#genericairporttweet Waiting to board a plane to Amsterdam them [you gotta love Twitter typos] Copenhagen. Hope my iPods last. Take care of @lorika13 u guyz!
Thus begins Chuck Olson’s two-week trip to the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen (known as COP15) — according to MPR, the largest U.N. climate change conference in history “with organizers warning diplomats from 192 nations that this could be the best last chance for a deal to protect the world from calamitous global warming.” (And about 20,000 participants, according to the PiPress.)
Of course, only about half of the U.S believes that climate change is even happening, which could pose a slight hindrance to U.S. involvement. But “the Obama administration officially declared Monday that greenhouse gases produced by burning coal and oil are a danger to public health” and “President Barack Obama plans to visit the talks on their final day to promise that the U.S. will cut its share of emissions and to press for a strong agreement.” What remains to be seen is whether he’ll pressure Congress to enact the necessary laws to enforce this.
On Monday, for the first time ever, 56 newspapers in 45 different countries published a joint editorial on the “profound emergency” of climate change. “Few believe that Copenhagen can any longer produce a fully polished treaty,” states the editorial. “Real progress towards one could only begin with the arrival of President Obama in the White House and the reversal of years of US obstructionism. Even now the world finds itself at the mercy of American domestic politics, for the president cannot fully commit to the action required until the US Congress has done so.”
MPR explores a cap and trade system solution, whereby companies that emit a lot of carbon dioxide start out with allowances and then have to pay for the allowances as they shrink, forcing them to invest in energy-saving measures and find alternatives to coal burning.
“That’s what Xcel Energy has done at its High Bridge plant in downtown St. Paul. Xcel converted the plant from coal to natural gas, cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half.”
In fact, as part of their effort to reduce energy sales, Xcel Energy is now offering rebates to business and residential customers who install solar systems that meet efficiency requirements.
“Utilities are also investing in wind power,” says MPR, “and they’re talking about building more nuclear plants. They’re also trying to figure out if they can capture the carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants and store it underground.”
Perhaps China can lend us a hand. According to the New York Times, China’s Goldwind Science & Technology Ltd., one of the world’s biggest makers of wind turbines, is taking on its first American project by erecting three 20-story-tall windmills in a Pipestone, Minnesota farmer’s cornfield.
For more from Minnesota, tune into Chuck’s @Chuckumentary Twitter feed and David Gillette’s daily illustrated essays on MinnPost, and head over to the Minneapolis Central Library on Saturday for a video update from polar explorer Will Steger, live from the summit, and a new film on the environmental crisis. And of course, just keep checking your local news sources and share with us your findings and thoughts.
[Interesting piece on Climategate — hundreds of University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit emails were hacked from the university’s server and leaked onto the Internet. The stolen emails, some of which date back to 1996, have reignited conspiracy theories about the role of human activity in climate change.]
45 Reader Comments
1:51 pm
Whatever happened to the short-and-sweet posts? I hope they’re paying you enough to be doing all this research and writing.
1:57 pm
You get both. Or you can just read one random sentence and call it short and sweet.
2:10 pm
We are not going to be able to change the weather. It is to late and not worth the effort. focus on our water supply and doing the best we can with what we have. To think that we can change the weather is a crock of shit. It is going to get hotter, get used to it and get over it.
2:12 pm
There’s a lot of $$$ in play, Swannie. I’m afraid there’s no stopping them.
2:18 pm
It is going to get hotter, get used to it and get over it.
2:28 pm
“Mohamad Shinaz, an activist from the Maldives, plunged feet-first into a tank with nearly 200 gallons of frigid water to illustrate what rising sea levels were doing to his island nation.” (via MPR)
2:33 pm
It ain’t worth saving Manhattan and all of the myriad of coastal cities of the US? Hmmm. Interesting.
2:54 pm
“We are not going to be able to change the weather.”
The point that you fail to grasp — or accept — is that we already have. This is just on how to best reduce the damage done.
2:56 pm
We’re stuck with Yankees, Douglas. They’re not going anywhere.
2:56 pm
Weather change? One word: HAARP.
