and Matthew R. Bonner. "Increased cancer burden among pesticide applicators and others due to pesticide exposure." CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 63.2 (2013): 120-142.
Zadoks, J. C., and H. Waibel. "From pesticides to genetically modified plants: history, economics and politics." NJAS: Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 48.2 (2000): 125-149.
I find it both painful and fascinating to read about how little our country covers climate change. The fact that "U.S. news outlets devoted forty times more coverage to the Kardashians than to how global warming was overheating the oceans" especially bothered me. It is possible to address climate change and come up with solutions but that won't happen in America unless there is a systemic change in our culture. Likewise, you'd think that with all of the recent hurricanes and damage on our coasts it would be addressed similarly to how Bangladesh. A primary impact they face is on the Ganges river delta - the largest river delta in the world. On that issue there's both a Nasa article and another one I found that highlights the issue:
ReplyDeleteMitra, Johanna. “Climate Change in the Ganges River Basin.” Nwnl.blog, 27 Apr. 2021, https://nwnl.blog/2021/04/28/climate-change-in-the-ganges-river-basin/#:~:text=Sea%20Level%20Rise,-The%20Ganges%20River&text=The%20water%20levels%20in%20this,people%20living%20within%20the%20delta.&text=Also%2C%20the%20effects%20of%20sea,of%20the%20delta%20plains%20themselves.
As the above Time article states there are only "39 percent of Americans know that most scientists agree that climate change is harmful and happening today", should we add a required class about environmental issues (like climate change) in schools and colleges?
ReplyDeleteThe article from the World Resources Institution talks about the 6 key questions but I was really interested how the planet has warmed by 1.1 degrees Celcius. As it has already gone up that much, scientists believe that raising the number to a 1.5 C will do way more harm that the original 1.1 degrees. The IPCC stated the the coral reefs will die if the temperature raises by that .4 C (Bhandari 2022) which is something I found very interesting.
ReplyDeleteBhandari, Preety, et al. “What Is ‘Loss and Damage’ from Climate Change? 6 Key Questions, Answered.” World Resources Institute, 3 Nov. 2022, https://www.wri.org/insights/loss-damage-climate-change.
In the article provided above, it stated, "Only 39 percent of Americans know that most scientists agree that climate change is happening today, and only 50 percent know that it’s caused by human activities..." I find this fact very interesting, but also very concerning. Without having knowledge about our climate crisis, people will not regard it a serious issue that we need to work together to solve. Especially since citizens are the ones who vote for our country's leaders, it is important that we consider climate change an important issue to tackle, in order to vote for candidates that will help make a difference. Unfortunately, I was a part of that 50 percent that did not know that climate change was caused by human activities. Not until I had to do research for my speech on climate change in class did I find out how much human activities, especially carbon emissions, really impacted our planet. I believe this is something that we really need to address.
ReplyDeleteI love that there were a lot of people from younger generations at the meeting! Since climate change is becoming more and more of an alarming issue as the years go on, it is important that younger generations understand the severity of the situation and are willing to help address it. Still, we need everyone in all generations to take climate change seriously and help address it in order to solve this issue as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone allowed to show up to the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change? Also how is it decided where this event is held?
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting and amazing that there a lot of different ages, background, and demographics present at these meetings. The only thing I wonder is that if there is any general conflict during these meetings and how you guys might deal with that.
ReplyDeleteI read the article that was suggested above. It was surprising to me as someone who doesn't watch the news just how little climate change is addressed in the US. Maybe if it was taken seriously by news outlets more people in the US would see climate change as as real issue.
ReplyDeleteWithin the article provided, they noted that "Unfortunately, mainstream news outlets in the U.S. have a long history of downplaying or misreporting the climate story". I find this disheartening that despite the implications climate change has on us and our lives, it still isn't a prominent concern of many. I wonder how many lives could've been saved if action against climate change was taken before.
ReplyDeleteIn the article that was presented, the author discusses the role that the media plays in cultivating a public opinion on climate change. Creating a united opinion may be a problem in the United States since much of our media is distinctly divided along political lines, and climate change has been portrayed as a political issue. I fear that if the narrative about climate change cannot grow beyond one parties beliefs versus the others, then the United States media will never be able to compare to the Bangladesh media in its reporting on the issue.
ReplyDeleteIf a new group for "loss and damages" was to be formed who would be resposable for running and funding something like. Would the countries who are most effected be held responsible or does that fall on the countires who are most effected.
ReplyDeleteWhy does a program to combat loss and damage not already exist? It seems like this has been an issue for a long time.
ReplyDeletewhat is an example "loss and damage" in these developing countries?
ReplyDeleteWhat would a high priority issue look like in a country like the US or Canada?
ReplyDeleteWould you say there is a generation gap in climate advocates about what actions they think should be taken and what the consequences will be if nothing is done?
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly is categorized as "loss and damage" to developing countries that are attending the conference? Does "loss and damage" include money lost to climate change? The loss of good health? The loss of biodiversity? Damage to the air quality? Damage to water purity? Is there a guideline to help understand what is being referred too when there is a mention of "loss and damage"?