At least that’s what Jesse “The Mind” Ventura thinks.
2:58 pm
The Maldives are not the only islands in trouble because of rising seas. A small Native American village on an island near New Orleans is evacuating withing 6 months to higher ground. I believe some Native communities in Alaska are also losing ground — literally.
3:04 pm
@cristina – the guy might think about moving. The ocean IS going to rise regardless of how upset human beings get about it. The earth is indifferent to what we want to do, it will only proceed forward with how things are now. We can’t change it. If we really cared about our global foot print we would control the population. The reason people live every were on earth, is that their are too many people to sustain the current population. Until the population declines, the climate change problem will never improve. We use fossil fuels because they are the most efficient way to produce electricity ect. Without fossil fuels the third world starves because we could not produce enough food to feed them. The food supply is completely dependent on petroleum based fertilizers and as a production component.
3:11 pm
the key is to speculatively buy near-coastal land on somewhat high ground and build a seaside resort. then just wait for the tide to roll in.
3:11 pm
And where does he move to swanie? Maldives is an independent nation. That means, in order to move, he (and all other Maldivians(?)) need to hope other nations accept them as immigrants or refugees.
But, of course, you’re on record as not giving a shit about refugees. They made their own beds, and have to suffer the consequences.
3:11 pm
adapt
3:13 pm
The point that you fail to grasp — or accept — is that we already have. This is just on how to best reduce the damage done.
I get it and accept the earth is warming but I also realize that it is a fact of life. If you want to save the earth quit breeding at the rate we breed. We are a parasite on this planet and the planet does not give one god damn if we survive or not. The earth will move to equilibrium regardless of what we do or not do. The real short term threat is our water supply but that is being ignored and over shadowed by the climate change scare.
3:18 pm
I’m going to leave the tap on all night and start a big family just to piss you off, swandog (g)
3:22 pm
@mnblrmkr – evolution and climate change are closely linked. They will either adapt or perish. Life is a bitch and then you die. How much does the “global village” owe to keep one island nation from sinking. Civilizations come and go, they either adapt or cease to exists.
3:24 pm
Seems odd that The Uptake would go to Köbenhavn. Chuck have some money left over in the budget?
I thought his website/citizen journalist venture was kind of a Minnesota/local thing.
3:32 pm
Quoted from Denialism Blog:
“They don’t have convince people that there is no link — all they have to do make it appear as if there is a scientific controversy. Journalists help them in this task by seeking sources to provide a balance of opposing views rather than seeking sources with expertise in the subject area.”
I can’t put it better than that.
Did anyone hear how China has offered to reduce by 45% by 2020 – OF THEIR ECONOMIC OUTPUT, which of course will grow insanely, meaning their carbon footprint will go way up.
We’re boned. Boned, I tell you.
3:42 pm
swanie, you clearly have no clue how evolution works. People living in the Maldives aren’t going to turn into guppy freaks overnight.
3:44 pm
And I’d say that the golobal community owes the Maldives a hell of a lot. Carbon output from the Maldives is not what’s causing them to drown.
3:48 pm
My guess is some individual or foundation sprung for some cash for the UpChuck to cover this event, which certainly has an impact here in MN. Fair question, though. I wondered the same.
TPT must be doing okay to send a cartoonist. Did you donate and get the Rick Steves book, Rat?
4:04 pm
If that’s the case, he runs the risk of appearing to be bought off.
4:06 pm
But, like I said there’s of potential money in play with this climate change stuff. Once it’s taxed and collected in one way or another, it can go in any direction.
4:07 pm
“If that’s the case, he runs the risk of appearing to be bought off.”
No more than the MSM can appear to be bought off by its advertisers.
4:08 pm
Much more in my opinion.
4:09 pm
“But, like I said there’s of potential money in play with this climate change stuff.”
And there’s a lot of money at stake for those denying/refusing to address the issue, and fighting to maintain the status quo.
4:10 pm
“Much more in my opinion.”
That and a dollar might get you a coffee at McDonalds.
4:40 pm
swanie, you clearly have no clue how evolution works. People living in the Maldives aren’t going to turn into guppy freaks overnight.
I know they are not going to turn into guppy freaks overnight. They are not going to drown over night either. the rate of change is fairly slow but steady move or drown. It sucks to be them but many civilizations have come and gone it is part of the human experience and is not going to change because some think it should.
This is all about money. Both sides play the game and forget to look at the reality of the situation and that is stop breeding like rats and clean up the water. Other than that it just does not matter. People are going to die and that is how it works. We don’t keep our waters clean and our land clean. We dump tons of shit and chemicals into our water ways and we think that the “global community” is going to clean up the air we breath, right. If we are counting on the “global community” to solve anything, stick a fork in our collective ass turn us over we are done. Make way for the cock roaches. Any one see or read “the road” it is coming.
11:46 am
“In an op-ed in the Washington Post today, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called for President Obama to boycott climate change talks in Copenhagen, saying programs to limit emissions would ‘irreversibly’ hurt the American economy.” (via TPM)
11:55 am
I wonder how the American economy would be doing right now if the voters had put Palin and McCain into power? Well, we will never know, will we?
1:22 pm
… saying programs to limit emissions would ‘irreversibly’ hurt the American economy.
Perhaps hurt a petroleum-based economy but, gosh, doesn’t she think the economy could expand and grow by developing alternative energy technologies? An added plus would be the parallel growth in the number of new skilled jobs available here in the US … rather than our continued slide into a lower-paying service economy as our manufacturing and industrial jobs continue to move overseas.
Why do conservatives who preach “American values” fail to give it the ol’ American “gung ho” when it comes to foresight and innovation?
1:38 pm
I learned a few days ago that Japan has a policy to decrease power consumption of all of its manufacturing plants. In other words, they are forced to work more efficiently. Efficiency = cost savings. It is a no brainer!
1:43 pm
man, swandog’s attitude is depressing. It reminds me of the mindset of a lot of hit and run drivers:
“Sucks that I hit you with my car dude, but people get hit by cars all the time so I’m not going to bother stopping.”
1:46 pm
Well, I learned from an economist at the University of Maryland that China essentially produces a new Japan every few years in terms pollution output, Probably a new United States a few years after that. And if China and India thumb their nose at environmental initiatives, the U.S. wants to sink billions into tinkering around the edges.
1:46 pm
nood, that’s always amazed me too. 40-50 years ago, when it looked like we were going to lose the space race to the Soviets, we didn’t toss up our hands and wail that we were going to lose, so why bother.
We threw ourselves into it, and “won” that race. With the even bigger benefit that the science education and developments helped usher in years of economic and technological progress for this country.
1:49 pm
rat,
Both China and India are both starting to make commitments to reducing greenhouse gasses.
1:50 pm
Do you believe their commitments?
1:57 pm
Do you believe their commitments?
ROTFLMAO
Are you playing the stupid card today, Rat? To “make a commitment” is to give an earnest pledge to action. For example: to “make a commitment” to win the Super Bowl is not the same as actually winning it … but it’s a good start.
Okay?
2:08 pm
rat: Seeing that they are actually taking small, but concrete steps, yeah, it’s a start:
http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/business-in-china/100214016-1-committed-carbon-reduction.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope/and-how-good-is-indias-of_b_383163.html
I’ll also suggest that they have additional incentives:
India is looking at a real water problem if the Himalayan glaciers disappear, or if the monsoon rains are significantly altered.
And, of course, as the populations in both countries become wealthier, there is every reason to expect that they will be just like people in the west, and refuse to put up with polluted water, soot filled air, and despoiled countrysides.
2:10 pm
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have used “stupid.”
“Paranoid” would fit, though.
2:17 pm
All I did was ask a question. The only stupid question is the one that isn’t asked.
2:29 pm
The fact that I made note of them, kind of implies that I do give them some weight.
2:31 pm
I remember the days when the United States would take action to protect its vital national interests before waiting for China and India to act first. WWWD?*
* What Would W Do?
Where America leads, the world will follow. Bank on it.