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to me that the majority of younger people at the conference you attended were from the united states. It makes me wonder why exactly that is. I wonder if it is something to do with the education here in the united states, the budget of particular schools here, or a variety of other possible reasons.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that the early sessions focus mainly on high level heads of state, which in many ways makes sense since executives are often in charge of diplomacy and treaty making. I do wonder though how that may reduce the impact of the discussions at the conference, since legislatures and local initiatives can often have a greater impact.
ReplyDeleteI'd be curious to investigate more thoroughly what countries mean by 'loss and damage'. Like physical loss and damage to their nation, or maybe to their infrastructure or economy, etc.?
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was really cool that all of those leaders of countries showed up to these events, I think these events are very important and hopefully will have a big impact on the future of our planet. It's also important for those people to show up because the general population looks up to them and will be more encouraged to go because they go.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say negotiating, are you talking about representatives from countries negotiating on where money goes, how to take action, where to focus attention on, or all of the above?
ReplyDeleteToday our political parties and agenda shape American's views which enable many to conform to ideas rather than double checking their facts and formulating their own conclusions. One notable political party that denies Global Warming is the Republican's Party. Without much regard, these politicians are misinforming their supporter by denying this inherent harm. In the article What Bangladesh Can Teach the World About Talking About Climate Change they mention how "If more Americans voted like they understood the climate emergency, the Republican party would either be swept from power or have to drop its lockstep opposition to taking serious action." (HUQ 14) and that to me is interesting because it shows the strong division seen within the US that actively affects everyone yet this Political Party ignores it whereas Bangladesh citizens have a better understanding and their media heavily advocates for solutions and U.S. there is debates.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.americanprogress.org/article/climate-deniers-117th-congress/
this article provide the alarming amount of officials who deny climate change, and a little in depth into the greedy motives.
I think that the article you submitted was super interesting. The statistic that was provided said that only 39% of Americans know that their is scientific evidence supporting climate change, which is absolutely absurd to me seeing that climate change is directly affecting us in our day-to-day lives.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen in increase in efforts of nations to counteract the global climate crisis over the years? You state that a priority for the nations is "loss and damage", however, shouldn't the priority be on what is causing the damage in order to resolve the issue?
ReplyDeleteAs a prospective civil engineer, I have been considering working with organizations like Red Cross and FEMA for rebuilding infrastructure for those impacted by climate emergencies. Do you think that nations and NGO's have a challenge of balancing priorities between preventing climate events through more sustainable strategies and recovering from said climate disasters?
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has been to many of these events, what would you say is the most impactful or favorite issues that have been discussed? Here is an article that goes into some detail about the "Loss and Damage" fund that was recently agreed upon at the COP27.https://unfccc.int/news/cop27-reaches-breakthrough-agreement-on-new-loss-and-damage-fund-for-vulnerable-countries
ReplyDeleteI'm studying to be an industrial engineer, and I'm wondering how many companies and organizations sent representatives to discuss the decrease in CO2 emissions? It's one of the main grand challenges for engineers.
ReplyDeleteMy question is if only countries in the UN can join the COP? because there are industrialized nations like Taiwan who aren't apart of the UN but also need to care about Climate Change.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is interested in working with the Peace Corps what are crossover situations that you have seen with workers who volunteer for multiple organizations like FEMA and Red Cross have you seen any work specifically done with the Corps during these conferences?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, the main takeaway that I had was how little coverage the issues surrounding climate change receive from mainstream media. Quotes such as how "U.S. news outlets devoted forty times more coverage to the Kardashians than to how global warming was overheating the oceans" or how "2021 climate stories still accounted for a mere 1 percent of total news coverage by ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News" both put into perspective how deeply concerning this disregard for the state of our world is. A question that I had after considering the impact of this ignorance was how social media might influence the general public. I don't watch the news often, however, I do use social media. Specifically on instagram, I see a number of posts regarding various environmental changes that are occurring right now. I wonder whether this will cause the newer generations to be more aware of the results of climate change and make them more likely to take action.
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering are the countries attending these conferences trying to actually work on climate crisis or they are just doing it to present an image that they care about the environment?
ReplyDeleteHow does the UN decide which representatives from which countries get to be involved on talks about climate change?
ReplyDeleteIn an article posted by CNBC called "Gen Z grew up with climate change. Now it's starting to have an effect on their career choices." They stated that climate change has become a prevalent enough conversation with the younger generation that it is influencing their carrier paths. The reason for this is attributed to the requirement of classes that shed light on this issue. Joe Lerdal who was a senior at Cal Berkeley was a history major but wanted to make a difference in his community, so he became a firefighter. I think that by requiring classes to create a more well-rounded education has greatly helped the activism in all aspects of life by gen z.
ReplyDeleteLink: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/12/gen-z-grew-up-with-climate-change-now-its-affecting-career-choices.html
DeleteIn the context of a mechanism for emergency funds for regions affected by the climate, I wonder were the funds would come from. Many industrialized nations have contributed potentially irreparable damage to the environment. Should that money go to turn those nations carbon neutral to slow the effect or rectify the loss with the nations impacted?
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